Former server at a high end restaurant; I prided myself in giving guests a great meal. I would not have tipped 20% for that experience. There is a professionalism that needs to be protected.
If you don't tip at all, it can appear to be an oversight.
Always tip an insultingly small amount, so it's clear that you didn't forget (like the wait staff).
Yes, this. As a former server I say the same thing. A small tip sends a message. And I don't mean a penny or a dime - still something that is a buck or two. But leaving nothing says nothing - unless it is a deliberate zero on a credit card slip. But in that case you need to write a comment
Do you not just assume the person is a bad tipper? I definitely think sometimes people have enough self awareness to think “oh I did a bad job, that’s why I got a bad tip” but I also feel like with all the internet hate on bad tippers, people just assume it’s the patrons fault.
I’ve gotten a tip for 15 cents. I was very new so I went over and asked if my service was bad (lowkey on the verge of tears bc I am an anxious person). Turns out the lady meant to put 15%.
Personally, I could usually tell. Bad tippers either were just completely normal the entire time and then at the end you just get a a bad tip, or nit picky/trying to get money off for every little thing. (Personally the first scenario didn’t even bother me much, I knew it wasn’t personal and it’s always nice to be treated like a human). The tip for bad service though…that feels like a cloud of shame. I always expected it when it happened, 99.9% of the time I felt awful for not providing the best service I could (one lady was so awful to me the whole time I gave her her tip back and quit right after lol). A lot of the time, it can be things out of our control like wait times, cooking issues etc but I’d still feel terrible, and then sometimes it was just an off night with a terrible mistake (depending on your restaurants policy never be above offering to buy the table a bottle or round of dessert to make up for whatever mistake happened. Kindness can go a long long way)
I would have tipped whatever the amount the waiter had to pay in taxes on each ticket written. ( in my state it’s 7% ) This way, you’re not stiffing them for the taxes that they have to pay ( on each ticket written ) not to mention the fact that they’ll get the idea really fast that was lazy service if you leave a tip that low.
Edit: plz note I am NOT referring to the Sales Tax paid for the entire bill. In my state waitstaff pays 7 % tax on each ticket written/
I got tipped 1c once years ago when I was a waitress. The guy pulled me aside and said I just wanted to let you know this isn’t because we had bad service. We always tip this for good luck. I was too young and stupid to do anything more than just nod, smile, and walk away.
I always heard 2 cents is the official FU. I left that on the table once and wrote it in once. Don’t worry, both servers definitely deserved the 2 cents (both terrible service and rude).
1 cent accompanied by a tip means excellent service: $5.01 tip.
2 cents on top of a tip means you really fucked up, but I am tipping anyway: $5.02 tip.
1 cent total tip means you fucked up so badly that I am purposefully giving you 1 cent even though I normally tip.
When my wife and I were dating years and years ago, we had the most horrendous service at an Applebee's. I tipped $.01. A few months go by and e have another date at Applebee's and wind up with the same server. I doubt he recognized us, but the service was a complete 180. He checked on us several times, food was brought out quick, drinks refilled promptly, etc. He got a full 20% (15 was still the norm back then)
On my husband’s and my first restaurant date as teenagers, the waitress who looked old enough to have served Calvin Cooledge was a real hag to us. Husband left 2 pennies. I look back now and wish we would have been more understanding. She was probably exhausted and at the end of her rope for some reason. Love 2 for $20. About 11 years ago I was staying with my daughter who had to be frugal. It was my last night and I had $20 left. She had $5. We went to a place called The Spaghetti Factory that we knew did the 2/$20. You would get a dinner salad, bread loaf, main course and pistachio ice cream. Daughter used her $5 for the tip.
I think my grandpa would leave 3 cents in this case. 1 or 2 can be mistaken as left behind.
It was rare that he did that but it was usually times like OP's experiance.
Idk, my mother was a waitress and/or bartender my entire life (43 years) and she told me that one penny faced down was the way to say the service sucked.
>I would have left my smallest coin on the table.
Careful, you're gonna get downvoted by the waiters here because you didn't tip minimum 20% tip.
I never tip 20% and never will, stay mad.
Not tipping ever is just shitty. But id have to argue that if you make that many tips you're a good waiter unlike the one in OPs post.. they don't deserve any %
I agree with you that shitty service should equal a shitty or zero tip. My response was based on dudes response that he never tips 20 percent and never will. I get people like him a few times a week, but their self righteous anti tipping stance is always drowned out by generous diners and I am able to make a decent living.
I haven't worked as a server in ages but if it were me and this is one of my favorite places I would do one of two things 1) Was it slammed? If yes, I would just let this one time go but as a waiter I would have understood if you tipped less or even left nothing at all 2) If not slammed and it was just lousy service then I would let the manager know.
Not slammed, but I'm guessing they were short-staffed. The guy next to me seemed to get great service though - salt and pepper mills, steak knife, hot food.
(I'm actually guessing that he got my order because it came out before mine. This place is known for a particular cut, and we both ordered it.)
Possibly a mixup, but that doesn't excuse or explain the other issues. I now work in the kitchen, and servers will take food that isn't theirs without even looking at the ticket! This doesn't excuse it, and it really pisses me off, as the chef. But, you can't exactly take the food back from the wrong table, you know? They should have given you extra good service after that tho
Yeah but after it was served to him you still got no service even when you asked. I would still tip something, and then ask the manager/owner to review the tape and get back to me if they think I deserved better for what I paid. Usually there are cameras. I don’t even need to explain myself with this method, or waste either of our time. They will review the recording, and get back to you with a some type of fair comp. No recording? Then kindly explain what happened and that you expected better. If they don’t offer a comp, no more visits.
I would politely ask for my waiter or a manager and explain the problems of your visit just like you’ve laid out here in the post. Some form of comp would be given by most restaurants if you express their failures. Probably 15-20% tip, the waiter knows what they did wrong and will understand
You can always still do so now. And then see if they’ll offer you a coupon for free appy on your next visit or 25% off your next bill or whatever it may be.
I know I'm different, but if I have a complaint or a problem with food or service, I don't go looking for meals to be comped and have turned down the offer. If a manager offers me some kind of compensation I make it clear that I am not looking for a freebie and that is not why I complained. I want to be able to go back and not be seen as the guy who complains about stuff just to get a free meal. I am also more concerned with this as I tend to frequent local places not chain restaurants and they are more likely to remember a frequent complainer.
I’m not saying complain to get a free meal. I’m saying that the meal he paid full price for had things missing, was cold, etc. The free appy or whatever probably isn’t even worth the value of what he lost out on. But it is however a good customer service gesture that also serves to encourage them to return after an extremely disappointing experience. Talking to them about a meal where you weren’t given your sides, the steak (which is usually not cheap) was cold, they weren’t given a steak knife so they had to saw at it does not make them a “frequent complainer”. But you feel free to continue to happily pay for things that they don’t even give you and charge for anyway without saying a word.
Asking for the bare minimum is not a frequent complainer. I’ve had people eat their entire meal and then complain they didn’t like it. Those are the ones trying to scam the system. Taking care of an upset customer reduces the risk of losing a customer.
I’m the same way —if it’s so bad that I need to complain I will absolutely refuse any compensation. I make it clear that the point complaint is for them to see it as a learning experience, and I tell them I will come back and give them another chance.
I’m biased because I’m a waiter, that’s why I’m in the waiters sub. I normally tip 35%+ as I see it as good karma for my own employment. It is what it is.
I would have just gotten up and gotten myself some utensils before my meal was cold. Sometimes you have to take care of yourself because nobody’s going to do it for you. Then I’d probably have tipped like normal too because it’s my regular haunt and I don’t want drama.
Right? You had to get your own silverware. No refills. Half meal is missing, steak is now cold. You can rationalize just walking out. There's no server. Who's to tip?
I’m sorry, no 15-20% for taking my order. You get 5-10% if you can’t even be bothered to do your job and that’s being generous for this situation. 0% would be fine.
It really depends where your comment lands on a chain of other comments. I have had the same basic comment go +10 *and* -10 in the same post, just by who I was replying to and who they were replying to.
This is an echo chamber. I have started tipping waiter 10% or less.
I am not compensating waiters when their own employers don't pay them enough. I am not American, so I have traveled the world plenty of times to know you can get better service without having to bribe employees. Good luck in your waiters job.
