tipping for bad service at a restaurant

[The motor guy]

So I was wondering what everyones method of tipping a waiter or waitress when you receive bad service.I hate it when they checkup on you right when you get your food and then you never see them again except when it's time to ask for the bill. This may sound petty but is it really that hard to keep my glass of water full? I've heard some people leave a note indicating why a tip was not left but I want to hear what some of you do when this happens. I usually just tip them regardless if they did a good job or not because I don't want someone spitting in my food if I were to come back another time. Maybe im paranoid but oh well.

 

[Chris142]

If the service is that bad I don't leave a tip.

 

[JHZR2]

On the other end of the spectrum, Im not keen on folks tipping 20 or 25% because it is so tough to be in food service. I hear some folks going this route, and my thought process is that if it is so bad and so tough, then they can do something else.

Generally because the math is easiest, if service is decent Ill take 10% of the pre-tax bill, and then double that roughly. If it looks high it generally is, so Ill round it down or take it down by a dollar. Generally comes to 18% or so.

If service is only so-so, Ill do a better job with my math and figure out what 15% is and leave it at that.

If service is lousy, it goes from 10% down. At things like buffets where there is minimal service, generally I leave $1/person. If they were super nice, and 10% is higher, Ill do that.

Then again, if I am at a small-town place and have either a young kid or an adult server that really tried hard and did a good job, Ill leave a significant overtip. I like to reinforce when people do things right.

But it seems that higher than standard tipping rates are generally being pushed these days, so beware.

 

[Astro14]

I would speak to them directly...tip OK, but let them know the reason for your dissatisfaction. You may get a bit of lip back...but if you short the tip, you'll leave them thinking you're a cheap jerk and the service won't improve.

Be polite, respectful and constructive...and go to the manager if the person doesn't respond appropriately...there's an art to getting your point across without hurting their feelings or having them ignore your input...it's not often that I've had to complain, but I've always given a merchant, company, or waiter the chance to correct the mistake.

If that doesn't work...well, then, find another place...

 

[paulo57509]

I usually tip pretty close to 20%. If the service is really bad, I leave 10-cents (I'm not going to come back no matter how good the food is).

If you don't leave anything, it can be interpreted as forgetfulness.

If you're going to stiff 'em, leave something small.

 

[Bob Woods]

I tip because its common, but I believe the practice sucks. Why give the server a tip if the food is good? The cook deserves it not the server. I worked as a cook years ago. If I owned a resturant today I would pay everyone the same and put all the tips in a jar to be shared by everyone that works there. Or up the menu prices and ask the customers not to tip and pay the staff higher wages.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I always leave a tip anyway. I just figure everyone has their bad days,and I`m sure they don`t mean to take it out on their customers. Usually you can just carry on a lil small talk with them and cheer them up:^) A little kindness goes a long way. And if I get excellent service,I`ll make sure the waiter/waitress get the tip directly. I won`t allow it to go into a tipping pool,because the person who waited on me worked to earn it.

 

[tommygunn]

Originally Posted By: Bob Woods
If I owned a resturant today I would pay everyone the same and put all the tips in a jar to be shared by everyone that works there. Or up the menu prices and ask the customers not to tip and pay the staff higher wages.
I like that idea...I've noticed that more and more around here...tip jars. though they still put the "Tip" line on the bottom of the receipt....and I'm not one to leave it blank, unless I'm at a "buffet" style place where all they are doing is keeping my water glass full every 10 minutes.

But that's just me.


As for the OPs situation, I'd say tip 5% instead of 15% (or whatever your typical tip amount is)...typically, I simply double the tax, and round up or down to the next dollar...depending on the service.

 

[gathermewool]

Bad day or not, if the place isn't busy and the prices aren't diner-low, then the least he/she can do is keep my water/beer/iced-tea glass filled. A delay is fine if it's busier, but to finish a drink at the beginning of the meal and then not see your waiter or waitress until you've finished is unacceptable.

I've seen good servers handle many tables and I've experienced the disappearing act on relatively slow days. Each server is tipped appropriately. For great service, it depends on the bill and how much the server worked. If I go somewhere fancy and the bill is over $100, I won't tip more than 20% for even great service. If it's expensive and the server didn't have to do a whole lot of work, I might still go as high as 20%, but will usually follow JHZR2's method of rounding down to something closer to 18%.

If I'm at a diner and I see every one busting their hump and taking care of every one, I usually leave more than 20%. When the meal is only $20 for the two of us, what's another $5? I'm usually fine having my usual eggs and toast at home, so going out and having a substantial breakfast is more of an occasional treat, anyway.

For so-so service, I'm with JHZR2's, as well, at 15%. From there it goes down, but it's really tough for me to give less than 15%, except if the server was out-and-out rude. I'm all about yes ma'aming and siring every one I come across, and even if I'm in a bad mood I smile when greeted, so rudeness is unacceptable and leaving 10% or lower gives me no pause. More often than not, I've had good experiences, the bad ones being few and far between, albeit a lot more memorable.

The example that sticks out in my mind occured when I was maybe 15, down on Kent Island, MD, at a Golden Corral. The crabs weren't running, so my dad and I decided to let the traps sit for a couple hours while we went for breakfast. It was still early, so there were only two other old men there. The waitress brought us over cups and bundles of silverware and said she'd be back with the coffee. She served both men, one fifteen feet to our left and the other fifteen feet in front, toward the buffet. She never even came over to us. We grabbed our own drinks and the food was self-serve, so that was that. My dad held up his cup when she went around again and she simply ignore him. My dad left her a quarter and I a stick of gum. I never got my OJ that morning, but the apple fritters were delicious.

