restaurant servers assuming your change is their tip

[ted]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

The sit down place that I frequent:
They have my drink ready to take to whichever table I want as they see me in the parking lot.
They are starting on my soup and salad that I always have as part of my order as I walk in the door. From when I walk in to when I'm munching on a salad is about 40-80 seconds. unless they are really busy.
If I go to a restaurant a few times in a row and no one remembers me, I don't go there anymore.

They know what you drink and eat not important to me.
Its fun when your servers buy a round of shots and always up grade your vodka.
on those nights tip over 20%

Still I rather prefer anonymity, all I want is quick, kind, helpful and leave me alone.
almost always its a 20% tip.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by ted

....

Still I rather prefer anonymity, all I want is quick, kind, helpful and leave me alone.
almost always its a 20% tip.

^^^ Works for me. If I wanna be remembered...I won't tip at all

[RANDY P]

If i get a server who gives me crap, i'll zero the tip line right in front of them. IDGAF. Done that when one got my buddy kicked out right in front of me. He didn't do anything. I ordered a round for my table of 15 or so, paid for it, closed it out, then called her over so she can witness the zero tip I left her for what she did to my pal.

Either i'm generous, or the ass hole you make me out to be. Some servers believe the tip is mandatory, no matter what.

rjp

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Sweet lord are there some cheap ass mother fuchers on this forum.

I was thinking the same thing.

I will never forget a time in my life when $5 was a lot to me. I know for some of these people it is to them right now and I hope they can someday look back and be able to remember fondly those times like I do.


I am very lucky to be where I am at in my life and I am very generous to people who serve me in restaurants, mostly to those I can tell are busting their ass.

Originally Posted by ckcarr

Some of the responses here remind me of my dad when he was getting older, into his 70's and then 80's. "I'm not gonna buy a Coke, that's how they get you!" "Where's my cake!" And then he'd order off a children's menu the $2.99 special and then leave a $0.42 cent tip...

This must be an age thing.

LMAO!! You just described my old man. If he picks up the tab I always linger around or pretend I forgot something to run back to fatten up the tip. Whomever served us deserves a fat tip just for putting up with my father. He is the type to take out his phone and give exactly 18% on the bill. I always throw another $20 in to make up for dealing with him.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

The sit down place that I frequent:

They have my drink ready to take to whichever table I want as they see me in the parking lot.

They are starting on my soup and salad that I always have as part of my order as I walk in the door. From when I walk in to when I'm munching on a salad is about 40-80 seconds. unless they are really busy.

If I go to a restaurant a few times in a row and no one remembers me, I don't go there anymore.

Get the same service at this sports bar I hit up once a week for lunch. My draft beer is being poured as I am waling up to the bar to sit down. I always tip them 30-50% cash depending on the amount I spent that day.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Sweet lord are there some cheap ass mother fuchers on this forum.

Yeppers, I'm almost always 20% unless service is really bad but I will cut some slack if the place is really busy (probably one of the waiters called in sick, pretty obvious when there is only one waiter for a medium size restaurant) and still do the 20%. However if the waitress is chatting with the cute busboy while I'm waiting on my food or the check... then I will knock it down to 10%.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Sweet lord are there some cheap ass mother fuchers on this forum.

I will argue that:
-The USA wastes more food than we eat.
-Bulk commercial cooking is more ecologically efficient.
-Bulk commercial cooking creates low paying jobs which create disposable incomes and more jobs.
-Restaurants help support the commercial real estate industry and (hopefully) lowers personal home property taxes.
-Low dining costs stimulates repeat business which stimulates eating-out more often. (i.e. McDs success)
-The customer should eat out more often but demand more for less.
-This keeps helps keep the establishments in business.
-Low margins + covering overhead + establishing reputation is much better than zero customers.

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by drkshdw

Was I wrong to ask for my change back? And stole my change.

No you weren't wrong. I **100%*** AGREE with you FULLY!

