tipping for bad service at a restaurant

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I will tip according to the level of service received although I don't go crazy. I tip a fair amount but nothing excessive. I am not a fan of tipping in general as #1 I paid for my meal already so why should I pay more to the wait staff for doing their job and #2 the wait staff already receives pay so why should I give them more of my money, again, just for doing their job? If their base pay isn't enough for them to make a living on that is their problem. Get a different job. I do leave a tip as long as the waitress/waiter did their job though despite all my ranting.

One thing I have never done nor will I ever do is put a tip in a tip jar. If I am going to leave a tip it goes to the person who served me. I don't approve of tip jars split between everyone nor when wait staff has to pool their tips and then split them. The tips should go to those who earned them period.

I have NO issue however, NONE, with leaving no tip of any kind if the service was poor. However, I don't mess around with little hints and games like pennies left upside down, writing on plates with condiments, nickles in a water glass, etc... That stuff is ridiculous. Speak up if you are unhappy before leaving and tell someone why no tip is being left. I just march my butt up to the manager and tell him/her flat out that the service SUCKED and that I left no tip for the poor excuse for a waiter/waitress. If I get any flak about it I do not return to the restaurant. If I get an apology I give the place another chance.

Tips are not mandatory and if you don't want to leave one for whatever reason don't. Nothing to feel guilty about.

EDIT - oh, here is another case in which I will NOT leave a tip. Not even if the service was good. If I get my check and it includes the tip already added in I refuse to pay it. Ran into that years ago in Boston at a famous Seafood restaurant following my Sister's graduation from MIT. The waiter was horrendous and the food was just as bad if not worse. We planned no tip. Got the check and it was already added to it and it was a LOT as we had a big group and a large check. Got into it good with the manager at the register as we refused to pay the tip. He tried to tell us we had to and we laughed and said good luck it was not legally required. In the end we did not have to pay it and we have never been back to that dump. Even if the service had been exceptional I would not have left a tip as it should be the customer's decision to leave a tip, and if so, how much. It is arrogant and presumtuous of any restaurant to figure it for you and add it to the bill.
 
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I recall going into a small restaurant in a small city with my parents when I was a young child. The service was all but non existent. In disgust my father left two pennies on the table....they bounced off of the door closing behind us as we left.
 
If the service is bad, I will not tip. A friend of mine goes the extra step to leave 2 or 3 pennies, stacked on a table to signal his dissatisfaction -- his thinking is that he stacks them to make sure the waitstaff knows they were deliberately left there and they didn't fall out of his pocket by accident.

On the other end, I will tip well for good service. Yeah, if waiting tables is so bad someone can find something better, but long story short, in the present, the person did a good job and should be rewarded appropriately. I've even gone as far as finding the manager for one or two special cases to make sure they know what a good job the person did. If I can afford to go out to eat, I can afford to make sure that everyone benefits.

My
49.gif
, FWIW.
 
We don't go out to eat much but when we do, I normally tip 20% for good service, 10% for bad/marginal, and somewhere in-between for everything else. I don't think I've ever had service that was so terrible that I didn't leave anything.

I'll tip significantly more if I'm killing time at a diner and have a bill that doesn't represent the amount of work required from the waitress. I'd feel pretty cheap if I tipped 20% on a $1.50 tab that required 5 or 6 coffee refills of the course of an hour.
 
Originally Posted By: Popinski
That's one of the few things I hate about America, TIPPING.


If there were no tipping, restaurants would have to pay their staff a fair wage and benefits instead of the peanuts they pay them now. That would raise menu prices significantly, so you would pay the same in any event. At least with tipping, a portion of the bill is left to our discretion, based on service. We don't have such discretion in most other services and products we buy.

We eat out a lot, like 3-5 times a week. At favorite, frequented restaurants where we know the owner and staff I often leave 25%+. Most other places I tip roughly 20% of the pre tax bill, rounded up or down based on service. When service is below par or at buffets, 10-15% is fine. There have been a few instances where I have left only a dollar or a note, but this is very rare. Most waiting staff work very hard, and anyone can have a bad day.

