Am I wrong? It was my understanding the servers in restaurants worked for tips. It was also my understanding that restaurants, at least most of the “non-attitude as a theme” places, survived not just on food, but on customer service. Most people want to enjoy their dining experience regardless of how casual the environment may be. Is this correct? Am I crazy?
Why then do I find myself gushing over someone when they offer exemplery service? It is as if they are doing me the favor of a lifetime! Of course, it is expected at our finest restaurants, so it is not surprising in that environment.
Seriously though, I have found myself walking out of a coffee shop, deli or anywhere for that matter beaming with delight if someone is exceptionally pleasant. Has this happened to you? What is this world coming to, I ask you?
Here’s the other trap we have recently found ourselves falling into fairly often. Since the standard tip has become 20% for good service, if we receive excellent service in an average restaurant, we find ourselves leaving far above 20%! What has happened is that when we get the service we deserve, and should receive ALL of the time, we are now overpaying for it with such extortionate gratuites.
Trust me, I was in the restaurant business for many years myself. I am not saying that great service does not deserve a great tip, or that when someone has extraordinary circumstances to overcome in order to provide said great service, that extra gratuity is not warranted. My point is that just bringing extra napkins with the buffalo wings and refilling drinks without being asked should not evoke a 25% or even 30% gratuity and yet, it does. That’s a lot of cash and it adds up quickly.
So, what set me off on this tangent this week? Funny you should ask….
So much to say, so little time! We begin with a casual pub, in an unfamiliar town, that appears to be overflowing with people and seems to be the source of the delightful aromas waffing through the air. Okay, so the interior was pure dive bar, but hey, there are plenty of great places that are dives, right? Okay, so the waitress (is that a politically incorrect term now? She really cannot be elevated to “server,” sorry.) is a fright. Yes, I said a fright, just like Linsay Lohan in the Parent Trap with the British accent and all! But, we were fine with all of that because, afterall, she took our drink order within a few minutes.
I wish I knew how to have the Jeapordy theme music play now….
becauuuseee that’s what it felt like waiting for those drinks to arrive! Brutal. By the way, the overflow of people that we saw, and heard upon arrival were from upstairs where a band was playing and food was not being served. Downstairs, where we were seated, there were 3 other tables eating dinner.
The drinks arrive and we are ready to order. NOPE! She’s gone. Oh good…
When she finally returns, after our 1st beers are nearly drained, we proceed to order. My spouse: “I’ll have the…” NOPE! “We’re out of that.” OK. “Then I’ll have the…” NOPE! “We’re out of that too, in fact, we don’t have x, y or z……either.” OK
Finally there was a menu option available. He ordered an appetizer and his entree. Our two other dinner companions ordered and when it was my turn, I ordered wings and a burger. Not too difficult.
This is where I need the music again…
It was a Saturday night and college football was on every possible station, and yet, on the 4 large TVs, was woman’s volleyball. OK. One of our crew decides to do something about this since we have an 80″ screen near us and no one else is seated in the vicinity. As he approaches the TV, he stops to ask our waitress if it is okay to change the channel. She SNAPS at him, “Do whatever you want!” OK. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, she did have two other tables to take care of….
More music please…
Where the hell are those appetizers? Weird that they haven’t arrived because one member of our party has received her chips and salsa, which we have now all devoured, since the music is still playing in our heads waiting for our food. What’s that you ask? Did we flag her down and ask where the food was and why it was taking so long? Well, as large as she might have been, she was barely visible as she flew past our table on occasion.
I knew what was happening at this point. Yep, you guessed it! Here she finally comes with everything at once. So, I say to her, “We would have liked the appetizers first.” Can you guess her reply? Can you? Huh?
“You didn’t say that.”
OK.
So, here are my many issues. How can you own a restaurant and think it is acceptable to be out of half of your menu items at 7PM on a Saturday night? How can you own a restaurant and have an absolute train wreck in the front of the house as the person that represents you to your guests? How can you be a waitress and be rude to your guests when you are working for tips? And the biggest one of all, how can you be a waitress and not understand that appetizers are served before entrees?
Really?
Now here’s the big dilemma and we need you to weigh in on this! When you have bad service you should not leave a great tip, correct? Correct. So, lets just say you leave 10%. Does that really show that the service was bad or does it simply make you look cheap and uneducated on gratuity etiquette? Are you better off leaving the symbolic penny? If you believe so, do you have the guts to actually do it?
I didn’t pay the bill that night, but was told that we left just under 10% or $9 and change on a $111.00 check. I have had this nagging feeling ever since that train wreck girl just thought we were cheap!
I personally have never left a penny, but that’s not to say I never would. It all depends on many things and really what makes you comfortable. And if I did leave a penny, I’d be sure to exit quickly. I’ve seen pennies thrown back at customers! Poor service definitely deserves poor tips, that’s the only way they will get it. Today, tips seem expected and taken for granted.(Tip jars everywhere) Very rarely do I see someone go that extra mile and when I do I make sure I tip good and personally tell them.Let me throw out one more thing, if service is bad and/or consistently bad, management/ownership should be made aware.They may not ever know that they are losing customers.
I personally have never left a penny, but that’s not to say I never would. It all depends on many things and really what makes you comfortable. And if I did leave a penny, I’d be sure to exit quickly. I’ve seen pennies thrown back at customers! Poor service definitely deserves poor tips, that’s the only way they will get it. Today, tips seem expected and taken for granted.(Tip jars everywhere) Very rarely do I see someone go that extra mile and when I do I make sure I tip good and personally tell them.Let me throw out one more thing, if service is bad and/or consistently bad, management/ownership should be made aware.They may not ever know that they are losing customers.