General Discussion

RZM

(8,556 posts)

68. Not in that situation

Sun May 6, 2012, 09:41 PM

May 2012

I am also a veteran of the service industry. I worked many jobs for tips. Sometimes my customers didn't receive great service. Usually it was my fault, occasionally it wasn't. But I know how it goes.

Because of my experience I would never completely stiff anybody. But in the situation described I would leave a lower-than-normal tip (5-7 percent) if the service was exceptionally bad. If I left a note it would read:

'I once worked in this same job. Because of that, I'm a generous tipper. You'll notice I left you a small tip. Let that be a gentle reminder that if you step your game up, you'll make better money.'

I'll bet the farm that most bad servers are fully aware that they are bad and they just don't care. They all work with other servers who do a good job and know what they are doing wrong.

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Waitress left 2 pennies and note by customer [View all] Liberal_in_LA May 2012 OP

From a 1%er I'm sure..Disgusting...n/t monmouth May 2012 #1

Two Canadian pennies fuddyduddy May 2012 #2

yup! Liberal_in_LA May 2012 #4

Probably left by American tourists. -..__... May 2012 #36

We Canadians can be pricks to working women too. There are boors in every country. Monk06 May 2012 #77

Then it has to be a hoax. Canadians don't do things like that. :Silly: nt raccoon May 2012 #121

I think the customer is rude to do that. undeterred May 2012 #3

+1 Scuba May 2012 #7

Well done, imo, elleng May 2012 #5

why did you leave nothing, may I ask? Liberal_in_LA May 2012 #6

Service was virtually non-existent, elleng May 2012 #9

Wow a ten minute wait? abelenkpe May 2012 #64

Would 'alert' for you calling me that, elleng May 2012 #67

Elleng, perhaps she forgot you? Th1onein May 2012 #96

She was no where to be seen for at least 10 minutes before I was able to place my order, elleng May 2012 #99

A tip is payment for service. meaculpa2011 May 2012 #117

Actually, it's not. Th1onein May 2012 #124

even worse, RedRocco May 2012 #136

Thanks. elleng May 2012 #175

"no where to be seen" ieoeja May 2012 #128

Where was this that the bill was $4.87 or so? Ter May 2012 #71

BWI airport, elleng May 2012 #80

Now it makes sense Ter May 2012 #155

Thanks, Ter! elleng May 2012 #173

10 minutes is BAD SERVICE? WTF? Odin2005 May 2012 #108

"I was at 1 of 2 or 3 occupied tables" tammywammy May 2012 #120

"nowhere to be seen" is also in a post. Which means she could have been extremely busy. ieoeja May 2012 #130

Five minutes to get a menu is nothing. juice feast May 2012 #180

And YOU sound like a fool. elleng May 2012 #181

Well at least you have the self knowledge to admit you were a jerk ! bettyellen May 2012 #8

You got it wrong. elleng May 2012 #10

Tells me all I need to know about you alcibiades_mystery May 2012 #13

OK. elleng May 2012 #15

I debated simply putting you on Ignore or first telling you coalition_unwilling May 2012 #105

This is ridiculous treestar May 2012 #141

Right. Thanks. elleng May 2012 #176

Over the top, c_w. Mc Mike May 2012 #154

I HAPPILY will not be hearing from you, who voluntarily keeps her/himself uninformed. elleng May 2012 #174

I disagree. That was very rude, and in a very condescending way. Thegonagle May 2012 #24

Why do you assume Mr/Ms 2 cents was right? nt patrice May 2012 #31

i get a pizza delivered and tip $5. talk about doing little. even poor service i tip around 15% seabeyond May 2012 #43

Yup alcibiades_mystery May 2012 #56

a couple buck isnt worth it. but then, i seldom go out to eat. nt seabeyond May 2012 #61

The pizza guy doesn't "do little." The job is a lot like serving, Thegonagle May 2012 #81

I tip 20% no matter the service. Everyone can have a bad day. SammyWinstonJack May 2012 #168

that is nice. i like that. seabeyond May 2012 #169

I left nothing once Hippo_Tron May 2012 #85

You're a pretty miserly tipper. Even bad service I'll tip at 15%. Good = 20% - 35%. Never 0. nt Selatius May 2012 #112

I'll tip even bad service...but not RUDE service. Lizzie Poppet May 2012 #171

While I don't agree with you that it's 'well done' I also don't particularly WI_DEM May 2012 #165

If your unhappy ask for another waitress. If you don't do that just leave 2 pennies that southernyankeebelle May 2012 #11

"Waitressing" alcibiades_mystery May 2012 #12

+ .02 klook May 2012 #84

Out of curiosity, have you ever had a server who was downright rude? Hippo_Tron May 2012 #94