 

[Popinski]

I always receive bad service at Chinese Restaurants. If I don't tip them because of bad service, they get EXTREMELY MAD. That's one of the few things I hate about America, TIPPING.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: Popinski
I always receive bad service at Chinese Restaurants. If I don't tip them because of bad service, they get EXTREMELY MAD. That's one of the few things I hate about America, TIPPING.


I like to tip, I go to restaurants i like on a regular basis. If they keep my tea glass full and are pleasant i tip 20%. They recognize when i come in and i always get good service. If my meal is less than 15 bucks i still leave a 5 bill.

 

[Cogito]

I normally tip 10-20% depending on what kind of job the wait staff provides. One time I went to a fairly nice breakfast place nearby. They weren't particularly busy, and my waitress seemed like she had been around for awhile. Anyway, she totally botched up just about everything possible. I ordered scrambled eggs with lox and onions, cooked easy, with OJ, a bagel w/cream cheese, and coffee. When the eggs arrived, I still had not received any coffee, even though it had been at least 10 minutes. The eggs were stone cold, so I sent them back. I finally got some coffee, but there was no cream, which I had asked for previously. I got the cream when the eggs returned, but the eggs were cooked very hard. I told her about and she said, OK, and walked away. I had asked for the OJ a couple of times, and finally got it about the time I finished eating the eggs. I never was able to get a refill on my coffee cup. The bill was around $15, but I was so mad, I left a penny for the tip. I did not complain to the manager, etc., I just left. I felt I would rip him a new one if we got into an argument. Anyway, I decided to try the place again, about a month later. When I walked in, the manager immediately recognized me and said he would not seat me because "waitresses complained I was very demanding, and did not leave any tips." Even though that was only the 2nd time I had been there. I just laughed and left.

When I got home, I logged into the local foodie website/forum, and ripped the place and the waitress in a thread. To my surprise, about a half dozen other people chimed in and said that they had also received similar treatment from that same waitress. Apparently, the restaurant management got wind of the thread, and logged in and apologized for the bad service and said that that waitress had "quit," and that they were offering half price meals to anyone who mentioned her name to them.

 

[hr1940]

I have failed to tip twice. The waitress did a disappearing act until she brought the bill and then shorted me $40.00. I had my daughter go find her and her only comment was to giggle and tell me she at least she gave me the right change. She returned my $40.00. She had her in her pocket and If I had failed to count my change I would have been out the money.

The other time was I took my daughter to lunch and the restaurant was not busy but when the food finally arrived it was cool and we had less than 10 min.to eat. Other than that I usually have very good service and I tip accordingly. I always make sure the server gets the tip.

 

[cbear]

For truly horrible service, I leave a penny, face down. It specifically tells them you didn't just forget to leave a tip.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Popinski
I always receive bad service at Chinese Restaurants. If I don't tip them because of bad service, they get EXTREMELY MAD. That's one of the few things I hate about America, TIPPING.


Bad service is expected at Chinese restaurants. It is part of our culture, actually, IMO.

 

[The_Jeff]

I hate when I get bad service and feel it was a result of prejudice, I don't look rich, or whatever. Especially when a similiar table gets seated by the same waiter at the same time and they get their food faster and checked up on more often.

Now the catch-22, do I reinforce that prejudice by tipping poorly as a punishment, or do I try to overcome it?

I filled out a "how are we doing" card in college and, having noticed flies in the bathroom, gave a middling grade for "cleanliness". The waiter looked the card over while we were leaving and confronted us on the issue, saying it wasn't his responsibility. Huh?

And I do tip for good food and deduct for bad. My waiter is an agent for me; he needs to keep the cooks in line. They can cook bad food, but not for MY waiter. If the food is consistently bad, go sling hash somewhere else.

 

[Shannow]

Tipping was never a part of Oz culture, but 15 years ago, a culture was developing of rounding the bill up for restaurants and taxi drivers etc.

Then the eating houses started Sunday surcharges, pre filling tips on credit card payments, and stuff and it went from a gratuity to an expectation, and it looks like it's dieing.

 

[ridgerunner]

I may be in the minority, but I don't tip period. I've had many jobs growing up and not once did I receive a tip for work I did (nor did I expect one). Other jobs I've worked for the government and I couldn't accept gifts of any kind, not even a soda. Same thing today, can't receive gifts/tips. Tips/gifts are considered bribes and are not tollerated. So...no tips from me, sorry. If I were to take a "bribe" I'd loose my job and be put in jail. Funny thing is which burns me to no end is that a person in office can (and they do) take bribes all the time and somehow it's legal. It's called a campain contribution.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

We rarely eat out, mainly due to the cost and the poor quality of most restaurant food. That being said, on the occasion that we do eat out I've never felt the need to reward someone for doing even an average job, I certainly would never reward them for doing a poor job.

I've always felt that establishments such as restaurants should pay their employees a living wage to begin with rather than trying to squeeze a "tip" from a customer that is over and above the advertised menu price. We have one restaurant that we patronize when we do eat out, and one reason is that the service is exceptional and the food is healthy, both of which seem to be rare commodities in the restaurant business.

 

[scurvy]

Having worked in food service has made me a better tipper. 10% (of the pre-tax bill, rounded up) for ordinary service. 15% for good service. 20% for exceptional service.

I can also tell you that not tipping is not a good idea to show your dissatisfaction with the service - more than likely the server will assume you've simply forgotten. A nickel in a water glass or by itself at the edge of the table are both good ways.

You can also leave a note if you're so inclined. We've written YOUR SERVICE SUCKS on a plate with a squeeze bottle of ketchup before, added up the bill ourselves, left just enough money to cover what was actually delivered to our table (waitress ignoring our table for 30 minutes, half our food still undelivered) and walked out of the restaurant.