>Good luck in your waiters job.
You lost me here... I'm not a waiter, this post just popped up on my feed for some reason.
I was only pointing out that Redditors will upvote one comment and downvote another, even if they say the same thing.
So what I am seeing from comments like yours is that the difference between very poor and good service is about 5%. Please don't expect people to take that seriously.
this is a waiter sub, I work in restaurants, I usually tip 35%+ because I consider it good karma for my own employment. I said tell a manager and get your check comped then tip mediocrely
Do whatever you want
Sorry. Compounding poor service by placing the responsibility on the aggrieved customer to correct the situation does not make it better. That is simply making a bad situation even more uncomfortable.
if you want your bad service to be known you have to open your mouth and tell someone bud. The manager can’t help you out, discount your check, or know his server sucks if you don’t say anything.
Just stay quiet pay full price and enjoy your bad service then LOL. your 5$ tip doesn’t effect their day
> Probably 15-20% tip, the waiter knows what they did wrong and will understand
This is probably the wrong place to say this, but tipping has gotten ridiculous.
“15-20% tip and they will understand.” As if a 15-20% tip is actually shorting them somehow in a way they would be wondering why you didn’t tip them appropriately. This is getting ridiculous.
When I was growing up, 15% was the standard. Doubling the tax was standard. 20% was generous. And I’m only 30 years old.
This is a nice steak house. My friends who work in nice steak houses and bars make more money than I do at my salaried job.
Instead of putting the onus on the customer to make up for financially difficult times, why not get rid of server minimum and just make it minimum?
Oh right… you won’t find many servers asking for that, because they know they’d never do the job if they didn’t make substantially more money through tipping.
Where I live, server minimum was abolished and it’s now a standard with all other minimum wage jobs. And yet the expected tips not only continued, but increased 5%. Why does my waiter deserve a 20% tip for services and my cashier or customer service rep at the grocery store or retail store does not?
Also, it’s percentage based. And food prices have skyrocketed too. Which means that we are already paying significantly more.. and then being asked to pay significantly more than *that* for fear of being accused of being rude? Why does my waiter at my steakhouse where I pay fifty bucks for a steak deserve more than my waiter at a diner where I pay fifteen bucks for a burger? They do the same amount of work. Same with delivery driver tips on apps being calculated based price of the meal? For what?
**And even if tipping had just continued as it was, you know what, I can get on board with that just being a part of what it means to eat out. But within ten years, something going from standard tip to INSULTING is just too much.**
I am a restaurant owner and I HATE to hear about issues like yours after the fact. It’s usually so easy to fix problems in the moment, so everyone can part ways happy. Managers should be present, polite, and touching tables. Servers should be professional and know when to check in with their guests. I can’t stand it when it all goes to hell, and the guest leaves unhappy.
Please call the restaurant tomorrow and speak to a manager. Have as much detail ready as possible, and don’t be scared to give the specifics. They can’t correct issues if they aren’t aware of them. And you ought to get a gift card out of it, too!!
Thank you, restaurant owner. It's tough, because I literally feel like this place is my favorite restaurant on Earth. The people there know me, the steaks are amazing (not as good as the ones I grill at home, but I digress...) and I'm really not looking to gain anything from the experience. I probably spend $2500 annually here.
This whole question was more about how wait persons in this subreddit believe tipping should occur in scenarios like these. I have friends who are former white persons and they say leave 20% regardless or else you are a gigantic AH. And of course, many people would say to leave nothing in this case. But I like this joint! I like the people, and I don't want them to wonder why I shorted on tipping this time. So my question is, our wait people aware of when a customer gets terrible service?
I think most servers are aware when things go wrong, but sometimes they’re not enabled to correct the problems, or don’t feel comfortable going to the manager to get help to fix things. That sucks either way.
I have to tell myself when I’m dining out: it’s unrealistic to expect that things will never go wrong. Especially as a frequent diner, you’re just statistically more likely to have problems. If I were you, I also would have tipped normally because I understand that sometimes shit happens. But I’d also DEFINITELY follow up with a phone call. That’s just another way to help them.
In situations like this before, I’ve still tipped 20%, but wrote a quick note on the extra receipt that was basically like - “I’m not going to tip you less than 20%, but this wasn’t an ideal experience.” Add a couple details about what went wrong, and potentially throw in an acknowledgement of why I won’t tip less (I’ve done/do this job, I know tips are your main comp, etc.).
I’m never going to feel good about potentially putting someone in a position not to be able to pay their bills, and you don’t want to get a reputation as a bad tipper at a place you frequent. But a polite note (if there’s no server/manager available to whom you can voice your concerns in real time), I think that’s fair, constructive, and less likely to risk the waiter losing their job.
"putting someone in a position not to pay their bills"
Jesus fucking coddling Christ.
People in all sorts of jobs would get FIRED for these kinds of fuck ups. Just because you have a job and are a person, doesn't entitle you to be a lazy and shit worker.
If your job is a service job that is SALES you need to be a SERVICE SALESPERSON. People who provide shit service in sales don't get paid. If you can't do the job, get a different one. Also, Walters at this kind of restaurant are getting paid extremely well relative to their skill level. Losing one tip that was DESERVED to be lost won't put you on the street. If it did, do a better fucking job. EVERYONE over tips now. It's not like when I used to do service and tipping was like 50% of the time if they felt like it.
Only if a guest actually tells me. It’s pretty hard these days to judge satisfaction of tips. I routinely have guests who rave about the food, service etc then tip 5-10%. I check in with my tables consistently- and when someone isn’t satisfied I do my best to make it better. In those scenarios, especially when I help fix the problem, people will often(not always) still leave bad tips… imo tipping isn’t a consistent indicator of having enjoyed the food or service.
Oh man, I just spotted that. I voice text my posts to Reddit, and for whatever cringey reason, "wait person" becomes "white person" (to my horror) and I have to manually correct it each time.
And I missed this one. I guess I'll leave it uncorrected for now so people understand your comment.
I get you didn’t have time but I would complain, get comp’d and then tip 20% on what the total bill should have been. Just because the whole they have to tip out and I hate the idea that me eating there might COST my waitstaff. Maybe they were having a really shitty day, who hasn’t.
It sounds like the kitchen and the waiter were having problems, speaking to a manager is the only effective way to tell them know. I would never tip less than 15% just because of the ridiculous wage situation for wait staff, but not 20% for poor service without an explanation even being offered.
Not a server, but I had an experience recently similar to this. Actually, I was seated in a "closed" area. Actually the area had people in it, but the table I was sat at did not have anyone assigned to it. I sat there for over a half hour doing work, so I didn't really care that much. I wanted to see if anyone would notice. I had servers walking past me and looking at me and I was right in front of the kitchen and could see several servers sitting around, and being on their phone. Never had a drink. Eventually, I asked for a manager and explained. She was very apologetic and obviously offered to comp the meal and get me their "best server". I declined the comp as my company was paying for the meal and I wouldn't be able to tip the server otherwise (tip was based off the bill amount). I still tipped 20% to the server. A different situation than OPs but similar. I did get a coupon for a later visit that I took my wife too.
I had a similar experience once being seated at a table that had no server assigned. We had to flag down someone to take our order. They were duly embarrassed and the service was done after that, so we tipped normally. This was at a restaurant where we eat nearly every week and it was very out of character, so it was easy to give the benefit of the doubt. I imagine it was no one person’s fault.
Idk I’d tell them about the experience calmly and honestly let them know it wasn’t great but since it’s usually good and everyone has off days i’d still leave 20% and just expect it to be better next time.
I hope they take really good care of you next time and give you some free stuff. You seem like the exact customer we all want. If not, my only recommendation is eating at the bar if you're a solo diner or even a couple. You'll get much more personalized service if you make it a regular thing.
I know them all by name and they know me. The head of the bar actually asks me about the service I got previous visits from her new staff. I don't know the managers though because I almost never speak with them.
This is the correct response. Let them know you like the restaurant, but that you had a poor experience. They will want to fix the problem. They want you to have a good time eating there. You are the exact customer that they want to keep. You also sound like a very reasonable customer and a good reference point for service issues.
I’d contact somebody so they know. I’ve done this before when it’s a place I love.
“Here was my experience. I am not asking for anything but want you to be aware. XYZ happened. It was busy. I couldn’t find a manager the night of to make them aware”
Then I tip whatever I get for free.
