Wilco Worshipper Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 So as some of you may know, I am a waitress. I was a banker for 16 years and concurrently in the restaurant business for 4 1/2 of those years. I moved to waitressing full-time a few years ago. There are ups and downs of the business as one can imagine or as some of you may know from experience. The biggest up and down often occurs when it comes to people tipping. I'm sure a lot of different factors NOT just the service go into the amount left. Some things being income level, mood, food quality and sometimes honest to goodness ignorance. So this is my story... My best friend took my daughters and I to dinner in our new town a few weeks ago. This restaurant is well-known, has recently been over-hauled on the interior and just so happens to be my restaurant's main competition. Needles to say, I was a little curious at what this establishment had to offer. I had never been here before even though I've lived in the area for quite a while. I was impressed with the feel of the restaurant as soon as we walked in. The hostess was very nice. The waitress seemed a little off and come to find out she knew my children. Apparently, she was a substitute at their school for a year and now works with their step-grandmother. She definitely seemed a little frazzled. Although I didn't like her from the get-go I was willing to give her a chance to smooth herself out. She ended up making SEVEN mistakes, only six of which I can remember now. We had to keep asking for things again and again. The biggest issue was she forgot to order chicken for my daughter's meal therefore we did not all end up eating together. She forgot my friend's soda, tea, my salad and my a la mode for my dessert (which she DID charge me for). We were pretty frustrated but my friend was trying to be nice. She and her husband are generally extremely generous when they go out. She was going to leave the woman an almost 20% tip even with all the mistakes. Then... When the waitress returned the book with her card and the paperwork to sign, she forget the PEN! That was the straw that broke the camel's back! She had a $10 bill out (the meal total was $54.16). We had to track down another employee just so she could sign so that we could leave. She took back the ten and put in five ones. She was PISSED!!! Now I think this in and of itself is a pretty bad story. But WAIT! It gets WORSE!!! Two weeks (to the day) later, I was coming out of Wal*Mart with my oldest daughter. This same lady was going in. I said "Hi" before I realized why I recognized her. She said "Hello" and then said to me "Remember when you were in XYZ a couple of weeks ago?!?" I said "yes". She then proceeds to ask me WHY we left her only $5!!! I told the putz all the mistakes she made and that my friend actually was going to tip her more than she deserved but when she forgot the pen. She had had IT! She then tells me how she complained about our tip to my children's step-grandmother and that she was FLABBERGASTED when she found out I was a waitress too! This is her "bread n butter" and why would I do that?!?...lol Seriously?!? Only difference is...I wouldn't be dumb enough to make SEVEN mistakes, advertise that I got a bad tip and then have the GALL to ask the customer next time I saw them!!! Whoa!!! When I talked to my own bosses about this, they said FOR SURE...I would've gotten written up if not let go. These are Mom-n-Pop places...NOT corporate! Their reputation is EVERYTHING!!! My friend has been in touch with the owner and I myself went down and talked to one of the managers. The staff was completely apologetic and absolutely floored. In our line of work, you take the good with the bad. It all evens out eventually. No customer is EXPECTED to leave you ANYTHING. It's the risk you take when you wait tables. My guess... that lady probably won't be working there much longer. This all occurred in her first two weeks of employment. What an IDIOT!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
So Long Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 wow. That's insane. I can't believe how rude that woman sounds...to even bring up the tip in a future conversation is too much... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moltisanti Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Yeah, her not giving me a pen to sign the receipt with would have sent me over the edge as well(on the heels of everything else you mentioned). But ya know, I think I still would have left her at least seven bucks. It's close to, but still under fifteen percent, which probably would have let her know how much she sucked. Five on fifty-four is kind of like a 'fuck you.' Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco Worshipper Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 Five on fifty-four is kind of like a 'fuck you.' Well, I think my friend's point was more "I've had it!". For the record, plenty of ppl leave 10% all the time or just round it up and think it's okay. I work in a very small, farm community, tho. I believe that's where the ignorance parts comes into play. One guy a couple of weeks ago ran up a $113 bill for him and his family and in front of my entire section hands me some money and said "It's a $113. There's a $120 there. That's enough, right?!?" What was I suppose to do?!? I can't tell him "no". So I just said "yup". He goes "Are you sure?!?" I replied "yup" again and walked away almost in tears. I told my manager and she said I did the right thing. I can't tell/ask him to give me more. That's just not the way it works. This is when you just have to "suck it up" and know in the end...it all evens out. *sigh* Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stooka Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 whattajerk! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 "just for the waitresses" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 1. I usually tip 20 percent or more. Waitstaff work hard.2. I have seen servers judge other servers as I judge other copy editors - pretty damn severely. That said, WW's experience is pretty fucked up. It's one thing to have poor service in a restaurant; quite another for the deficient server to bring it up again in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 1. I usually tip 20 percent or more. Waitstaff work hard.2. I have seen servers judge other servers as I judge other copy editors - pretty damn severely. That said, WW's experience is pretty fucked up. It's one thing to have poor service in a restaurant; quite another for the deficient server to bring it up again in a Wal-Mart parking lot.If something like that is going to happen, it's fitting that it was in a Wal Mart parking lot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 As long as the person does not stick their fingers in the glass as they carry the glass to the table, or tell me their whole life story, I will give them some money. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco Worshipper Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 If something like that is going to happen, it's fitting that it was in a Wal Mart parking lot. By the by, as it turned out said waitress had forgotten her card while shopping in Wal*Mart and was holding up the line when she confronted me. The cashier had to come out of the store and ask her if she was going to come in and pay for her stuff or not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 By the by, as it turned out said waitress had forgotten her card while shopping in Wal*Mart and was holding up the line when she confronted me. The cashier had to come out of the store and ask her if she was going to come in and pay for her stuff or not.Wo. You should have pepper-sprayed her, as she is obviously criminally insane. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yermom Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 One guy a couple of weeks ago ran up a $113 bill for him and his family and in front of my entire section hands me some money and said "It's a $113. There's a $120 there. That's enough, right?!?" What was I suppose to do?!? I can't tell him "no".*sigh*Your bosses should really do the mandatory gratuity thing...with a certain percentage, 15-20% usually, being added to checks over a certain amount or for parties with a large number of guests. That could save the wait staff a lot of grief, especially if your place is one where there giving you the whole $2.35/hr. plus tips wage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco Worshipper Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 Your bosses should really do the mandatory gratuity thing...with a certain percentage, 15-20% usually, being added to checks over a certain amount or for parties with a large number of guests. That could save the wait staff a lot of grief, especially if your place is one where there giving you the whole $2.35/hr. plus tips wage. Well, we get $2.70 an hour. We add 15, 18 or 20% to parties over 8. Next menu change we're bringing it down to parties of 6. Unfortunately, this family only had 5 people. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco Worshipper Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 Wo. You should have pepper-sprayed her, as she is obviously criminally insane. Come on, I just mean she clearly she can't really handle multi-tasking and doesn't have that great a memory whether working or not. I mean making other people wait in a store while she interrogated me was a little selfish, dontcha think?!? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Come on, I just mean she clearly she can't really handle multi-tasking and doesn't have that great a memory whether working or not. I mean making other people wait in a store while she interrogated me was a little selfish, dontcha think?!?It is deeply anti-social. This person needs a good talking to, and then have Screamin' Jay Hawkins played at her as loud as possible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mollyegan Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I was a waitress for years and worked with a gal who was a pretty good waitress, but would often interrogate people as this woman did. I just find in INCREDIBLY unprofessional and indicates a lack of general awareness. I probably would have done the same thing. The older I get the less I am willing to let things like that slide...I have this new thing where I calmly explain my position to people. Most times they are shocked at my addressing the subject and feel embarrassed. It's awesome. However, since WW knows this woman personally....that's a sticky situation. Ugh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco Worshipper Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 However, since WW knows this woman personally....that's a sticky situation. Ugh. I don't know her. My children do and in a limited way. She works with their step-grandmother. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stooka Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 whattajerk! It has come to my attention that my post could be taken as a mockery of waitressing. To clarify, the jerk is the poor tipper from the previous story, I immediately thought of Mr Pink from Reservoir Dogs and carelessly posted something vague. Sorry for the confusion. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco Worshipper Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 It has come to my attention that my post could be taken as a mockery of waitressing. To clarify, the jerk is the poor tipper from the previous story, I immediately thought of Mr Pink from Reservoir Dogs and carelessly posted something vague. Sorry for the confusion. Funny thing...I just checked out a clip on youtube regarding something about blue & pink that a friend was talking about and NOW I get what YOU were talking about Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tenderloin Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 You should have just told her that your friends were from Europe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco Worshipper Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 You should have just told her that your friends were from Europe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sweetheart-mine Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 It is deeply anti-social. This person needs a good talking to, and then have Screamin' Jay Hawkins played at her as loud as possible.sorry for the side road here but whoa, is that THE screamin' jay hawkins? the guy who screamed "i don't CARE if you don't WANT me, I'M YOURS!!!"? memories. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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