So, yesterday I went out to eat with my wife at a lovely restaurant in a large department store. Everything was great: the food was tasty, the tea I had was warm, and most importantly, there were no little kids running around causing a ruckus. The problem came when we had a waiter change right in the middle of our meal. Now, normally this probably wouldn’t bother me, and even at that moment it didn’t bother me at all. The issue I had came when I was about to pay the bill.
My wife and I had a gift certificate to this particular establishment, and the new waiter rang up the card no problem. However, as he brought the bill back he asked, “Do you want me to write the tip on the receipt, or are you leaving it on the table.” Whoa, I thought, hold the phone young man. Who said I was going to tip at all? And this guy is audacious enough to ask me how I was going to leave the tip. That pissed me off.
I know, I know; it was probably a harmless question that was only asked because he had to do something “special” if the tip was going to be left on the card. But it got me thinking, why do servers always expect a tip? I mean, isn’t a tip an added bonus? Sure, I would be a rude jackass to not leave a tip, but nonetheless, it shouldn’t be an expectation. Instead, a tip is meant to be a reward for a job well-done. So, therefore, shouldn’t I be able to leave nothing if the job isn’t well done?
The other day my buddy was telling my about his experience at a chain steak house-you know, the one with the “Australian” commercials. Anyway, he, his wife, and another couple went to enjoy some delicious, cheap steaks for dinner. However, he said the waiter was one of the worst waiters he’s ever had in his life. The service was extremely slow, it took forever to get their meal, and when they got the meal it wasn’t the way they had ordered it. He-my friend- told me, “You know, we almost skipped out on the bill it was so bad.” Normally, I would take these comments with a grain of salt, but not from this guy. He wasn’t one to be confrontational at all. He just really had poor service. So I asked him, “Did you stiff him on the tip?” His response, “No, we left $9.00 on a $90.00 bill though.”
Nine bucks!? That’s still nearly 10%. Some old people only leave 10% on a normal night. This bothered me. It was obvious that my friend had still left a tip-even though his service was atrocious- because he felt like he “owed” it to the waiter. Bull$h!t! That doesn’t fly in my world. I don’t owe anyone. I’m sorry, but if you want a good tip from me, give me good service. Oh, and don’t ask how I’m going to leave the tip, you may not get one at all, idiot.
Well sir, you have points that make sense, but maybe you are a little uneducated about the restaurant business.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, you are completely right about the fact that tips are not mandatory. What you fail to mention is the fact that minimum wage for servers is only $2.65/hr and hasn't gone up any further than that in many years. Also, servers are taxed on all of their sales 8-12% by the federal government. Most businesses follow the $2.65 pay rate and definitely tax their employees an average of 10% to avoid auditing.
Now that we have that straight, it does not excuse the fact that your server did not handle the situation appropriately. After 18 years in the restaurant business myself, I would venture to say the poor guy got stiffed on accident previously.
Most gift certificates or coupons state that gratuity is not included and unfortunately restaurant guests don't read the fine print. In this case, the server pays 10% out of his or her pocket on a bill he/she did not have the pleasure of enjoying, and now has basicly worked for free.
As for your friend, 10% is a tip for the absolute crappiest service. If that is what he received, that at least covers the tax for the server and nothing extra for their sevice. I think it is appropriate, although others may disagree.
The best way to handle either situation is to bring it to a manager's attention in a polite way. Feedback for businesses help them improve and make sure other guests don't have the same experience.
Restaurant work is very stressful and not so easy for $2.65. Now that the economy has declined, so have tips. Many people pay for education and raise families off of tips, myself included.
Do all servers (especially good ones) a favor. The next time you have particular service worth talking about, let someone know. And by the way, 15% is not a tip for excellent service anymore. Tell your friends.
Thanks for your time.