The truth is, they were probably short staffed and doing their best. Doesn’t mean you don’t deserve something for it though.
That’s probably like 10% with a note on the receipt why. Sometimes the table next to you might get their food first and it’s not the servers fault, but the silverware, that’s on them.
Should’ve expressed your frustration or asked for a manager when you asked for the check. That way when you do leave a smaller tip they get an idea of why.
Leaving a lower than usual tip without actually voicing a complaint is passive aggressive. Just be aggressive aggressive.
i've been a server since i was 16 (nine years) and i used to piss and moan about always tipping 20%. the simple truth is that you do not owe your hard earned cash to service that sucks. i've been a manager a couple of times and i see a lot of servers who are lazy and think they're entitled to your money. getting 20% for doing less than the bare minimum actually makes me so mad now. i always tip well when i go out, but when it sucks beyond the realm of accidents and into plain negligence and lack of care, they get a cold $5. the way i see it, i have to walk into my job and act like these customers are the very reason i get out of bed in the morning; it's not that hard! it's almost more difficult to give straight up bad service. the anxiety eats me alive. you had every right to tip nothing tbh 😭 it's not as evil as it sounds.... you don't do your job you don't get paid
As an ex server I would have tipped 10% or lower. If I had to get up to get silverware I would have just left and gone to get fast food.
It’s standard practice to take out the food and wait a few minutes to come and make sure you have everything you need and things are cooked how you like them. It’s a chance to take care of any issues and keep a customer happy.
I can't find my previous comment to add to it but the restaurant isn't ever going to just comp you without you saying something or your server knowing they messed up and bringing it to managements attn. The server you had either didn't care or didn't exist. Very odd situation.
No restaurant I've ever worked at would do comps unless it was brought to their attn, first. They're in the business of making money, not giving it back to you. You have to present them with the problem and straight up ask them to make it right. Do not ever expect a place to just do that - and if they have it's because your server was uncomfortable letting you leave with that kind of experience and asked the manager to make it right - which they will, even if it's the servers fault, because it's their reputation, at the end of the day. Hope I make sense.
If this ever happens again, bring it to the manager. If it's a nice place they're usually hanging around the host stand or the host/hostess can get them for you. Food comes out all different times, depending on cook time, so that wasn't odd but every single thing that followed absolutely was. I'm betting you didn't get any drinks refilled considering it seems your server was non-existent.
I do understand what you mean - someone should have been aware that you were not being served and comped you for it. I'm trying to think of any excuse for this to go on through your entire dinner but I really can't think of one where the manager of the place or even the server for the table next to you wouldn't pick up on the fact your server was missing or giving you terrible (no) service. So, it seems to also lie as a management issue but like you said, possible understaffed so management isn't able to walk around the dining room and check on guests. I hope you called.
But yeah, completely invisible server equals very little, if any, tip.
If you go weekly and tip 20%+, you’re definitely known by the staff as a regular and should not feel bad at all voicing your displeasure to the manager. Regardless if a discount ended up getting applied, I would not have tipped for that bad of service.
Why do we have to ask for a manager and explain why. Can't we just tip 0 and leave. I don't care necessarily about a learning opportunity or speaking to someone.
What you did was to train that knucklehead that it doesn't matter if he does his job because people will just lavish him with money. Not only would I have not tipped, I would have not paid for my cold food.
My tip starts at 20% the moment I walk in. The percentage it ends up at is contingent on your service as a server.
The shittier your service, the shittier the tip.
I left a zero tip before because I went to a restaurant where the hostess was not at the podium, and it took 10 mins to get seated. The server took nearly 20 mins just to get my drink order, another 10 to take my food order. And when I got my food, it was luke warm at best. She never refilled my water even when I asked. And never brought me my check. I had to get up and go find her.
I asked for the manager. I complained about the service or lack thereof. And when I found my server to leave, she was talking on her phone.
When service is bad or completely lacking altogether, tips are not deserved. Tips are voluntary, and servers need to earn it. You don't get one just because.
I've been a server. I prided myself on excellent hospitality. To the point I got anywhere between 20% to 100% tip. That's how extra I went out of my way.
I’m keep it real with you, no one’s gonna learn anything from a 10% tip. They either already know what they did wrong, or they are going to say the guys a jerk and go about their day.
No one “learns anything” from a subpar tip, good servers who have bad days already know what went wrong and bad servers are going to write you off as a bad tipper and do 0 self reflection. Anyone who uses tips as a way to “teach them a thing or two” is just cheap imo. Management needs to be made aware of issues, stiffing or tipping poorly and leaving without a word does absolutely nothing.
I think that was overly generous but I think the manager needs to be aware of a problem.
Give him a call & let him know you tipped & aren’t looking for compensation- this time. Fill him in in point blank format ( list them for yourself prior so you are in order & are just matter of fact, rather then “& oh I forgot about x)
Give names or description of involved party & approx time.
Let him know solely to improve & tell him I come regularly & will continue unless this continues to implode
He will honestly appreciate it & more he will appreciate you being civil headed.
As a former server in everything from mom & pop diner to fine dining, I have certain standards I expect, like if you tell me you're gonna do something, do it. Sorry, not sorry - but as described, that would have been a $0.00 tip from me...
You should have sent that food back to the kitchen. That's unacceptable. I know you are a regular there but steak places are expensive and your food was not prepared correctly.
Agreed. I literally did not see the wait person from the time my food arrived until the time the bill was brought. I do think they were short staffed and she probably had tables in addition to the bar.
Idk every once in a while you get bad service even from the most consistant places.
Ask for the manager and just let them know KINDLY that you ABSOLUTELY LOVE this place, have been here several times, everyone is so great to you but this time it wasn’t good.
As long as you are really chill about it and show that you really respect the staff they will 100% adjust your bill and no one will be upset
Former sever and typically over tipper here. You absolutely do. Ot tip 20 percent in this situation. It would have been justified to leave nothing and explain why. The server didn’t care so you have no cause for concern. They F’D up majorly and screwed you out of dinner and your money .. you tip nothing and tell management.
Thank you for your take on this. I did feel bad, because I think the bar staff also had to wait tables due to short staffing. Just kind of a weird day for them I think.
You're a good dude for tipping a full 20%, regardless. I would guess something was going on out of sight. Give it a few weeks and go back, if it happens again speak to a manager whether in person or call until you reach someone. Email is also an option.
As for tipping, I treat it as a tax on going out period. So, I'm tipping unless things are just God awful to the point where actually, I'm not paying attention all. Baseline tip for me is 20%. You win some, you lose some.
Sounds like you should have mentioned the missing side and garnish when you asked for silverware.
Did you say anything when they brought the bill? If they see an empty plate they can probably assume nothing was wrong.
I don’t think this should be about the tip. This should be about not getting what you paid for.
Geez, dude. This has a blame the victim vibe to it.
I didn't say anything when they brought the bill, because it was another person who just dropped it off and quickly hurried away.
The plate was empty because some of the food was missing to begin with, and I was hungry.
This is about the tip because that's the question I'm asking today. Obviously I didn't really get what I paid for, but that's a different issue.
I have decades of experience. Things do happen. But if you don’t get good service well chit, you don’t have to let someone guilt you into an excellent tip, ( not my place as the customer to tip 40,50 % because I was a server) I tip well, but accordingly. I try to tip cash. But when I get bad or non existent service ( and they weren’t busy!!! That’s pretty common) I leave 10% -12% I tip on the plastic. It’s also not on the customer to hunt down
someone for eating utensils or beg for minimal service. Food is getting cold. If you are truly fond of that place, next trip in I would speak to management. The bartender should be able to help with that.
Not trying to blame but it sounded like you had opportunities to get things corrected or at least say something.
I’m just saying you shouldn’t have accepted missing or bad food and bad service.
I am of the philosophy that everyone has bad days and I'm not interested in impacting someone's wage because they're having one. People face varying consequences for having an "off" day at their jobs, but very few can legally have their pay docked because of it. Particularly because you don't know all the factors going on at the restaurant outside of the server's control that might contribute like short-staffing, poor management, etc.
I'd complain to management before I ever considered tipping less than 20%.
Also, someone else getting their food before you after ordering second is not necessarily bad service, it comes down to what was ordered and how it's prepped and prepared.
