Family refuses to pay tip, gets locked inside restaurant

[drebo]

Incorrect. Not everyone will complain to the manager. Many will just give a small or no tip or even write a bad review afterwards.

They were willing to pay for their meals but don't want to pay the mandatory tip due to poor service, so how are they being cheap?

Maybe, after they saw the sign stating that there was a mandatory gratuity for parties 5 or more, they should have got up and left?

No one forced them to eat there, and if there were issues with their meal, they should have taken it up with the waiter/waitress/manager during the meal. If something is wrong, tell them about it.

If, however, they ate all their food and stuck around for a while, I see no justification to their assertion that the service/food was bad.

People like this are exactly why this type of gratuity exists. Don't like it? Don't eat at places that include a gratuity.

A larger party is going to take more of a server's time. Instead of 20 tables of 2, they might only be able to handle 10 tables of two if there's a table of 10 people also in their coverage. Why should the server take it in the shorts when a cheap ass loser like the people in this story (and most of the people in this thread) decides that the 2 hours they spent and 50 changes they made to their orders weren't worth a tip to the server?

 

[thegimp03]

Haha, the bad reviews of this restaurant are already adding up on Yelp.

 

[Veliko]

Doesn't really matter. You agreed up front by ordering. And again in this instance we don't know the full story.

If service/food is poor. You NEVER WAIT until the end of the meal to complain. You complain at the beginning or its to late.

Says who? And how can you complain at the beginning when you haven't had any service yet?

It's all very well saying that they could have got up and gone somewhere else, but that doesn't reflect the reality of the situation. Once you have chosen your restaurant, made your order and been waiting for a while you have invested your time to a certain degree.

It's similar to when you are waiting for a bus that is late; the longer you have been waiting, the more reluctant you are to leave the queue just in case the bus does actually turn up.

Ultimately there isn't really much service as such until the meals arrive, which means they may have been there for 30 minutes or so already. Getting up, leaving, finding another restaurant, etc. could result in them finishing too late. Presumably the kids had school to worry about.

If you are going to charge for the food and the service then you need to provide both to a satisfactory level.

If the service was poor then they were right to refuse to pay it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Says who? And how can you complain at the beginning when you haven't had any service yet?

It's all very well saying that they could have got up and gone somewhere else, but that doesn't reflect the reality of the situation. Once you have chosen your restaurant, made your order and been waiting for a while you have invested your time to a certain degree.

It's similar to when you are waiting for a bus that is late; the longer you have been waiting, the more reluctant you are to leave the queue just in case the bus does actually turn up.

Ultimately there isn't really much service as such until the meals arrive, which means they may have been there for 30 minutes or so already. Getting up, leaving, finding another restaurant, etc. could result in them finishing too late. Presumably the kids had school to worry about.

If you are going to charge for the food and the service then you need to provide both to a satisfactory level.

If the service was poor then they were right to refuse to pay it.

They were black. Blacks are never right... especially in Texas. Not surprised at all the cops were called.

911 call probably went like this:

911 Operator: 911 what is your emergency?
Restaurant manager: Yes, I am the manager at la fisherman and we have some customers refusing to pay their bill.
911 Operator: Are they robbing the place or destroying anything?
RM: No, they are just disputing the tip.
911 Operator: I'm sorry, but we can't send officers to the scene because of that.
RM: Well, they're black.
911 Operator: We'll have an officer there shortly, do you want me to stay on the line with you until they arrive?

 

[mnewsham]

Says who? And how can you complain at the beginning when you haven't had any service yet?

It's all very well saying that they could have got up and gone somewhere else, but that doesn't reflect the reality of the situation. Once you have chosen your restaurant, made your order and been waiting for a while you have invested your time to a certain degree.

It's similar to when you are waiting for a bus that is late; the longer you have been waiting, the more reluctant you are to leave the queue just in case the bus does actually turn up.

Ultimately there isn't really much service as such until the meals arrive, which means they may have been there for 30 minutes or so already. Getting up, leaving, finding another restaurant, etc. could result in them finishing too late. Presumably the kids had school to worry about.

If you are going to charge for the food and the service then you need to provide both to a satisfactory level.

If the service was poor then they were right to refuse to pay it.

so you're saying next time the bus is late i should only pay a buck instead of 1.75?

 

[Texashiker]

so you're saying next time the bus is late i should only pay a buck instead of 1.75?

No.

But if the bus breaks down, you should get some of your money back.

 

[Veliko]

so you're saying next time the bus is late i should only pay a buck instead of 1.75?

You can certainly attempt it.

Of course, if you are on a bus/coach where you pay the fare at the end and the journey takes too long because the driver is rubbish, then I would say you are within your rights to pay less.

 

[Childs]

I eat in many Asian run restaurants, and if this was Asian run I can imagine the service being very bad. Especially if you are not Asian or you do not have an Asian with you. The waiters are rude, they avoid you so they dont have to refill drinks, and they'll even try to start cleaning your table while you're still there to get you out. Literally while you still have food on your plate and drink left in your cup. Now that being said, its not clear that this is Asian run, so I'm not sure how this assumption got in this thread. But it still applies to bad service.

The article isnt very thorough, as it appears the customers had issue with the 17% and wanted to leave a different amount.