Here's some other people that agree with you:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/complaint-box-rounding-up/?_r=0

I had some other situations as well. Once, my husband and I had a check of $34.69, which we paid with (2) $20 gift certificates and our waiter returned back ONLY a $5 bill, nothing more. So I go up to him to ask where the rest of the change was and he just decided to serve the salads he was going to serve. He ended up giving back the 31 cents and he did apologize, but too late for a real apology considering there was NO WAY IN THIS ENTIRE WORLD that it was a mistake. You can't miss 3 coins and think that every check will be exact. I can count on my finger the number of RARE, EXTREMELY RARE times that happens. So I made sure he got NOTHING at all and got REPORTED to a manager for STEALING!

First off, all servers have to do is either keep some coins on them or go to the bar to get change if there is a bar and if there isn't the manager. If they don't want to do any of those, they can give over. $6 in change would have been very simple to do, but you see how he was so selfish that he wanted to make sure he got his 69 cents, which in turn he would have had a bigger tip if he would have done that rather than steal, DUH! It's not about the money amount, because I agree with the article, it's about the **PRINCIPLE*** of it that he *********STOLE*********.

You can't go into a register at a store or a lady's purse take a penny even, because then someone will call the cops for robbery. You also can't buy something without the amount you need unless it is a gas station that has "give or take a penny", which that is honestly from mostly customers that don't want their change, not the store in most cases.

Anyway, my point is, I don't care if it's a penny, you don't; get to steal and then get a tip out of it. People go to JAIL for stealing. These servers should have been ARRESTED HONESTLY and gotten FIRED! Stealing is stealing no matter *********WHAT************ amount it is.

I can't go into a store and take something that is 50 cents even, so why should servers be able to do this simply because they make tips? Stealing is stealing REGARDLESS of income from their employer.

Servers can't tip themselves part of ****YOUR CHANGE******* as a tip. A tip is supposed to be from the ***CUSTOMER'S DECISION*******(unless you are in a large party that the menu states you will have automatic gratuity added to your check or you choose to use a coupon that requires you to pay gratuity.

Servers aren't supposed to tip themselves by deciding for you what they will get as their tip(as I said unless you have automatic gratuity added). A tip is supposed to be SOLELY BY THE CUSTOMER ONLY!

Also, the servers that do this show how VERY LAZY they are to not return change. The server's job is to get your change. That is PART of the tip they are earning and if they don't want to do it, then they shouldn't be a server then.

http://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/how-to-be-a-good-server-or-how-to-convince-an-entire-shaving-forum-youre-a-jerk.46509/page-12

VR6ofpain said:

recall a particular server at an Outback Steakhouse keeping 94 cents change we should have received. Typically I have seen them give you say $6 back, when they should have given you $5.94 change. This guy just gave us $5 back. I was like, WTF? Amazingly enough we got the same waiter again weeks later and guess what, we should have got say $5.45 cents back...but again, got only $5 back. Needless to say, he was shorted on his tip both times for being a f**k nut.
I really hate bad service. You would expect better from people in the "service industry".

Even he thought it was presumptuous to keep HIS money without his permission. It's the PRINCIPLE of it that you get your change back everywhere else, WHY if the employee makes tips, they think they can just take it beforehand as if they have ANY RIGHTS to **SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY?**

No server should be taking your change without consent nor asking if you want change. They should want to EARN the MOST money they could make by AUTOMATICALLY trying to do the VERY MOST for their money by going to get the change. If the customer leaves it, so what? It's not wasting time, it's EARNING YOUR PAY for the FULL JOB! You servers out there want the full pay, be WILLING to do the FULL JOB!

The server in your case drkshdw DESERVED to be stiffed. She stole. Especially $4, that's A LOT to steal. She should have been arrested and fired!

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

no, a GOOD SERVER will bring you your change and you can do with it what you want. when they ask me if I want my change back the tip goes down.

I agree 100% COMPLETELY!