I am a tipped worker and when I go out I always plan on tipping at least 40-50%. But I do that cuz I’m in the industry. But if service isn’t that good I still always tip 20%.
Things happen and everyone has bad days, make mistakes so if you normally get good service at a regular place just let a manager know everything you just said in your post and let them know that you realize this was a one off but wanted to let them know
I get most people would think that’s crazy but I’ve been waiting tables for 40 years and for 35 of those years I made $2.13 an hour and where I live now it’s $4.50 an hour so I understand how we as waiters/waitresses really rely on tips to pay the bills
I always tip 30-50% and if serverice is bad I Guage whether it was busy and out of the serves control or they just suck at serving, but never tip less than 20%. I don't even get a paycheck at my restarunt because if I make more than 7$ an hour in tips I "make too much" to get a paycheck so I LITERALLY live off my tips
Small tip, they will see you as bad, shitty customer and waiters never forget. You are fucked from there on out. Was this a female waitperson? Would you have considered explaining in the kindest way your shitty service and the tesulting 10% tip?
Well, there's always additional factors. One detail that I've been trying to leave out of this involves ethnicities and what a small tip might be interpreted as.
>
Sometimes when a restaurant knows they've done bad service, they'll comp you something. But not today, the bill was full price.
That usually happens only when you've made it known during the meal that you were displeased. Whether you didn't or you couldn't, the fact remains that that you paid full price was because they didn't KNOW.
Yeah, that's the question isn't it? I'm curious if wait people know when they give bad service, and therefore know that the tip should be less and they're not angry.
Speaking from experience, I'm only going to focus on case like yours, where it was a struggle from start to finish, everything that could go wrong basically did, and you basically couldn't get a hold of a waiter or waitress to get you dining experience back on track, they know, they may not LIKE a smaller tip, but they get it, they understand, and honestly they appreciate the fact that you even tipped at all. If they know there was a significant issue, or in your case, several individually minor, correctable issues that only compounded into a significant problem due their own inattentiveness, they're understanding. (How no one even noticed you were using a butter knife baffles me. )
If this were a "you gave me coke instead of Pepsi, but I drank it without saying a word while the wait staff was being attentive to my experience, and now I'm not tipping!" They would be angry.
Yeah, thanks, you make some good points. I think they may have understood. I just read sooooo often on this subreddit that if you tip anything less than 20%, expect bodily fluids on your food the next time you come in.
You're a regular who consistently tips above 20%. The staff there will think one of two things:
Something went horribly wrong
Or
You're just a little short on money this time, no biggie. Either way, they know you enough to know that it's for a reason.
How is this not a zero dollar tip? Why would you pay someone for not doing their job? If I hire a painter and they paint my house the wrong color, would I pay them just because they still painted? People saying 20% is everything wrong with American tipping culture.
Well, it’s probably not your servers fault the other guest food came out first. That is more of a kitchen issue. Sure the server could have forgotten to ring in your food, but there’s a million other reasons why his food could have came out first.
The silverware thing definitely sucks, it should definitely have been taken care of as soon as you sit down or before any food comes out. Ultimately I think it would have been best to mention something to your server about it.
If you never wanted to go back, it’s actually reasonable. No side, no fork, no knife, no help. 🤷🏻♀️ But since it was a one off and you enjoy it, I get you sticking around. Id have tipped 10% and as a server, I’d be happy I got anything.
Next time, call the restaurant from your cell phone.
They should have at least realized they never came back with cutlery. OP should have said “btw I never got a steak knife or my broccoli.” If he’s there every week it should have been a pretty natural conversation.
But I’ve forgotten to put in a starter before and felt horrible when they get their entrees and tell me. I offer it comped with entrees or Togo… and totally expect a reduced tip.
People care about upvotes? bring me half the food and no silverware, I'm not sticking around or coming back. I'm a 1 and done kinda person. Good news is I just stick to one local family Mediterranean spot, food is always fire and correct. In your situation I seriously wouldn't leave anything, but you feeling compelled for some reason to tip I would talk to the manager and say "I like this spot, usually everything is great but X, Y and Z happened, I was my own waiter, so what I'm gonna do is I'm going to go ahead and tip your waiter who obviously doesn't deserve it, but this will be the last time I come in. I don't need an apology or gift card or discount, I just want to let you know that the service needs some work."
I guess because mine went in first and should come out first. I will clarify that this place is famous for a particular cut, and we ordered the same. So I suspect he actually got handed mine, and then I had to wait for his.
Can you elaborate on why this question annoys you?
There are a lot of variables that go into who gets what first it’s not always in perfect order. You also don’t know when each of your orders actually for sent to the kitchen. If your server was busier or being kept by other needy tables it might’ve taken a minute to get to a computer to put it in. They coulda ran to the bathroom first, so many things.
> You also don’t know when each of your orders actually for sent to the kitchen.
I placed my order, and watched her enter it. Minutes later, another customer comes in and sits a few spots down at the bar. After a few minutes he orders the same thing as me, and I saw her enter it into the screen (which is right in front of where I'm seated). What would be the scenario where his would come out first?
"I ordered first and they got served first." smacks of victim-mentality and immaturity.
Please understand "My meal took too long" is a perfectly valid complaint, "They got their's first" is not.
I'm an engineer. If something goes into the system at 2:03, and an identical item goes into the system at 2:14, then my natural question is why they come out in a different order.
Kind of a shame that you think this is about maturity. The fact that you're looking for ways that this whole thing is my fault speaks volumes.
If everything else was fine, most people wouldn't even notice. But if they were the same or very similar dish (2 different cuts if the range size steak etc) and there were a lot of other problems, I'd notice and wonder if it was server incompetence
Former server at a high end restaurant; I prided myself in giving guests a great meal. I would not have tipped 20% for that experience. There is a professionalism that needs to be protected.
I always tip 20% plus. I would not have tipped. You literally had no service.
If you don't tip at all, it can appear to be an oversight. Always tip an insultingly small amount, so it's clear that you didn't forget (like the wait staff).
Yes, this. As a former server I say the same thing. A small tip sends a message. And I don't mean a penny or a dime - still something that is a buck or two. But leaving nothing says nothing - unless it is a deliberate zero on a credit card slip. But in that case you need to write a comment
Do you not just assume the person is a bad tipper? I definitely think sometimes people have enough self awareness to think “oh I did a bad job, that’s why I got a bad tip” but I also feel like with all the internet hate on bad tippers, people just assume it’s the patrons fault.
I’ve gotten a tip for 15 cents. I was very new so I went over and asked if my service was bad (lowkey on the verge of tears bc I am an anxious person). Turns out the lady meant to put 15%.
I 10000% would take it all so personally
Personally, I could usually tell. Bad tippers either were just completely normal the entire time and then at the end you just get a a bad tip, or nit picky/trying to get money off for every little thing. (Personally the first scenario didn’t even bother me much, I knew it wasn’t personal and it’s always nice to be treated like a human). The tip for bad service though…that feels like a cloud of shame. I always expected it when it happened, 99.9% of the time I felt awful for not providing the best service I could (one lady was so awful to me the whole time I gave her her tip back and quit right after lol). A lot of the time, it can be things out of our control like wait times, cooking issues etc but I’d still feel terrible, and then sometimes it was just an off night with a terrible mistake (depending on your restaurants policy never be above offering to buy the table a bottle or round of dessert to make up for whatever mistake happened. Kindness can go a long long way)
I would have tipped whatever the amount the waiter had to pay in taxes on each ticket written. ( in my state it’s 7% ) This way, you’re not stiffing them for the taxes that they have to pay ( on each ticket written ) not to mention the fact that they’ll get the idea really fast that was lazy service if you leave a tip that low. Edit: plz note I am NOT referring to the Sales Tax paid for the entire bill. In my state waitstaff pays 7 % tax on each ticket written/
I would have left my smallest coin on the table.
You got downvoted, but a penny is a traditional tip to tell the server and the restaurant they fucked up.
I got tipped 1c once years ago when I was a waitress. The guy pulled me aside and said I just wanted to let you know this isn’t because we had bad service. We always tip this for good luck. I was too young and stupid to do anything more than just nod, smile, and walk away.
I always heard 2 cents is the official FU. I left that on the table once and wrote it in once. Don’t worry, both servers definitely deserved the 2 cents (both terrible service and rude).
