YaTT: got chewed out by chinese restaurant owner for not tipping on 4$ meal

[brianmanahan]

so my experience today at the local chinese restaurant today was interesting to say the least.

i went in and it was suprisingly empty - only 1 other person in there. i just ordered some fried rice, they bring it out, i eat it in like 10 mins and was on my way. the bill was < 5$ and i had no cash, so just put it on a card w/o adding anything on for a tip and left.

in the 15 seconds it took for me to take the reciept and walk to the exit, the chinese boy at the counter must have told the chinese lady who runs the place that i left no tip on the reciept, and she must have run to the table and saw that i left no tip there either.

so im almost out of the building when she comes running up behind me screaming! after a few seconds i realized it was because i hadnt left a tip. her english is terrible, but in her long tirade i was able to decipher the following general points that she was telling me:

1) all good americans tip
2) every american must tip
3) i am a terrible american
4) my parents should have taught me better
5) my school should have taught me better
6) i should have learned better
7) they come to america so they will get tips
8) i need to tip so they can go to school and pay for the restaurant and the loft above the restaurant
9) i need to go back to school to learn manners, especially about tipping
10) i must never forget to tip

during the whole spiel i was dumbfounded, but when i found some words i said "... i had no cash". she yells "you tip on the caaard!" then i made the mistake of asking her "why dont you just pay them more?" which prompted her to go through points 4 through 9 again, not once, but twice more.

after she lost her breath and quieted down we just started at each other in silence. i didnt budge, and finally she turned and stomped away.

all of that for what probably would have amounted to like 60 cents that i didnt think to add on.

needless to say, i dont think im going there any time soon.

 

[ImpulsE69]

You're a bad american. The chinese mob is coming after you.

 

[Gillbot]

So you troll here and at Chinese restaurants? Nice....

 

[brianmanahan]

So you troll here and at Chinese restaurants? Nice....

i wasnt trolling there! i actually thought of it after they gave me the card back, but figured 1) oh well, it's only like 50 cents and 2) all they did was dish out some rice on a plate and bring it out to me, it's not like i ordered anything fancy or high maintenance.

 

[Jumpem]

You have never left a tip on a card before?

 

[UglyCasanova]

I hate the tipping system, but you should have tipped something if you ate there and they waited on you, even if not much. I hate tips. Hate, hate, hate it.

 

[brianmanahan]

You have never left a tip on a card before?

no i always just leave money at the table

 

[Nintendesert]

Make sure you watch your credit card statements like a hawk. I'm sure they'll get their tip from you eventually.

 

[Murloc]

in europe you can't even tip without cash.

 

[sze5003]

There's a place by work I eat at normally on Fridays. Very good Chinese food lunch specials. They will be pissed if you don't tip anything. To the point the chef came out of the kitchen and started screaming at some customers which did not tip.

I always leave a tip but this place has gotten worse. 90% of the time they take the whole lunch hour to bring you your food. This is also a take out place. Usually they seat you and then you have to remind them that you want to order. Or they will bring out half of our group's good except one or two and by the time the others get their meal, we are all done.

For service like that I wouldn't prefer to tip as they aren't even busy when we go there.

 

[Printer Bandit]

 

[MontyAC]

OP is a cheapskate.

 

[brianmanahan]

90% of the time they take the whole lunch hour to bring you your food. This is also a take out place. Usually they seat you and then you have to remind them that you want to order.

yeah thats usually how the local place is too, ive waited up to 45 mins before only to find out they forgot my order entirely

 

[dullard]

in europe you can't even tip without cash.

I've tipped all over Europe with a credit card. I just tell them how much to charge on the card. I've never had any server complain!

 

[Gillbot]

i wasnt trolling there! i actually thought of it after they gave me the card back, but figured 1) oh well, it's only like 50 cents and 2) all they did was dish out some rice on a plate and bring it out to me, it's not like i ordered anything fancy or high maintenance.

Why is it only $0.50? You don't HAVE to tip based on the check amount. I go to our local place and I usually toss $5 at em if the service is good no matter how small the bill is.

 

[dullard]

Why is it only $0.50? You don't HAVE to tip based on the check amount. I go to our local place and I usually toss $5 at em if the service is good no matter how small the bill is.

That is why people who tip by percentage are morons. A server shouldn't get paid less just because I wanted a grilled chicken instead of a fried chicken. With me, they get paid a set amount per person at the table (they even get a tip for someone who gets just water).

The set dollar amount is a function of the restaurant type, of course. A $5 per person tip is ok at a typical restaurant, but not at a high end one.

 

[LikeLinus]

I've tipped all over Europe with a credit card. I just tell them how much to charge on the card. I've never had any server complain!

Same. I've traveled to Europe for work on several occasions and always use my corporate card to pay and tip. Never had a problem doing so.

 

[Markbnj]

Did they serve you at your table? I don't tip counter staff. You don't get extra money for handing my food to me at the register. If they did wait on you at your table, was it the owner? I don't tip the owner of a restaurant for bringing food.

We eat Chinese take-out every couple of months, and I can probably count the tips I've left in twelve years on one hand. That's because we typically pick the food up. If we happen to stop in and grab a dinner special to eat in the restaurant, then I will tip if there is a waitperson attending to the table. Not otherwise.

 

[T9D]

They gave you some decent service, pay for it. Even on a $5 tab throw down a couple bucks or something. If it's at the counter I don't worry about it though. The counter people aren't waiters.

If someone got you water all day they would deserve something. Just because the water was free doesn't mean you don't tip.

 

[Gillbot]

That is why people who tip by percentage are morons. A server shouldn't get paid less just because I wanted a grilled chicken instead of a fried chicken. With me, they get paid a set amount per person at the table (they even get a tip for someone who gets just water).

The set dollar amount is a function of the restaurant type, of course. A $5 per person tip is ok at a typical restaurant, but not at a high end one.

I tip what I feel like tipping. If they don't do anything and I have to ask for stuff all the time, they might get $1. If they do well, I tip well.

Did they serve you at your table? I don't tip counter staff. You don't get extra money for handing my food to me at the register. If they did wait on you at your table, was it the owner? I don't tip the owner of a restaurant for bringing food.

We eat Chinese take-out every couple of months, and I can probably count the tips I've left in twelve years on one hand. That's because we typically pick the food up. If we happen to stop in and grab a dinner special to eat in the restaurant, then I will tip if there is a waitperson attending to the table. Not otherwise.

Agreed, it really depends on what they do. Some places you pretty much do everything yourself so I don't tip there, others they bring the drinks and keep the tables clear so I toss them a few $ if they do well.

 

[disappoint]

You should have whipped it out and showed her the tip.

 

[alkemyst]

i wasnt trolling there! i actually thought of it after they gave me the card back, but figured 1) oh well, it's only like 50 cents and 2) all they did was dish out some rice on a plate and bring it out to me, it's not like i ordered anything fancy or high maintenance.

You have to be trolling as we all know if this was serious that Chinese boy would have cleaned your clock.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Another Autistic poster with no sense of social norms.

 

[mgttr]

You could have just left them a pome as a tip instead of cash.

 

[Paul98]

You should have tipped, they gave you service. It doesn't matter that you don't have cash, you were able to pay for the meal you should have paid for the service also. Even if it was just a dollar.