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by T77911S

good servers ASK if you need change back

No, that's a lazy server that does that. No good server asks for the rest of the change to be their tip and that IS exactly what they are doing. Not only is it asking that, but it's showing how they don't want to do an extra step to earn their tip. If you as the customer want to tell them, that's you such as "Keep the change."

good servers also bring you some small bills so you can leave a proper tip.

NO, good servers ask you how you want your change. What if I have a lot of $1 bills? I don't want my server to bring me (5) $1 bills. Either the customer can ask for big bills or small bills or the server can ask, but for the server to give small bills is not always the way everyone wants it. Also, what if I leave it all on the table, then the server has 5 one dollar bills to pick up and wasted time counting out. It just simply wastes time. The server should just "As far as the paper cash, would you like big bills or small bills?" This way, in a way they are going to get a "No, the change is yours" without actually even asking even if the customers don't want their change. This will be the only way you will make the customers happy, because on one end, one customer will gripe about a lot of 1 dollar bills or 2 $5 dollar bills when they could have had a $10 dollar bill while the other doesn't have extra cash and wishes their server gave them some $1 bills and some $5's.

if they bring a 10 back and the tip should be 5, how are you suppose to tip them. if the tip is 7 and they bring you a 5 and 5 ones, then you can leave 7.

That's why I said GOOD SERVERS ASK what kind of bills the customer wants.

unfortunately all the buffets I goto the girls know me so I gotta tip them well.

I think there was one time where my change was a 50 and the tip was like 10. the girl asked if I needed change back. uh......heck yea I do.

It's all about being lazy. The servers don't want to do the work. It's all about doing the LEAST rather than trying to earn a bigger tip, they want a low tip, I don't understand that?

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

They have my drink ready to take to whichever table I want as they see me in the parking lot.

What if one day you want something else? I don't feel servers should place your order for you, unless you told them to do so at some point. My husband and I both sent a server back before for doing just that. No server has legal or moral rights to order for you. If you want them to do that, then tell them, but if you do, then if you one day(could even be for a health reason such as maybe you can't have caffeine for example), you can't be mad if they wasted your time getting you something you didn't actual order.

They are starting on my soup and salad that I always have as part of my order as I walk in the door. From when I walk in to when I'm munching on a salad is about 40-80 seconds. unless they are really busy.

So you never get tired of the same foods? I would hate that type of service. I don't want my server doing my ordering. It's my tip money, so I should be able to rule it by them LETTING ME GET A CHANCE to rule it.

If I go to a restaurant a few times in a row and no one remembers me, I don't go there anymore.

Why? Who cares if they remember me? I could care less.

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by masraum

So, my 2 cents, she should have brought your cash back and you should have tipped a little.

Sorry, but I have to fully disagree! You are condoning STEALING. WHY? Why would you tip even one penny worth to someone that steals for a living? I don't care if you lived off of tips or not, if you didn't steal, you shouldn't expect your server to, it's that simple. If I go take a $4 product out of Walmart, I would get arrested, don't you think? I know I'd at least get thrown out for sure without a doubt. Yet, you are condoning servers to steal, may I ask why are they holier than thou to you? Why are they above the law as if they are GOD? If we can't steal, so can't they, it's that simple. I don't care if their employer didn't pay them a penny an hour even, they still have no rights to steal. I'm not huge on religion, but it is one of the 10 commandments "Thou shall not steal." I truly believe people should earn their own way in life without taking it without asking first. If you wouldn't have wanted someone to take your $4 out of your tip jar or off the bar that was your tip, then don't do it to someone else. Be fair and have morals.

I suspect in cases like that, it's possible that they pool the tips and then divide them or if one person helps another, they may get a small tip from the other waitress.

What does this matter if the server stole? I don't get why does this matter at all?

Well, and regardless of the amount of service, a wait person should always bring the change back unless the person specifically says "keep the change".

