Tips, YOUR NOT ENTITLED TO THEM!

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: baffled2

Originally posted by: Blain
I was out with some friends for dinner. All the orders were taken and everything was going well. I ordered a cajun shrimp dish. The waitress brought me a cajun chicken dish.
That's cool, everybody makes mistakes. She returned to our table several times to fill drinks and tell me "it won't be much longer". There were seven people in our party. Basically everyone was finished with their meals before I finally got my cajun shrimp dish. I was steamed to say the least, because we had been there for quite some time. She did say that she was sorry it took so long but no "free on us" meal or even a free dessert "on us".

I was not rude to her at all. If I hadn't left any tip, she might have thought I just forgot. So I left her a 25 cent tip.
Did that send her the right signal?

The person you need to deal with in such a situation is the restaurant manager! The waitress cannot control what happens in the kitchen, nor can she head back there and cook the food herself.You punished an otherwise attentive waitress by stiffing her on a party of 7 for what was most likely a mistake beyond her control. !

No, she clearly erred in that situation. When I ask for a plain burger and the waitress brings it out loaded with veggies ketchup, its as much her fault for bringing it to me as it was the cook's fault for not following the order correctly. I expect a waiter/waitress to ensure my food was as ordered before bringing it out to me.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

I don't go to cheap restaurants. It is rare that someone doesn't come around with water or ask how things are going.

nik

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
I don't go to cheap restaurants. It is rare that someone doesn't come around with water or ask how things are going.

nik

Black Angus is cheap? they didn't serve water there. the place i go to a lot locally here is not by any means cheap and they don't serve water without someone asking. maybe if you went to cheap resturants you would get better service??

 

[Skibby9]

I think they should leave you with a pitcher if iced water. Preferably with sliced lemon in it. Man, I hate waiting for water refills. That is a sure way to ruin a dining experience.

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Skibby9
Maybe the whole system is screwed up...

Maybe that's true,

Personally, I have a great time working for tips. It makes me my own boss, in a way. If I work harder/better/smarter, I get more money, right now, no waiting for a management review, or a paycheck.

Just remember, when all you folks to whom tipping is "foreign" visit the US, it's $1 per bag for the bellman, and 10-20% added to the bill for sit-down restaurants or delivery, taxis, and hair cuts (not everyone knows to tip the barber/stylist). You don't need to tip at the store (these people sometimes make commission, otherwise they are paid OK for what they do) or fast-food places. A $1 in the jar at the coffee shop is also a nice gesture if they're doing anything more than pouring a cup of brewed coffee, and doing it with a smile. You can always give more, if the service (and genuine friendliness) exceeds expectations.

 

[Skibby9]

Perhaps some mean to say that when they go to a restaurant they don't want to be "guilted" into helping their waiter meet some minimum standard of living. They just want to eat, not an opportunity to be charitable.

The laws that allow for service employes to be paid less than a living wage by their employers should be changed. The fact that tipping is a perceived "requirement" for both customer and waiter goes to show that the whole system is out of whack.

How's this: Not only do you have a miserable dining experience at the hands of your server, but you are also faced with the "opportunity" to pay extra because everyone knows that their wages are crap? Who is the bad guy here?
It sure as hell isn't the customer.

Solutions, anyone?

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

If I order a strawberry lemonade, I get a strawberry lemonade. You come around and make sure my glass is filled, right? Getting me another if it's empty?

If I order water, I get water. You come around and make sure my glass is filled, right? I regularly order water instead of a softdrink or something because I prefer it to most things.

Anyway, I forgot to mension that I've worked two food-handling positions. I know exactly where all you "I DESERVE a tip, dammit!" people are coming from and I still disagree with it. Why I didn't say so earlier escapes me. Maybe I'm too worried about getting my tip.

nik

 

[kt]

Like the original poster had mentioned.. waiters/waitresses are not entitled to tips. Tips are left on the discretion of the patrons. The thing is, in our society we are all conditioned to tip for services. That is the problem.. not the waiters/waitresses fault. It's actually whoever started the tipping standard's fault. A couple of years ago, I went to China with my uncle on a business trip. We went to a fancy restaurant. We had like 4 people waiting our table alone. I mean they just stand right behind you with ice water and hot tea. You take a sip of your water and they refill it immediately after you place your cup down. When your plate is filled, they take it away and place new plates. All this is done without us even as much as utter a word. Guess what? We were not allowed to tip any of the waiters. We feel so bad because we have been living in the US for so long that leaving that restaurant without tipping such good service put a guilt trip on us. But it's against the law to tip them, so there's nothing we can do about that. And if you try to tip them anyway, they will refuse to accept your tip because they will get fired for accepting tips. Their reasoning is accepting tips is like accepting a bribe.

Now, putting things in perspective. Aren't policemen busting their butt protecting us from criminals? And they are compensated for their service.. how will it look if I go up to a police officer and "tip" him?

 

[amnesiac]

What irks me is when people get mad at the waiter / waitress / cashier for the kitchen messing up their order.

The kitchen is generally full of underpaid, barely educated illegal immigrants. When you work at a restaurant with many different menu items (mine had 200+) mistakes happen often. All the waiter can do is send the food back and bring new stuff out. They have no control over the order once it hits the kicthen. Next time you have a problem with your order take it up with the manager. More often than not they'd be glad to give you free stuff as consolation.