Service is also sometimes a function of culture. I find the Chinese are usually overly efficient and the meal feels rushed, and the waiters never seem to smile, but that's just their culture. Many middle eastern and southern European restaurants are very slow as they view the meal as longer process and allow privacy. In many cases they will not bring the check unless you ask as they see this as being rude. These cultural differences should not be held against the waiter.

Tom NJ
 
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
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.


I prefer to not have a waiting personnel hovering all over and bugging us. I much prefer when you call them when you need something.

As far as tipping when the service or the food is bad, I tip only 10% instead of my usual 20% of the full bill (food+tax).
 
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
I don't mess around with little hints and games like pennies left upside down, writing on plates with condiments, nickles in a water glass, etc... That stuff is ridiculous. Speak up if you are unhappy before leaving and tell someone why no tip is being left.


It's difficult to speak to anyone when the restaurant was devoid of all employees for 10 minutes straight. We spent 15+ minutes trying to get our waitress via the normal route (making eye contact, flagging her down, speaking up loudly, etc...) when she and every other worker seemingly vanished. I'm only going to waste so much of my time, and later I sent the Twisted Spoke a letter explaining our experience and dissatisfaction. No reply, of course.

We don't wait around so we can voice our dissatisfaction to a puppethead of a manager if none is available. If that is being ridiculous, then I am guilty as charged.

Just a few weeks ago we decided to go out to IHoP for breakfast. Restaurant was half empty and we were seated quickly... and there we sat for more than 10 minutes while other servers walked past our empty table again and again. Another booth was then seated right behind us and our section's server was right there to take their order. Well, that was our cue to leave! We got right up, told the server it was rude to ignore those that have been waiting and there were plenty of other places to eat that would gladly seat and serve us promptly. The poor waitress didn't know what to say except that she was on break... so on our way out, we said the same thing to the hostess (who was standing right next to the manager). Sorry, not my problem if the hostess is incompetent and seating people in your section while you're on break. Or if the other servers watching your section aren't doing so.

Just down the road we found a nice locally-owned, independent diner. Astoundingly better service, great food, better value for money and we've since been back once already (and we rarely eat out for breakfast). The service there deserves the 15 - 20% tips I have been leaving.

Pedantic homonym alert: the US coin is a 'nickel', as is the element Ni. A 'nickle' is a bird (woodpecker, I think?).
 
Originally Posted By: scurvy
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.


b68ogxm0Iev6evckxF5hQgMMo1_400.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
If the service is that bad I don't leave a tip.


+1 I might have done this a handful of times. Once, I got up to re-fill my own drink at a local restaurant. I waited 15 minutes and never saw the waitress. I complained to a manager when I paid and I believe she lost her job.

The BEST story I've ever heard is one of my great grandfather. He was extremely well known in central Florida around the Lake Placid and Sebring areas. He owned many service businesses and frequented a truck stop diner often. Once, while having a meal there, his cup went empty. People that knew him knew that he expected sweet iced tea at almost every meal and he would stop eating until it was refilled. Needless to say, the waitress was a slacker according to my grandmother who also worked there. My grandmother told the waitress that her "customer" was waiting on her and she sloughed it off. Some time later, my great grandfather just chucked his glass over his shoulder, ice and all, onto the floor shattering it. He got great service after that.

The story continues....

The NEXT DAY, my great grandfather and my grandfather drove to a job 30 MILES AWAY. Stopping in to eat at a local place, the first words out of the hostess' mouth were "We've heard about YOU and we're going to make sure you get a PITCHER."

News travels fast in small communities apparently.
 
My tips depend on the service....I never leave without leaving a tip. The very least I will leave is a dollar.

If service is bad, I inform the manager of the establishment.
 
Originally Posted By: 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.

Ditto
 
I think I only didn't leave a tip once.

It was at a Denny's in Amarillo.