I find "the waitstaff was rude" to be more a matter of the customer's issues alcibiades_mystery May 2012 #137

I tend to tip generously ... and very generously for extremely good service ... etherealtruth May 2012 #14

So, someone who is rude and doesn't do a thing still gets a tip? YellowRubberDuckie May 2012 #20

That was the point of my post etherealtruth May 2012 #27

OK YellowRubberDuckie May 2012 #34

No need to apologize ... etherealtruth May 2012 #177

Punishing an already underpaid person for flvegan May 2012 #16

Not enough info to make a judgement on this. Don't even know if it's a joke or true. Kaleva May 2012 #17

That's my take. pintobean May 2012 #38

As a former waitron jcboon May 2012 #18

I tell the waitperson, at the very beginning, if they are slow..... Th1onein May 2012 #98

Sounds like she gave pretty crappy service Gman May 2012 #19

And a little personality when you're busy... YellowRubberDuckie May 2012 #22

When I was a customer service reprentative and we had a customer on hold Gman May 2012 #62

You would have gotten jacked for sure! YellowRubberDuckie May 2012 #178

Right or wrong, I doubt this response did much more than contribute to the problem. patrice May 2012 #21

As a former bartender... Jack_Dawson May 2012 #23

FUCK THAT CUSTOMER Taverner May 2012 #25

Someone alerted on you. Here are the results stevenleser May 2012 #48

Some folks are just not nice Taverner May 2012 #50

the writer of the note was female KurtNYC May 2012 #146

They get taxed as if they DID get tipped. annabanana May 2012 #26

Interesting how people either assume they know exactly what happened or that Mr/Ms 2 cents patrice May 2012 #28

I find this true of many posts here... Phentex May 2012 #118

Yep. Apparently, IF people actually understand what knowledge is, MOTIVE is more important. nt patrice May 2012 #163

obviously from a person who knows shit about being a waiter spanone May 2012 #29

An obvious hoax. former9thward May 2012 #30

Wouldn't be the first one from HuffAOL. Ruby the Liberal May 2012 #39

I've seen restaurant patrons leave religious tracts as a "tip".. Fumesucker May 2012 #44

I have had many friends who have been servers. former9thward May 2012 #45

Any person that would leave identifying clues on such a post is just asking for trouble.. Fumesucker May 2012 #46

it's hard to know foo_bar May 2012 #57

I checked it out on Snopes.com and there was nothing on it. RebelOne May 2012 #182

The replies to this thread clearly show just what a shitty idea forcing customers to pay their Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #32

yes and no dana_b May 2012 #159

Oh yes. It is as bad in the long term for the restaurant as well. n/t Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #172

When you get paid $2.50 an hour, two cents is so nice. Jennicut May 2012 #33

Grammar 101 Ruby the Liberal May 2012 #35

... TBF May 2012 #52

Easier fix. Igel May 2012 #78

That would work, but I left it in tact to meaning while eliminating the random period. Ruby the Liberal May 2012 #79

Alright then, what would you tip in this situation... Sen. Walter Sobchak May 2012 #37

Tip 18% and tell the manager. stevenleser May 2012 #51

I 100% disagree! It is her job to tell the manager. Not mine!!! Logical May 2012 #54

What you are really doing is forcing an extremely low wage on this person. stevenleser May 2012 #60

I tip %20 99% of the time. But for slow or bad service I tip 5%. If she is overloaded.... Logical May 2012 #65

Sometimes the manager knows they are overloaded and cant' do anything about it Hippo_Tron May 2012 #89

Sorry, but it sounds like the waitresses in the story practically refused to do their job ProudToBeBlueInRhody May 2012 #93

Wages implies work. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #97

As it does in any other situation you arent happy with service. stevenleser May 2012 #126

In this case, I do. n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #139

And if you are a thinking person, you should recognize the disconnect. nt stevenleser May 2012 #157

Get the hell out of here joeglow3 May 2012 #101

No. stevenleser May 2012 #125

Not in that situation RZM May 2012 #68

I agree, you do have some bad servers and they just don't care newspeak May 2012 #148

That's even worse Ter May 2012 #72

Is it "tattling"... TedBronson May 2012 #115

It's not the same Ter May 2012 #156

I think the waitstaff was only a part of the problem there Hippo_Tron May 2012 #95

Tip of 0% TedBronson May 2012 #113

I would have just left blueamy66 May 2012 #143

My guess, cheap asshole. But I don't know the whole story. Vattel May 2012 #40

We don't know for certain that she did not do a poor job treestar May 2012 #41

I would not stiff a waitperson like that unless they were actively rude. mysuzuki2 May 2012 #42