If you agree, then why say the drkshdw should have tipped a little, then? I don't quite get that one? If they stole, they stole and what's good for the server to do is for the customer to do with the tip to steal it back. The difference is, what the server did was illegal and what the customer did wasn't as well as what the customer did was deserved. If you steal, you should expect your tip stolen from you. An eye for an eye should be how service should be the way you are treated from your server. My husband and I have tipped 30% and beyond even at times we have given $20 to our favorite servers for christmas time. We have also have stiffed some horrible servers such as ones that steal.

I'm sure the deal is that they get stiffed a lot (possibly because of it being a buffet, possibly because they get crap service or a bit of both) So in defense, they've taken up this shady practice, because most folks don't want to deal with an uncomfortable situation and let them get away with it.

That's still NO EXCUSE to steal. Sorry, there's no excuse to do something illegal and immoral.

The theory is, you get better service because they are relying on you for money after they've provided the service. And if you get bad service, you tip less. If you get great service you tip more. That motivates good waitstaff to provide better service. It can be a good system.

Well if you agree with that, WHY on EARTH would you condone to tip "a little" to a thief, huh? No way I would do that. It was purely INTENTIONAL not to return drkshdw's change. It wasn't a mistake.

I have asked something like this before, "would you rather get the $3 that you gave me or would you rather break that $20 and get the $8 that I'd planned to give you?" I usually get change. The unfortunate thing is that some people will complain that they got too many small bills. Of course, those folks were probably going to be crappy tippers no matter what

Why not just the customers "Would you like big bills or small bills in your change?" This way, it solves the problem.

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Your server is taxed on the revenue they ring up, regardless of tips. The IRS assumes 8% tips and the manager will report that at the end of the shift. For example - ring up $1000 in revenue for one shift and you get $80 reported as tips. The tax on that is taken out of your base wage paycheck every week or two. Now, if you're really making 8% or less on your revenue, then you suck and belong in another line of work. But get stiffed by a big party at an expensive place? You can literally be paying the IRS for the privilege of serving those deadbeats, which is why most restaurants tack on a service charge of 18% for parties of five or more.

What does the IRS have to do with this? You earn what you earn. We cannot control as customers what the government does, therefore, all of that stuff is meaningless.

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by billybek

T If a server doesn't clear the plates from the table before bringing the bill the tip goes down.

I think that is bad service. Good service is to get things going faster so you can get your check faster.

It is much faster if let's say they come to your table to ask if you want dessert and you say "No, just the check." I would want my server to get my check and while I was reading it grab the dishes. It SAVES SOOOOOOOO MUCH TIME to do that. Why would you want your server to clear the plates and go to the kitchen? Now you have to wait extra time for them to do all of the stacking the plates if you didn't stack them and then make a trip to the kitchen, which if the computer is in the dining area(many chain restaurants and other restaurants too have their computer terminals in the dining area), that takes EXTRA TIME. Why do you think that is good service?

If I were your server, unless you specifically asked me, there's NO WAY I'd take your dirty dishes first if you wanted your check. It's just not efficient. Why do you think at some restaurants they have started to have kiosk such as Chili's and Applebee's or pay with your phone apps? People want to leave faster and it's also better for the server to turn-n-burn a table faster by not prolonging your stay if you do want to leave. The server can always start taking your dirty dishes as you are reading your bill and starting to get your method of payment out. It's faster to not clear the plates first. Why would you lower the tip over a server thinking of your time by being considerate of it, huh? I am not understanding that? In fact, I have lowered the tip when servers have done that rather than doing what we asked which is the check.

Once, I asked for some boxes and the check, our waitress started to grab dishes, I told her "Could we get the boxes and our check, then come back for those after?" I made me mad, because she wasn't "LISTENING" to what I had asked her to do. If that's how we want our tip money spent by wanting our check, then WHY would we want her to ignore our request?

Now if you want your dishes first, ask for that. No one can read your mind. I feel mostly everyone would want their check faster so they can leave. I don't know one person(except you) that would purposely want to delay their stay. I don't get your stance?