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: amnesiac 2.0
What irks me is when people get mad at the waiter / waitress / cashier for the kitchen messing up their order.

The kitchen is generally full of underpaid, barely educated illegal immigrants. When you work at a restaurant with many different menu items (mine had 200+) mistakes happen often. All the waiter can do is send the food back and bring new stuff out. They have no control over the order once it hits the kicthen. Next time you have a problem with your order take it up with the manager. More often than not they'd be glad to give you free stuff as consolation.

Again, I dont agree. Waiters are not blind, they can and should check the order before delivering it to their customers. Like the earlier poster who ordered chicken and got shrimp (?!?). I dont care who messed it up, it is the server's responsibility to make sure what comes out of the kitchen is the CORRECT dish BEFORE it hits my table. If you are serving me and for whatever reason my order is messed up, it is as much your fault as the kitchen's for not being attentive. If somehow I do get served the wrong order, if the server is nice, polite, and apologetic then I most likely won't factor it when determining my tip. However, if it seems like just a non-issue to them or they simply take the plate and walk away without a word (its happened to me), you can bet their tip will be lowered.

 

[sheselectric]

I think servers have a responsibility to make sure the order is correct before bringing it to the customer. And on the off chance that they missed the fact that the order was incorrect, they should be the ones to apologize and bring them the correct item. Servers are hired (or at least should be hired) based on their people skills. If they can't handle personal contact they should scrub toilets instead.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: sheselectric
I think servers have a responsibility to make sure the order is correct before bringing it to the customer. And on the off chance that they missed the fact that the order was incorrect, they should be the ones to apologize and bring them the correct item. Servers are hired (or at least should be hired) based on their people skills. If they can't handle personal contact they should scrub toilets instead.

This breaks down with most major chain restaurants where "runners" bring you your food instead of the waiter/waitress. So many times I order something and the runner just eyeballs what it is and they come to the table like "uhhhhh......peppercorn steak?"
"No I had the salmon special."
"Oh, that's what this is..."

McDonaldization of the industry is partly to blame.

I never leave a lowball tip unless I'm certain the waiter/waitress was either a complete moron or a complete slacker.
Last time I was in Lone Star, at 8:00pm on a Tuesday night, the place was empty. Maybe 2 other parties in the whole place. Our waitress was balls slow, screwed up the drink order AND the appetizer order, and used the excuse that she was studying for a final.
I sort of sympathize, but OTOH I NEVER used school as an excuse to slack off work or vice versa and I don't think it's acceptable. If you need to stay up late, stay up late.
When we finally got the check out of her, she never came to pick it up. Walk by the bar, and she's sitting at a table talking to another guy. No books in sight...just yakking away.

There's no runner or kitchen or other third party to blame.

Another time I went to Don Pablo's. They told us it would be 1/2 hour wait. It was nearly 90 minutes. On top of that, the food was pretty crappy. My gf was like "don't leave a tip."
Why not? The waitress did a fine enough job, it's not really her fault it took so long (they claimed the kitchen was backed up) and I had already b!itched at the manager for not being honest about the wait time and because I saw the hostess seating friends of hers while normal people had to wait even longer.
And it's not her fault the food wasn't well cooked.

Evaluate the situation. Blame the right person.

 

[GermyBoy]

I just think it sucks that society says that you tip waiters. Why?

At least it's a good (respectable) way for cute college girls to make money. I'd hate my girlfriend to have to strip to make $$ for school.

 

[Nefrodite]

. A couple of years ago, I went to China with my uncle on a business trip. We went to a fancy restaurant. We had like 4 people waiting our table alone. I mean they just stand right behind you with ice water and hot tea. You take a sip of your water and they refill it immediately after you place your cup down. When your plate is filled, they take it away and place new plates. All this is done without us even as much as utter a word. Guess what? We were not allowed to tip any of the waiters.


heh yes i've been to china too. they are just happy to have their low paying jobs, u know the average wage there is so low you can't compare at all. those waiters probably were their cream of the crop. i was a bit paranoid about the sanitary conditions in the kitchen. luckily i didnt get sick

here waiting on tables is well.. a low job. so unless your going to start importing those chinese waiters its not gonna work out.

How's this: Not only do you have a miserable dining experience at the hands of your server, but you are also faced with the "opportunity" to pay extra because everyone knows that their wages are crap? Who is the bad guy here?
It sure as hell isn't the customer.

Solutions, anyone?


as for increasing wages for waiters so u dont need tips, won't work. no restaurant will want to raise their food prices enough to pay for good waiters. americans probably would kinda freak out. and it wouldn't garrantee you decent service either keep prices of food low, and give consumer power over how much they reward for service. its a better system then the alternative. so no, the boss isn't a "bad buy". and if you as a consumer take sh*t out on your waiter, well your the bad guy.


as for comparing em to cops. cops make way more then waiting on people. now if cops had a base wage below minimum then maybe u'[d have something there

 

[Lucky]

now if cops had a base wage below minimum then maybe u'[d have something there

Waiters are guaranteed minimum wage as well!

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Lucky

now if cops had a base wage below minimum then maybe u'[d have something there

Waiters are guaranteed minimum wage as well!

But a good one is worth far more. Ever notice the difference in the service between Burger King and your favorite sit-down restaurant?