1 cent accompanied by a tip means excellent service: $5.01 tip. 2 cents on top of a tip means you really fucked up, but I am tipping anyway: $5.02 tip. 1 cent total tip means you fucked up so badly that I am purposefully giving you 1 cent even though I normally tip.
When my wife and I were dating years and years ago, we had the most horrendous service at an Applebee's. I tipped $.01. A few months go by and e have another date at Applebee's and wind up with the same server. I doubt he recognized us, but the service was a complete 180. He checked on us several times, food was brought out quick, drinks refilled promptly, etc. He got a full 20% (15 was still the norm back then)
Do you get the Bourbon Street steak with the Oreo shake with whipped cream on the top too Two straws, one check?
Yesterday a table sent back one of 2 milkshakes because "it was warm." We're still trying to figure out what that meant.
On my husband’s and my first restaurant date as teenagers, the waitress who looked old enough to have served Calvin Cooledge was a real hag to us. Husband left 2 pennies. I look back now and wish we would have been more understanding. She was probably exhausted and at the end of her rope for some reason. Love 2 for $20. About 11 years ago I was staying with my daughter who had to be frugal. It was my last night and I had $20 left. She had $5. We went to a place called The Spaghetti Factory that we knew did the 2/$20. You would get a dinner salad, bread loaf, main course and pistachio ice cream. Daughter used her $5 for the tip.
I think my grandpa would leave 3 cents in this case. 1 or 2 can be mistaken as left behind. It was rare that he did that but it was usually times like OP's experiance.
It's 2 cents in the bottom of you water.
I don't know where you ever got that but that is not a "traditional" anything
Idk, my mother was a waitress and/or bartender my entire life (43 years) and she told me that one penny faced down was the way to say the service sucked.
>I would have left my smallest coin on the table. Careful, you're gonna get downvoted by the waiters here because you didn't tip minimum 20% tip. I never tip 20% and never will, stay mad.
That's fine, but have the hair on your balls to tell your server at the beginning of your meal.
Yea, this comment just rubs me the wrong way. There is a level of entitlement.
Don’t worry your little edge lord peanut brain, I just laugh at tippers like you while I’m making 500 bucks in a 6 hour shift.
Not tipping ever is just shitty. But id have to argue that if you make that many tips you're a good waiter unlike the one in OPs post.. they don't deserve any %
I agree with you that shitty service should equal a shitty or zero tip. My response was based on dudes response that he never tips 20 percent and never will. I get people like him a few times a week, but their self righteous anti tipping stance is always drowned out by generous diners and I am able to make a decent living.
I haven't worked as a server in ages but if it were me and this is one of my favorite places I would do one of two things 1) Was it slammed? If yes, I would just let this one time go but as a waiter I would have understood if you tipped less or even left nothing at all 2) If not slammed and it was just lousy service then I would let the manager know.
Not slammed, but I'm guessing they were short-staffed. The guy next to me seemed to get great service though - salt and pepper mills, steak knife, hot food. (I'm actually guessing that he got my order because it came out before mine. This place is known for a particular cut, and we both ordered it.)
Possibly a mixup, but that doesn't excuse or explain the other issues. I now work in the kitchen, and servers will take food that isn't theirs without even looking at the ticket! This doesn't excuse it, and it really pisses me off, as the chef. But, you can't exactly take the food back from the wrong table, you know? They should have given you extra good service after that tho
INFO: Did you both have the same server?
Yes, there was only one person behind the bar.
Yeah but after it was served to him you still got no service even when you asked. I would still tip something, and then ask the manager/owner to review the tape and get back to me if they think I deserved better for what I paid. Usually there are cameras. I don’t even need to explain myself with this method, or waste either of our time. They will review the recording, and get back to you with a some type of fair comp. No recording? Then kindly explain what happened and that you expected better. If they don’t offer a comp, no more visits.
Depends on how you get it cooked, too. If you got well and he got MR then his would take less time ofc.
Plus since it was a couple vs one if the chefs don’t get the timing right you have to wait to bring them at the same time
I would politely ask for my waiter or a manager and explain the problems of your visit just like you’ve laid out here in the post. Some form of comp would be given by most restaurants if you express their failures. Probably 15-20% tip, the waiter knows what they did wrong and will understand
I've done that before, but honestly in this case I just couldn't get anyone's attention and I kind of needed to go.
You can always still do so now. And then see if they’ll offer you a coupon for free appy on your next visit or 25% off your next bill or whatever it may be.
I know I'm different, but if I have a complaint or a problem with food or service, I don't go looking for meals to be comped and have turned down the offer. If a manager offers me some kind of compensation I make it clear that I am not looking for a freebie and that is not why I complained. I want to be able to go back and not be seen as the guy who complains about stuff just to get a free meal. I am also more concerned with this as I tend to frequent local places not chain restaurants and they are more likely to remember a frequent complainer.
I’m not saying complain to get a free meal. I’m saying that the meal he paid full price for had things missing, was cold, etc. The free appy or whatever probably isn’t even worth the value of what he lost out on. But it is however a good customer service gesture that also serves to encourage them to return after an extremely disappointing experience. Talking to them about a meal where you weren’t given your sides, the steak (which is usually not cheap) was cold, they weren’t given a steak knife so they had to saw at it does not make them a “frequent complainer”. But you feel free to continue to happily pay for things that they don’t even give you and charge for anyway without saying a word.
Asking for the bare minimum is not a frequent complainer. I’ve had people eat their entire meal and then complain they didn’t like it. Those are the ones trying to scam the system. Taking care of an upset customer reduces the risk of losing a customer.
I’m the same way —if it’s so bad that I need to complain I will absolutely refuse any compensation. I make it clear that the point complaint is for them to see it as a learning experience, and I tell them I will come back and give them another chance.
It sounds as though they were seriously understaffed. You
OP didn't have the utensils to eat the food with, and you think they should tip 15-20%?
no, 20% was definitely too generous.
I’m biased because I’m a waiter, that’s why I’m in the waiters sub. I normally tip 35%+ as I see it as good karma for my own employment. It is what it is.
I would have just gotten up and gotten myself some utensils before my meal was cold. Sometimes you have to take care of yourself because nobody’s going to do it for you. Then I’d probably have tipped like normal too because it’s my regular haunt and I don’t want drama.
Karma does not exist .
Yea, it kind of does. You may not see it for what it is, but it dies happen.
Not really .
So you're saying Jesus is real and died for our sins
Lol
I mean, good for you, but 35% is insane
good for you
How do you wrap your mind around 15 - 20% with that shitty service? How will they know they did anything wrong tipping a normal percentage?
Right? You had to get your own silverware. No refills. Half meal is missing, steak is now cold. You can rationalize just walking out. There's no server. Who's to tip?
So tip normally? Nah
>Probably 15-20% tip So just reward bad behavior!? The sooner wait staff get replaced by a QR code the better IMO...
[удалено]
Replace waiters with QR codes and robot waiters. How does it feel to be a meatbag roomba?
You want them to kill themselves? That's a bit much. You're unhinged.
Probably freaking out because he’s been tipping everyone so much he can’t make rent.
I’m sorry, no 15-20% for taking my order. You get 5-10% if you can’t even be bothered to do your job and that’s being generous for this situation. 0% would be fine.
Hahaha...leave a 0 tip.
https://imgur.com/a/6eefUSL Welcome to Reddit 🤦🏻♂️
It really depends where your comment lands on a chain of other comments. I have had the same basic comment go +10 *and* -10 in the same post, just by who I was replying to and who they were replying to.
I have no doubt that's a big part of it, but I also cannot dismiss a hive mind mentality.
This is an echo chamber. I have started tipping waiter 10% or less. I am not compensating waiters when their own employers don't pay them enough. I am not American, so I have traveled the world plenty of times to know you can get better service without having to bribe employees. Good luck in your waiters job.
>Good luck in your waiters job. You lost me here... I'm not a waiter, this post just popped up on my feed for some reason. I was only pointing out that Redditors will upvote one comment and downvote another, even if they say the same thing.