These stories are often hoaxes PSPS May 2012 #47

I waited tables not too long ago. Tipping is not an extra, its the wage. stevenleser May 2012 #49

Whomever would go to THIS LENGTH is a very SAD SAD SAD SAD person.... NYC_SKP May 2012 #53

Bad service is bad service. tjwash May 2012 #55

I have thought everything expressed in this note, but- stlsaxman May 2012 #58

Why is this shit news? Brickbat May 2012 #59

These are usually fake. chrisa May 2012 #63

I'm an excellent tipper! TlalocW May 2012 #66

I honestly don't think it was that rude. Proles May 2012 #69

Hopefully the waitress will learn a lesson from this - lynne May 2012 #70

Greatest server EVER is at Tommy's Ham House (Greenville, SC), and you'd better tip her! DemoTex May 2012 #73

Shitty service should never get tipped Taitertots May 2012 #74

I'm not gonna take the word of an asshole who'd leave a two cent tip. Iggo May 2012 #75

The only time I stiffed a wiatress Lydia Leftcoast May 2012 #76

Every American should be REQUIRED to wait tables klook May 2012 #82

Or canadians even 4th law of robotics May 2012 #83

Oh, this person could have been an American klook May 2012 #87

Only Americans are assholes? 4th law of robotics May 2012 #90

You're reaching klook May 2012 #92

I don't think the customers are more polite at fancy joints Hippo_Tron May 2012 #91

Trust me--you wouldn't want me as your waiter. Arkana May 2012 #132

The "haves" can ALWAYS find a reason to be a cheapskate. 99Forever May 2012 #86

Customer 101: tawadi May 2012 #88

Some folks just like confrontation. timlot May 2012 #100

No service. No tip. emilyg May 2012 #102

Not all food servers are saints just because they're 99%ers Raine May 2012 #103

what is the issue?i have been in kitchens since SwampG8r May 2012 #104

If someone was ballsy enough to write that (assuming it's real) Blue_Tires May 2012 #106

That asshole customer better not go to that restaurant ever again. Odin2005 May 2012 #107

That is why the thing looks like a hoax to me slackmaster May 2012 #144

Why take it out on the "underling" when you can take out your spleen on the boss? LooseWilly May 2012 #109

Oh, isn't that special. Just one more fuckwad stiffing coalition_unwilling May 2012 #110

Lame. BlueIris May 2012 #111

That isn't universal... TedBronson May 2012 #114

Guy must've seen this movie scene and got convinced: DutchLiberal May 2012 #116

WOW Mr Dixon May 2012 #119

I worked as a waitress and bartender for many years latebloomer May 2012 #122

Meanness is ALWAYS a bad thing. How mean that was. Karma....he'll get his. nt Honeycombe8 May 2012 #123

And in doing so, the customer did little more than advertise his own character... LanternWaste May 2012 #127

my initial reaction is fuck you, jerk. Whisp May 2012 #129

Hope that dude likes having his food with a warm helping of spit Arkana May 2012 #131

I worked as a bartender at a comedy club for a couple of years KansDem May 2012 #150

Looks like another "ugly customer" hoax to me slackmaster May 2012 #133

If we paid servers a decent wage we could eliminate tipping. GoneOffShore May 2012 #134

Has anyone been able to confirm this as being real or is it just a hoax? Kaleva May 2012 #135

Just once I left a two cent tip csziggy May 2012 #138

Make Tipping Mandatory erpowers May 2012 #140

It probably wasn't the waitress's fault that she was busy. Nye Bevan May 2012 #142

That may very well be fair Renew Deal May 2012 #145

It is entirely possible that the service was really lousy! Quantess May 2012 #147

I've often wanted to leave the Ultimate Nickel Tip KamaAina May 2012 #149

The writer of this note is female, left-handed and on the young side KurtNYC May 2012 #151

What do you do for a living if I may be so bold to ask? Kaleva May 2012 #153

Handwriting analysis is a hobby I picked up KurtNYC May 2012 #179

I immediately thought it was written by a female. NCTraveler May 2012 #158

heh Kali May 2012 #160

Grammatical habit. LanternWaste May 2012 #167

Hard to make a judgment either way... nachosgrande May 2012 #152

I Always Tip Regardless Of The Food And Service. DemocratSinceBirth May 2012 #161

Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with this Carolina May 2012 #162

Dunno if this is a hoax or not. However, I almost always tip or else ask for a Mgr. davsand May 2012 #164

This reminds me.... MountainMama May 2012 #166

I've read that karma loves this kind of stuff. Rex May 2012 #170

We don't eat out much anymore Horse with no Name May 2012 #183