It wasn't that busy, but the waitress was clearly ignoring us. Took about 30 minutes to get coffee, (and it was Denny's coffee...not worth waiting 30 minutes for) She said she would be, "...back in a minute to take our order."

We never saw her again.

We stopped another waitress who was walking by and she said, "This isn't my section." and walked away.

I tried to be patient but we had been there for an hour and had only received one cup of coffee. The other waitress wouldn't even refill our cups. Just walked by with the full carafe of coffee.

I finally decided that enough was enough and that we needed to be back on the road to Denver. I went to the manager. He asked me, "What do you want me to do about it?"
"I'm done. We just want to leave."
He charged me for the 2 cups of coffee.
No tip.




Cafe' Brazil in Ft Worth proved to be completely incapable of making a grilled cheese sandwich. It's supposed to be cheddar, asiago, feta, and monterrey jack with tomato and avocado.

Their first attempt had all the ingredients, but lacked the grilled aspect. It was a cold cheese sandwich.

So they took the sandwich I returned and stuck it in the salamander for awhile. Now it is a burned on top toast and cold cheese sandwich

Third attempt at the grilled cheese sandwich. And the words "grilled cheese" are important here. The kitchen staff put the CHEESES on the grill and placed the bread on top of it
33.gif

So now I have two warm slices of bread that are encrusted with burnt cheese.

When the waitress brings it to me, I take one look at it and ask her, "What is that?"
ever perky"Grilled Cheese!"
I send it back once again. Hear the kitchen staff yell in protest. The manager comes over to ask what is wrong.
I separate the slices of bread to reveal a warm slice of tomato and avocado. No cheese inside. " I'm afraid that's not a grilled cheese sandwich. (pointing at the burned cheese on the outside) I mean it's literally a grilled cheese, but that's not right."
He replied that he would have them make anything else for me.
"No thank you. I heard the screams from the kitchen and I am no longer confident of the lack of spit or other bodily fluids in my food."
To his credit, the manager comp'd the check for the whole table.
I left the waitress a $15.00 tip on what would have been about a $40.00 check. She was very nice throughout the whole ordeal. Besides, feeding 2 of the 3 adults and my kid on $15.00 is a bargain
 
I will give 15% for average service and more if good. 25% if service is VERY good.

Where I live, you can have every ethnic food there is, and every range of service from incredibly good to bat-brained horrible.

I love old fashioned American cafes like the Outpost near where Hwy 15 and Hwy 395 split close to Victorville. It has great service, usually by nice women in tight jeans.
 
In other countries, you don't tip and good service is expected. In America, you want to give good service because you want a tip.

In my opinion, it conditions people to be greedy.

Originally Posted By: 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.


Well, I shouldn't have said "always" because I've been to nice Chinese restaurants in New York City and received good service. I gave them a nice tip
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: 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.


What do you mean you worked for the government? You were a government employee with full benefits? If that's the case, then your whole benefits package was your tip!

When I grew up I worked in a brick yard. I very rarely received a tip; however, made a lot more base pay than my other highschool buddies who worked in restaurants.

I call people out like you who don't tip, "hey, you forgot something. Hey, hey, you forgot to tip!" People who get screwed usually feel a little better if they have at least one person to empathize with them.
 
Originally Posted By: bigmike
Originally Posted By: Chris142
If the service is that bad I don't leave a tip.


+1 I might have done this a handful of times. Once, I got up to re-fill my own drink at a local restaurant. I waited 15 minutes and never saw the waitress. I complained to a manager when I paid and I believe she lost her job.

The BEST story I've ever heard is one of my great grandfather. He was extremely well known in central Florida around the Lake Placid and Sebring areas. He owned many service businesses and frequented a truck stop diner often. Once, while having a meal there, his cup went empty. People that knew him knew that he expected sweet iced tea at almost every meal and he would stop eating until it was refilled. Needless to say, the waitress was a slacker according to my grandmother who also worked there. My grandmother told the waitress that her "customer" was waiting on her and she sloughed it off. Some time later, my great grandfather just chucked his glass over his shoulder, ice and all, onto the floor shattering it. He got great service after that.