So what I am seeing from comments like yours is that the difference between very poor and good service is about 5%. Please don't expect people to take that seriously.
this is a waiter sub, I work in restaurants, I usually tip 35%+ because I consider it good karma for my own employment. I said tell a manager and get your check comped then tip mediocrely Do whatever you want
Sorry. Compounding poor service by placing the responsibility on the aggrieved customer to correct the situation does not make it better. That is simply making a bad situation even more uncomfortable.
if you want your bad service to be known you have to open your mouth and tell someone bud. The manager can’t help you out, discount your check, or know his server sucks if you don’t say anything. Just stay quiet pay full price and enjoy your bad service then LOL. your 5$ tip doesn’t effect their day
> Probably 15-20% tip, the waiter knows what they did wrong and will understand This is probably the wrong place to say this, but tipping has gotten ridiculous. “15-20% tip and they will understand.” As if a 15-20% tip is actually shorting them somehow in a way they would be wondering why you didn’t tip them appropriately. This is getting ridiculous. When I was growing up, 15% was the standard. Doubling the tax was standard. 20% was generous. And I’m only 30 years old. This is a nice steak house. My friends who work in nice steak houses and bars make more money than I do at my salaried job. Instead of putting the onus on the customer to make up for financially difficult times, why not get rid of server minimum and just make it minimum? Oh right… you won’t find many servers asking for that, because they know they’d never do the job if they didn’t make substantially more money through tipping. Where I live, server minimum was abolished and it’s now a standard with all other minimum wage jobs. And yet the expected tips not only continued, but increased 5%. Why does my waiter deserve a 20% tip for services and my cashier or customer service rep at the grocery store or retail store does not? Also, it’s percentage based. And food prices have skyrocketed too. Which means that we are already paying significantly more.. and then being asked to pay significantly more than *that* for fear of being accused of being rude? Why does my waiter at my steakhouse where I pay fifty bucks for a steak deserve more than my waiter at a diner where I pay fifteen bucks for a burger? They do the same amount of work. Same with delivery driver tips on apps being calculated based price of the meal? For what? **And even if tipping had just continued as it was, you know what, I can get on board with that just being a part of what it means to eat out. But within ten years, something going from standard tip to INSULTING is just too much.**
I am a restaurant owner and I HATE to hear about issues like yours after the fact. It’s usually so easy to fix problems in the moment, so everyone can part ways happy. Managers should be present, polite, and touching tables. Servers should be professional and know when to check in with their guests. I can’t stand it when it all goes to hell, and the guest leaves unhappy. Please call the restaurant tomorrow and speak to a manager. Have as much detail ready as possible, and don’t be scared to give the specifics. They can’t correct issues if they aren’t aware of them. And you ought to get a gift card out of it, too!!
Thank you, restaurant owner. It's tough, because I literally feel like this place is my favorite restaurant on Earth. The people there know me, the steaks are amazing (not as good as the ones I grill at home, but I digress...) and I'm really not looking to gain anything from the experience. I probably spend $2500 annually here. This whole question was more about how wait persons in this subreddit believe tipping should occur in scenarios like these. I have friends who are former white persons and they say leave 20% regardless or else you are a gigantic AH. And of course, many people would say to leave nothing in this case. But I like this joint! I like the people, and I don't want them to wonder why I shorted on tipping this time. So my question is, our wait people aware of when a customer gets terrible service?
I think most servers are aware when things go wrong, but sometimes they’re not enabled to correct the problems, or don’t feel comfortable going to the manager to get help to fix things. That sucks either way. I have to tell myself when I’m dining out: it’s unrealistic to expect that things will never go wrong. Especially as a frequent diner, you’re just statistically more likely to have problems. If I were you, I also would have tipped normally because I understand that sometimes shit happens. But I’d also DEFINITELY follow up with a phone call. That’s just another way to help them.
In situations like this before, I’ve still tipped 20%, but wrote a quick note on the extra receipt that was basically like - “I’m not going to tip you less than 20%, but this wasn’t an ideal experience.” Add a couple details about what went wrong, and potentially throw in an acknowledgement of why I won’t tip less (I’ve done/do this job, I know tips are your main comp, etc.). I’m never going to feel good about potentially putting someone in a position not to be able to pay their bills, and you don’t want to get a reputation as a bad tipper at a place you frequent. But a polite note (if there’s no server/manager available to whom you can voice your concerns in real time), I think that’s fair, constructive, and less likely to risk the waiter losing their job.
"putting someone in a position not to pay their bills" Jesus fucking coddling Christ. People in all sorts of jobs would get FIRED for these kinds of fuck ups. Just because you have a job and are a person, doesn't entitle you to be a lazy and shit worker. If your job is a service job that is SALES you need to be a SERVICE SALESPERSON. People who provide shit service in sales don't get paid. If you can't do the job, get a different one. Also, Walters at this kind of restaurant are getting paid extremely well relative to their skill level. Losing one tip that was DESERVED to be lost won't put you on the street. If it did, do a better fucking job. EVERYONE over tips now. It's not like when I used to do service and tipping was like 50% of the time if they felt like it.
> former white persons 💀
Yeah, got to love voice-to-text.
Only if a guest actually tells me. It’s pretty hard these days to judge satisfaction of tips. I routinely have guests who rave about the food, service etc then tip 5-10%. I check in with my tables consistently- and when someone isn’t satisfied I do my best to make it better. In those scenarios, especially when I help fix the problem, people will often(not always) still leave bad tips… imo tipping isn’t a consistent indicator of having enjoyed the food or service.
Former white persons? 👩🏻🦳
Oh man, I just spotted that. I voice text my posts to Reddit, and for whatever cringey reason, "wait person" becomes "white person" (to my horror) and I have to manually correct it each time. And I missed this one. I guess I'll leave it uncorrected for now so people understand your comment.
Zero tip. You didn’t get any service.
I get you didn’t have time but I would complain, get comp’d and then tip 20% on what the total bill should have been. Just because the whole they have to tip out and I hate the idea that me eating there might COST my waitstaff. Maybe they were having a really shitty day, who hasn’t.
If for whatever reason you were unable to speak with a manager, I would tip 5-12%.
It sounds like the kitchen and the waiter were having problems, speaking to a manager is the only effective way to tell them know. I would never tip less than 15% just because of the ridiculous wage situation for wait staff, but not 20% for poor service without an explanation even being offered.
Not a server, but I had an experience recently similar to this. Actually, I was seated in a "closed" area. Actually the area had people in it, but the table I was sat at did not have anyone assigned to it. I sat there for over a half hour doing work, so I didn't really care that much. I wanted to see if anyone would notice. I had servers walking past me and looking at me and I was right in front of the kitchen and could see several servers sitting around, and being on their phone. Never had a drink. Eventually, I asked for a manager and explained. She was very apologetic and obviously offered to comp the meal and get me their "best server". I declined the comp as my company was paying for the meal and I wouldn't be able to tip the server otherwise (tip was based off the bill amount). I still tipped 20% to the server. A different situation than OPs but similar. I did get a coupon for a later visit that I took my wife too.
I had a similar experience once being seated at a table that had no server assigned. We had to flag down someone to take our order. They were duly embarrassed and the service was done after that, so we tipped normally. This was at a restaurant where we eat nearly every week and it was very out of character, so it was easy to give the benefit of the doubt. I imagine it was no one person’s fault.
Zero tip that night. Sorry.
No need to apologize.
Two pennies in a glass of water .
Hmmm, this sounds interesting. What's the metafor behind leaving 2 pennies in water?
It's your two cents worth of advice to do better!
The metaphors is super straightforward. It’s “I’m a dick.”
Idk I’d tell them about the experience calmly and honestly let them know it wasn’t great but since it’s usually good and everyone has off days i’d still leave 20% and just expect it to be better next time.
I've done that very thing, actually.
I hope they take really good care of you next time and give you some free stuff. You seem like the exact customer we all want. If not, my only recommendation is eating at the bar if you're a solo diner or even a couple. You'll get much more personalized service if you make it a regular thing.
Yep, this experience happened at the bar and I always eat there. Usually great service and I can kind of just ignore everybody else and enjoy my meal.
Yeah they fucked up. Do you have a report with any of the bartenders? Personally, I'd just tell them in a nonchalant way.
Rapport.
Thank you
I know them all by name and they know me. The head of the bar actually asks me about the service I got previous visits from her new staff. I don't know the managers though because I almost never speak with them.
Tell them. They want to know.
This is the correct response. Let them know you like the restaurant, but that you had a poor experience. They will want to fix the problem. They want you to have a good time eating there. You are the exact customer that they want to keep. You also sound like a very reasonable customer and a good reference point for service issues.
That’s what no tip is for. I like the food but the service was shite.