"We asked her, could the gratuity be removed? Could we give our own tip? She said it was part of their policy and there was nothing she could do about," Marks said. "If you're not satisfied with the service, you shouldn't have to pay gratuity."

I can understand not wanting to tip because of poor service, but if it known ahead of time its mandatory then just pay it, tell them they suck, and dont come back. Complain about it on Yelp if you want some more satisfaction.

 

[Veliko]

I can understand not wanting to tip because of poor service, but if it known ahead of time its mandatory then just pay it, tell them they suck, and dont come back. Complain about it on Yelp if you want some more satisfaction.

I don't understand why people keep saying this; why should they pay for the service if they didn't get it?

 

[surfsatwerk]

I don't understand why people keep saying this; why should they pay for the service if they didn't get it?

They were served, or did they go into the kitchen and deliver the food to their own table?

 

[Veliko]

They were served, or did they go into the kitchen and deliver the food to their own table?

Irrelevant.

When you pay for something, whether it is a physical good or a service, there are going to be certain minimum standards required before you consider it satisfactory.

 

[Phoenix86]

It "protects" them from getting screwed out of a tip on a large table where, in theory, they had to work extra hard to serve the food and fill the drinks.

MotionMan

Of course, the reality is they have 0 incentive to provide good service since their tip is guaranteed. On average, I get significantly worse service with a party of 6-8 vs 3-4. Everyone will scam the system at some point, others will do it every time.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Irrelevant.

When you pay for something, whether it is a physical good or a service, there are going to be certain minimum standards required before you consider it satisfactory.

Says you. You pay for service, you don't like it then don't re-use the service.

 

[mnewsham]

Irrelevant.

When you pay for something, whether it is a physical good or a service, there are going to be certain minimum standards required before you consider it satisfactory.

So if the family got service most people would expect and consider satisfactory but they wanted to bitch and moan trying to get a lower bill what then?

 

[Veliko]

So if the family got service most people would expect and consider satisfactory but they wanted to bitch and moan trying to get a lower bill what then?

I have no idea, it would depend entirely on the circumstances. Calling the police in this instance is clearly excessive and needless.

What if the service really was terrible?

 

[herrjimbo]

Says you. You pay for service, you don't like it then don't re-use the service.

You must be the dumbass manager of said restaurant.

 

[Texashiker]

Here, I want to see the police enforce this sign,

If parents leave their children, then they agree for the child to be sold.

Try to come back for your child, I dare you. The police will be called and you will be arrested while your child is sold.

 

[Childs]

I don't understand why people keep saying this; why should they pay for the service if they didn't get it?

Cause in the end its not worth the hassle. If its stated that there is a mandatory tip and you order anyways, well then its on you to pay that tip. If the service wasnt good, and you got everything you ordered, then tell the waiter or manager the service sucks, but you still have to pay that tip. As others have stated, when its mandatory, its not a tip, its a service charge.


BTW, its not that I like mandatory tips, or tipping in general. But this seems fairly straight forward.

 

[surfsatwerk]

You must be the dumbass manager of said restaurant.

I worked for a couple years in food service. The proportion of the general population who are cheap, unreasonable, and belligerent is staggering.

 

[Veliko]

Cause in the end its not worth the hassle. If its stated that there is a mandatory tip and you order anyways, well then its on you to pay that tip. If the service wasnt good, and you got everything you ordered, then tell the waiter or manager the service sucks, but you still have to pay that tip. As others have stated, when its mandatory, its not a tip, its a service charge.

If it is a service charge, then that requires a certain level of service to be provided.

If that level is not provided why should they pay?

 

[DrPizza]

This is when you take a passive aggressive approach. Organize a flash mob. Fill the restaurant with patrons (in pairs - not in 5's and 6's who will be forced to tip) and everyone just shows up for dessert - a piece of pie and a cup of coffee (or a soda, or better yet, water.) Keep the refills coming! No tips, and occupy the restaurant as long as possible, preventing other customers from making larger, more profitable orders.

 

[Childs]

If it is a service charge, then that requires a certain level of service to be provided.

If that level is not provided why should they pay?

The minimum level of service is you get what you ordered. I believe they got that.

 

[Veliko]

The minimum level of service is you get what you ordered. I believe they got that.

No, that is not what the minimum level of service is in a restaurant.

 

[Texashiker]

This is when you take a passive aggressive approach. Organize a flash mob. Fill the restaurant with patrons (in pairs - not in 5's and 6's who will be forced to tip) and everyone just shows up for dessert - a piece of pie and a cup of coffee (or a soda, or better yet, water.) Keep the refills coming! No tips, and occupy the restaurant as long as possible, preventing other customers from making larger, more profitable orders.

That is a good suggestion.

 

[alkemyst]

gra·tu·i·ty   [gruh-too-i-tee, -tyoo-] Show IPA
noun, plural gra·tu·i·ties.
1.
a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; tip.
2.
something given without claim or demand.

FUCK THE IDEALS OF WHAT TIPPING HAS BECOME. Call it a surcharge if you have to and mention no gratuity is required.

BUT NOOOOOOOOOO, that would scare away people. Guess what, required tipping should already have done that.

That definition is incorrect for things like many services. Tips are expected for most restaurant service and at usually 15% in the case of food.

This has been proven over and over again in many articles.

For some services, tipping is entirely optional and a gift.