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by BlueWing

Here is a question - is it better to pay the tip in cash or add it to the card? We tend to do the cash thing. Just always seemed better, cash in their hand than on the books.

I feel credit card. Lots of reasons:

1. The bus boys/girls can't steal it.
2. Makes the servers pay taxes on their tips just like we ALL have to claim our income, so it's not fair they can hide it, but everyone else that doesn't make tips can't.
3. Hard to prove when you are paying such as let's say you gave a $50 bill to pay with, but the server claims it was only a $20 bill and now they can't find it. How do you get prove that? Maybe the video surveillance if they can make it out like that clearly, but maybe not. I say that, because once at a donut shop/diner I worked at, a man when he paid claimed he gave me one bill when I know for a fact he did not give me that bill. There are some people that will steal.
4. If you have any problems with a credit card, you can call the restaurant and if they don't fix it, you can call your credit card company to fix the issue.
5. When you pay with cash and need change, some servers will do like drkshdw's story and steal it.

I just feel cash is not the way to go. It's just unfair for them not to claim their income like all the other people that have taxes taken out of their paychecks. Most servers will admit they didn't claim every cent of their tips to the government as they were supposed to be or are supposed to be. I know, I have spoken to some former servers.

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by tadd

I still cant stand the tipping system. Pay a wage and be done with it.

Without tipping though, there would be no incentive to work harder if you get the same pay from each customer while one is easy, the other is needy, shouldn't the needy table give a higher tip if they had good service? The thing is, if they got the same pay from every customer no matter what, what incentive would they have to even want to serve the needy table? It just would make the needy table get bad service and create laziness rather that someone to strive to have more money. I know they could get raises if they had at least min. wage., but still probably not enough to worry about. They sure wouldn't get a dollar raise each time for a raise, so if they would only get 25 cents, that's not much incentive to work harder, is it?

[Shadetree930]

I rarely tip less than 20% regardless of the size of the tab.

I have been fortunate in life. Never had to bust my ass.

I don’t mind helping those who have to hustle to make rent.

[Evans, Marv]

I used to do the same as "Jims5543" years ago when I'd eat out with my parents. If it was only me, my dad would insist on paying. He was one of the cheapest bastids I've ever known. Of course this was many years ago, but his standard tip was 25 cents. I'd go back and leave enough to make up the difference. Even when I'd pay, he'd offer to leave the tip (of 25 cents). I'd sometimes pull out more money in front of him thinking it would give him the idea, but up until the time he died in 1992, he never left more than 25 cents.

[Holger]

Originally Posted by masraum

The theory is, you get better service because they are relying on you for money after they've provided the service. And if you get bad service, you tip less. If you get great service you tip more. That motivates good waitstaff to provide better service. It can be a good system.

Automatically added tip does not do that.
When I go out, I get a receip after the meal. If the service was good, I'll tip, if not ... meh. That is how it works to get the service up. Not automatically added amounts to the bill - where is the incentive to provide good service?

Also, I get the receip, and I immideately tell the amount I want to pay incl tip. If the receip says 25 Euro I say for example "28 Euro please". That is then charged on my card or the difference is handed out as change if paying cash.
Cannot get easier. And is no problem in Europe.

And the waitress is relaying on my tip? So what? I too have to work for my money. If you dont like the work ... change.
I have no problem whatsoever NOT tipping at all if the service is bad.

[Deschodt]

Totally agree with Motion here... I'm good with 20% on cheap meals - even more sometimes, but 20% on a fancy $200 "city" dinner kinda hurts. - same work performed overall, sometimes worse in the fancy place with snooty waiters. At some point there should be a cap. Or include the damn service in the price like in Europe (you just leave a couple Euros extra if the service was above par)... While you're at it include tax in the price of everything... America is the land of false advertising in that regard, you're always adding tip or tax or both - surprise !! ;-)