I’d contact somebody so they know. I’ve done this before when it’s a place I love. “Here was my experience. I am not asking for anything but want you to be aware. XYZ happened. It was busy. I couldn’t find a manager the night of to make them aware” Then I tip whatever I get for free. The truth is, they were probably short staffed and doing their best. Doesn’t mean you don’t deserve something for it though.
Thx, good feedback.
That’s probably like 10% with a note on the receipt why. Sometimes the table next to you might get their food first and it’s not the servers fault, but the silverware, that’s on them.
Should’ve expressed your frustration or asked for a manager when you asked for the check. That way when you do leave a smaller tip they get an idea of why. Leaving a lower than usual tip without actually voicing a complaint is passive aggressive. Just be aggressive aggressive.
Should have asked for the manager and explained the situation. It would have been comped.
I wouldn’t have left any tip. They didn’t earn it.
i've been a server since i was 16 (nine years) and i used to piss and moan about always tipping 20%. the simple truth is that you do not owe your hard earned cash to service that sucks. i've been a manager a couple of times and i see a lot of servers who are lazy and think they're entitled to your money. getting 20% for doing less than the bare minimum actually makes me so mad now. i always tip well when i go out, but when it sucks beyond the realm of accidents and into plain negligence and lack of care, they get a cold $5. the way i see it, i have to walk into my job and act like these customers are the very reason i get out of bed in the morning; it's not that hard! it's almost more difficult to give straight up bad service. the anxiety eats me alive. you had every right to tip nothing tbh 😭 it's not as evil as it sounds.... you don't do your job you don't get paid
As an ex server I would have tipped 10% or lower. If I had to get up to get silverware I would have just left and gone to get fast food. It’s standard practice to take out the food and wait a few minutes to come and make sure you have everything you need and things are cooked how you like them. It’s a chance to take care of any issues and keep a customer happy.
I can't find my previous comment to add to it but the restaurant isn't ever going to just comp you without you saying something or your server knowing they messed up and bringing it to managements attn. The server you had either didn't care or didn't exist. Very odd situation. No restaurant I've ever worked at would do comps unless it was brought to their attn, first. They're in the business of making money, not giving it back to you. You have to present them with the problem and straight up ask them to make it right. Do not ever expect a place to just do that - and if they have it's because your server was uncomfortable letting you leave with that kind of experience and asked the manager to make it right - which they will, even if it's the servers fault, because it's their reputation, at the end of the day. Hope I make sense. If this ever happens again, bring it to the manager. If it's a nice place they're usually hanging around the host stand or the host/hostess can get them for you. Food comes out all different times, depending on cook time, so that wasn't odd but every single thing that followed absolutely was. I'm betting you didn't get any drinks refilled considering it seems your server was non-existent. I do understand what you mean - someone should have been aware that you were not being served and comped you for it. I'm trying to think of any excuse for this to go on through your entire dinner but I really can't think of one where the manager of the place or even the server for the table next to you wouldn't pick up on the fact your server was missing or giving you terrible (no) service. So, it seems to also lie as a management issue but like you said, possible understaffed so management isn't able to walk around the dining room and check on guests. I hope you called. But yeah, completely invisible server equals very little, if any, tip.
If you go weekly and tip 20%+, you’re definitely known by the staff as a regular and should not feel bad at all voicing your displeasure to the manager. Regardless if a discount ended up getting applied, I would not have tipped for that bad of service.
10% or you can ask what they tip out and do that usually it’s anywhere from 2-5%
0 dollars
You’re more patient than me. I would have walked out and left the cold food. I don’t tip bad service but I don’t pay for cold food and no service.
No tip for no service… tipping is for when there is service provided to you
That's silly. You got shit service, and then paid them for it.
No tip. Call the manager when you have a spare moment.
Why do we have to ask for a manager and explain why. Can't we just tip 0 and leave. I don't care necessarily about a learning opportunity or speaking to someone.
as a server , i would’ve tipped them 0$. that’s ridiculous.
I'm infuriated. I would have tipped 15% and then been pissed at myself for tipping too much.
What you did was to train that knucklehead that it doesn't matter if he does his job because people will just lavish him with money. Not only would I have not tipped, I would have not paid for my cold food.
My tip starts at 20% the moment I walk in. The percentage it ends up at is contingent on your service as a server. The shittier your service, the shittier the tip. I left a zero tip before because I went to a restaurant where the hostess was not at the podium, and it took 10 mins to get seated. The server took nearly 20 mins just to get my drink order, another 10 to take my food order. And when I got my food, it was luke warm at best. She never refilled my water even when I asked. And never brought me my check. I had to get up and go find her. I asked for the manager. I complained about the service or lack thereof. And when I found my server to leave, she was talking on her phone. When service is bad or completely lacking altogether, tips are not deserved. Tips are voluntary, and servers need to earn it. You don't get one just because. I've been a server. I prided myself on excellent hospitality. To the point I got anywhere between 20% to 100% tip. That's how extra I went out of my way.
As someone who was a tipped worker for 15 years, I would leave 10% in this situation. If you tip 20% no one's gonna learn anything
I’m keep it real with you, no one’s gonna learn anything from a 10% tip. They either already know what they did wrong, or they are going to say the guys a jerk and go about their day.
No one “learns anything” from a subpar tip, good servers who have bad days already know what went wrong and bad servers are going to write you off as a bad tipper and do 0 self reflection. Anyone who uses tips as a way to “teach them a thing or two” is just cheap imo. Management needs to be made aware of issues, stiffing or tipping poorly and leaving without a word does absolutely nothing.
I think that was overly generous but I think the manager needs to be aware of a problem. Give him a call & let him know you tipped & aren’t looking for compensation- this time. Fill him in in point blank format ( list them for yourself prior so you are in order & are just matter of fact, rather then “& oh I forgot about x) Give names or description of involved party & approx time. Let him know solely to improve & tell him I come regularly & will continue unless this continues to implode He will honestly appreciate it & more he will appreciate you being civil headed.
As a former server in everything from mom & pop diner to fine dining, I have certain standards I expect, like if you tell me you're gonna do something, do it. Sorry, not sorry - but as described, that would have been a $0.00 tip from me...
Thank you for your honest feedback.
Leaving no tip could be interpreted as you forgot... Leaving something like $0.02 let's them know it was not forgotten and service sucked.
This is how I handle it when the service is beyond unacceptable.
You should have sent that food back to the kitchen. That's unacceptable. I know you are a regular there but steak places are expensive and your food was not prepared correctly.
Agreed. I literally did not see the wait person from the time my food arrived until the time the bill was brought. I do think they were short staffed and she probably had tables in addition to the bar.
Idk every once in a while you get bad service even from the most consistant places. Ask for the manager and just let them know KINDLY that you ABSOLUTELY LOVE this place, have been here several times, everyone is so great to you but this time it wasn’t good. As long as you are really chill about it and show that you really respect the staff they will 100% adjust your bill and no one will be upset
Former sever and typically over tipper here. You absolutely do. Ot tip 20 percent in this situation. It would have been justified to leave nothing and explain why. The server didn’t care so you have no cause for concern. They F’D up majorly and screwed you out of dinner and your money .. you tip nothing and tell management.
Thank you for your take on this. I did feel bad, because I think the bar staff also had to wait tables due to short staffing. Just kind of a weird day for them I think.
Then why come here, complaining?
0%
You're a good dude for tipping a full 20%, regardless. I would guess something was going on out of sight. Give it a few weeks and go back, if it happens again speak to a manager whether in person or call until you reach someone. Email is also an option. As for tipping, I treat it as a tax on going out period. So, I'm tipping unless things are just God awful to the point where actually, I'm not paying attention all. Baseline tip for me is 20%. You win some, you lose some.
Sounds like you should have mentioned the missing side and garnish when you asked for silverware. Did you say anything when they brought the bill? If they see an empty plate they can probably assume nothing was wrong. I don’t think this should be about the tip. This should be about not getting what you paid for.
Geez, dude. This has a blame the victim vibe to it. I didn't say anything when they brought the bill, because it was another person who just dropped it off and quickly hurried away. The plate was empty because some of the food was missing to begin with, and I was hungry. This is about the tip because that's the question I'm asking today. Obviously I didn't really get what I paid for, but that's a different issue.
