I did it for the first time ever tonight: it was a slow night at the restaurant, and one table of five yuppies kept me an extra half hour. I didn't mind - they were nice, and happy, and fun to talk to. Then, they left their tip. $15 on $150.
I couldn't believe it. So, on their way out, I actually said something: "Was there a problem with the service?" in my nicest voice. I was the manager on duty and I just felt like I had to do it. The last one stopped, apologized profusely, and explained that splitting up the check must had confused them. I don't totally buy it, but she left me $10 more while her friends waited outside. I felt sort of bad, because she sort of got stuck with it since she was the last out, but am glad I got some more money. It turned what would have been a horrible night into just a mediocre one.
I head out of town tomorrow. It's been a hard week at school - grades are due, lessons feel too day-by-day, and I'm at the point in my grading where I feel like I am just shifting papers from one pile to the next, that I'm so far behind that I don't even want to start. Tuesday is Election Day, and I'll be back, and there's no school, and I'll probably head into the school and get all my grading done then.
24-Hour Assholery
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“Funny” if you’re from Bakersfield or Tucumcari or East Hartford and you
recognize these smug, clueless smoothies because you know them from work or
whatev...
1 hour ago
7 comments:
Time to quit the job when you're doing that. $15.00 isn't enough but it's beneath you to chase after and insult your customers. Just my opinion.
Totally disagree. I actually like waiting tables, and I didn't insult the customers (though they deserved it).
Hey now anonymous! He deserved the money. He wasn't insulting them... he was just asking them if the service was bad!
OK, OK, you guys win. Maybe that's the way it's done. I haven't waited tables for ten years. As a customer though, I just wouldn't go back to a restaurant where the waiter followed me out asking if the service was bad, knowing the question was just a way of saying he/she thought my tip was not enough. It's never happened to me but I wouldn't go back to a place like that.
Actually, it has happened to me. A few years ago, I was at dinner in an asian restaurant with a couple friends. We had been there, maybe twice before. Not memorable experiences, but we'd tipped well, and the place worked in pinch. The service there was never great, but that night it was terrible -- they never came to check by, except once to try to hustle us shortly after we received our food ("done yet?"), and then we practically had to beg to get them to come around with water. It's not as though the restuarant was packed either.
We left 15%. Frankly, I felt it was more than fair, given the experience.
As we left, the waiter follows us out, asking if there had been a problem. As I recall, we basically said we thought the service had been okay, but not superb. The waiter looked annoyed.
And we never returned. And we still remember that about the restaurant, and have shared the story a couple of times when the place came up.
Sounds like maybe it was more appropriate in Epiph's situation. But just saying.
Another perspective: in my times telling this story since Thursday, I happened upon a friend whose father had the same thing happen.
Service was great, he accidentally left a bad tip, and the host asked him if there was a problem with the service. According to the friend, the dad was thankful and probably would have realized when he got home, so the host saved him embarassment for that night and for future visits. He goes back all the time.
I'd never do it for 15%, of course. It was that this table had been so nice and happy, and left 10% and stayed until after closing. I just had to say something. Honestly, they might have been offended, and they might not come back - I don't think either is true, though, they were really apologetic - but you've got to weigh the pros with the cons. It was a risk I was (obviously) willing to take. Frankly, I don't want to be a courteous, friendly, and reliable waiter to a table who gives me an offensive 10% tip, either, so if they meant to do that, and were offended, then I don't mind them not coming back.
The tricky part about tipping is that the labor is done before the price is named. It's not like Epiph (waiter Epiph, not teacher Epiph whom I like better) can deny you service before you sit down because he knows you're going to stiff him. He only knows that you are going to tip badly after he's performed the service for you.
So I think it's totally OK that you (Epiph) asked the party if the service was OK, because if you would have known that they would have tipped you badly in the first place (on purpose, no less), you would have refused your services.
All that said, being a waiter must suck some times.
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