The story continues....

The NEXT DAY, my great grandfather and my grandfather drove to a job 30 MILES AWAY. Stopping in to eat at a local place, the first words out of the hostess' mouth were "We've heard about YOU and we're going to make sure you get a PITCHER."

News travels fast in small communities apparently.


Haha! That's awesome!
 
Originally Posted By: scurvy
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
I don't mess around with little hints and games like pennies left upside down, writing on plates with condiments, nickles in a water glass, etc... That stuff is ridiculous. Speak up if you are unhappy before leaving and tell someone why no tip is being left.


It's difficult to speak to anyone when the restaurant was devoid of all employees for 10 minutes straight. We spent 15+ minutes trying to get our waitress via the normal route (making eye contact, flagging her down, speaking up loudly, etc...) when she and every other worker seemingly vanished. I'm only going to waste so much of my time, and later I sent the Twisted Spoke a letter explaining our experience and dissatisfaction. No reply, of course.

We don't wait around so we can voice our dissatisfaction to a puppethead of a manager if none is available. If that is being ridiculous, then I am guilty as charged.

Just a few weeks ago we decided to go out to IHoP for breakfast. Restaurant was half empty and we were seated quickly... and there we sat for more than 10 minutes while other servers walked past our empty table again and again. Another booth was then seated right behind us and our section's server was right there to take their order. Well, that was our cue to leave! We got right up, told the server it was rude to ignore those that have been waiting and there were plenty of other places to eat that would gladly seat and serve us promptly. The poor waitress didn't know what to say except that she was on break... so on our way out, we said the same thing to the hostess (who was standing right next to the manager). Sorry, not my problem if the hostess is incompetent and seating people in your section while you're on break. Or if the other servers watching your section aren't doing so.

Just down the road we found a nice locally-owned, independent diner. Astoundingly better service, great food, better value for money and we've since been back once already (and we rarely eat out for breakfast). The service there deserves the 15 - 20% tips I have been leaving.

Pedantic homonym alert: the US coin is a 'nickel', as is the element Ni. A 'nickle' is a bird (woodpecker, I think?).


OY! Exuse me for putting the E in the wrong place. No wonder you got bad service.
 
We tip 20% typically irrelevant to service.

On a side note if a restaurant is busy do you let them try and push you out or simply leave soon after finishing?

My wife/I seem to linger when not with our kids and slowly drink wine or coffee and ordering etc.
 
The reason US is a tipping nation is because the system we are used to is to underpay the waiters and ask the customers to tip them. The food in theory is cheaper (but in reality it depends on how much the restaurants charge).

Restaurants in other countries charge a bit more and tipping is usually just spare changes or a single digit percent if you are happy.
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: bigmike
Originally Posted By: Chris142
If the service is that bad I don't leave a tip.


+1 I might have done this a handful of times. Once, I got up to re-fill my own drink at a local restaurant. I waited 15 minutes and never saw the waitress. I complained to a manager when I paid and I believe she lost her job.

The BEST story I've ever heard is one of my great grandfather. He was extremely well known in central Florida around the Lake Placid and Sebring areas. He owned many service businesses and frequented a truck stop diner often. Once, while having a meal there, his cup went empty. People that knew him knew that he expected sweet iced tea at almost every meal and he would stop eating until it was refilled. Needless to say, the waitress was a slacker according to my grandmother who also worked there. My grandmother told the waitress that her "customer" was waiting on her and she sloughed it off. Some time later, my great grandfather just chucked his glass over his shoulder, ice and all, onto the floor shattering it. He got great service after that.

The story continues....

The NEXT DAY, my great grandfather and my grandfather drove to a job 30 MILES AWAY. Stopping in to eat at a local place, the first words out of the hostess' mouth were "We've heard about YOU and we're going to make sure you get a PITCHER."

News travels fast in small communities apparently.


Haha! That's awesome!


Awesome? Sounds like a tool to me. I'd make him pay for the glass he broke too. I wouldn't tollerate bad behavior in a man.
 
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