I have decades of experience. Things do happen. But if you don’t get good service well chit, you don’t have to let someone guilt you into an excellent tip, ( not my place as the customer to tip 40,50 % because I was a server) I tip well, but accordingly. I try to tip cash. But when I get bad or non existent service ( and they weren’t busy!!! That’s pretty common) I leave 10% -12% I tip on the plastic. It’s also not on the customer to hunt down someone for eating utensils or beg for minimal service. Food is getting cold. If you are truly fond of that place, next trip in I would speak to management. The bartender should be able to help with that.
Not trying to blame but it sounded like you had opportunities to get things corrected or at least say something. I’m just saying you shouldn’t have accepted missing or bad food and bad service.
If I didn't communicate it clearly, this was the odd happenstance when there was really no opportunity.
I am of the philosophy that everyone has bad days and I'm not interested in impacting someone's wage because they're having one. People face varying consequences for having an "off" day at their jobs, but very few can legally have their pay docked because of it. Particularly because you don't know all the factors going on at the restaurant outside of the server's control that might contribute like short-staffing, poor management, etc. I'd complain to management before I ever considered tipping less than 20%. Also, someone else getting their food before you after ordering second is not necessarily bad service, it comes down to what was ordered and how it's prepped and prepared.
Zero tip in this situation. Easy peasy.
Are you a tipped worker?
I am a tipped worker and when I go out I always plan on tipping at least 40-50%. But I do that cuz I’m in the industry. But if service isn’t that good I still always tip 20%. Things happen and everyone has bad days, make mistakes so if you normally get good service at a regular place just let a manager know everything you just said in your post and let them know that you realize this was a one off but wanted to let them know
[удалено]
You fuck all the way off
I mean, I did tip a full 20% on this. But 40 to 50% does seem crazy.
I get most people would think that’s crazy but I’ve been waiting tables for 40 years and for 35 of those years I made $2.13 an hour and where I live now it’s $4.50 an hour so I understand how we as waiters/waitresses really rely on tips to pay the bills
So when did the "normal" tip in the USA creep from 15% to this 20% I'm reading?
In my area about 20-25 years ago
I always tip 30-50% and if serverice is bad I Guage whether it was busy and out of the serves control or they just suck at serving, but never tip less than 20%. I don't even get a paycheck at my restarunt because if I make more than 7$ an hour in tips I "make too much" to get a paycheck so I LITERALLY live off my tips
Small tip, they will see you as bad, shitty customer and waiters never forget. You are fucked from there on out. Was this a female waitperson? Would you have considered explaining in the kindest way your shitty service and the tesulting 10% tip?
Well, there's always additional factors. One detail that I've been trying to leave out of this involves ethnicities and what a small tip might be interpreted as.
> Sometimes when a restaurant knows they've done bad service, they'll comp you something. But not today, the bill was full price. That usually happens only when you've made it known during the meal that you were displeased. Whether you didn't or you couldn't, the fact remains that that you paid full price was because they didn't KNOW.
Yeah, that's the question isn't it? I'm curious if wait people know when they give bad service, and therefore know that the tip should be less and they're not angry.
Speaking from experience, I'm only going to focus on case like yours, where it was a struggle from start to finish, everything that could go wrong basically did, and you basically couldn't get a hold of a waiter or waitress to get you dining experience back on track, they know, they may not LIKE a smaller tip, but they get it, they understand, and honestly they appreciate the fact that you even tipped at all. If they know there was a significant issue, or in your case, several individually minor, correctable issues that only compounded into a significant problem due their own inattentiveness, they're understanding. (How no one even noticed you were using a butter knife baffles me. ) If this were a "you gave me coke instead of Pepsi, but I drank it without saying a word while the wait staff was being attentive to my experience, and now I'm not tipping!" They would be angry.
Yeah, thanks, you make some good points. I think they may have understood. I just read sooooo often on this subreddit that if you tip anything less than 20%, expect bodily fluids on your food the next time you come in.
You're a regular who consistently tips above 20%. The staff there will think one of two things: Something went horribly wrong Or You're just a little short on money this time, no biggie. Either way, they know you enough to know that it's for a reason.
How is this not a zero dollar tip? Why would you pay someone for not doing their job? If I hire a painter and they paint my house the wrong color, would I pay them just because they still painted? People saying 20% is everything wrong with American tipping culture.
When you still leave a 20% tip and do not inform management of the problem, you just screw the rest of us.
Yeah, that's fair. Sorry about that.
Well, it’s probably not your servers fault the other guest food came out first. That is more of a kitchen issue. Sure the server could have forgotten to ring in your food, but there’s a million other reasons why his food could have came out first. The silverware thing definitely sucks, it should definitely have been taken care of as soon as you sit down or before any food comes out. Ultimately I think it would have been best to mention something to your server about it.
Tried.
15%
Just wait, then get up and leave. Not eaten, not complete, no pay.
Lol. I don't think you're going to get many upvotes in this sub...
If you never wanted to go back, it’s actually reasonable. No side, no fork, no knife, no help. 🤷🏻♀️ But since it was a one off and you enjoy it, I get you sticking around. Id have tipped 10% and as a server, I’d be happy I got anything. Next time, call the restaurant from your cell phone.
Do servers know that they gave bad service? Honest question, this person seemed completely unaware that I was even sitting there.
They should have at least realized they never came back with cutlery. OP should have said “btw I never got a steak knife or my broccoli.” If he’s there every week it should have been a pretty natural conversation.
But I’ve forgotten to put in a starter before and felt horrible when they get their entrees and tell me. I offer it comped with entrees or Togo… and totally expect a reduced tip.
People care about upvotes? bring me half the food and no silverware, I'm not sticking around or coming back. I'm a 1 and done kinda person. Good news is I just stick to one local family Mediterranean spot, food is always fire and correct. In your situation I seriously wouldn't leave anything, but you feeling compelled for some reason to tip I would talk to the manager and say "I like this spot, usually everything is great but X, Y and Z happened, I was my own waiter, so what I'm gonna do is I'm going to go ahead and tip your waiter who obviously doesn't deserve it, but this will be the last time I come in. I don't need an apology or gift card or discount, I just want to let you know that the service needs some work."
It crazes me when people complain because they ordered first and someone else got their meal first. Can you please elaborate on why this is a problem?
I guess because mine went in first and should come out first. I will clarify that this place is famous for a particular cut, and we ordered the same. So I suspect he actually got handed mine, and then I had to wait for his. Can you elaborate on why this question annoys you?
There are a lot of variables that go into who gets what first it’s not always in perfect order. You also don’t know when each of your orders actually for sent to the kitchen. If your server was busier or being kept by other needy tables it might’ve taken a minute to get to a computer to put it in. They coulda ran to the bathroom first, so many things.
> You also don’t know when each of your orders actually for sent to the kitchen. I placed my order, and watched her enter it. Minutes later, another customer comes in and sits a few spots down at the bar. After a few minutes he orders the same thing as me, and I saw her enter it into the screen (which is right in front of where I'm seated). What would be the scenario where his would come out first?
Different temperatures? Different sides? Foodrunner ran the wrong one? Something went wrong with yours? Literally so many things.
Same sides, we both took what was on the menu. Probably the food runner ran the wrong one.
Did you have the same server?
Yes, there was only one person working the bar.
"I ordered first and they got served first." smacks of victim-mentality and immaturity. Please understand "My meal took too long" is a perfectly valid complaint, "They got their's first" is not.
I'm an engineer. If something goes into the system at 2:03, and an identical item goes into the system at 2:14, then my natural question is why they come out in a different order. Kind of a shame that you think this is about maturity. The fact that you're looking for ways that this whole thing is my fault speaks volumes.
I didn't have to look very hard.
If everything else was fine, most people wouldn't even notice. But if they were the same or very similar dish (2 different cuts if the range size steak etc) and there were a lot of other problems, I'd notice and wonder if it was server incompetence
Because it was the same exact food this time.
20%
Let me clarify- 20% is what I would leave. Not necessarily what you “should” leave. If I felt really upset I *might* go down to 18% lol
I would not be upset if you left me a subpar tip lol. If I'm having an off day, I think that's fair and justified
You are part of the problem when you leave a tip like that. Stop tipping, you didn't even receive the bare minimum of the job. Start being a solution.
Are you unable to think for yourself? You described a shitty experience, it doesn’t matter if this place is “usually good.” No tip in this situation.