Annoying restaurant experience

[R.A.D]

I was in this little sushi place in Manhattan for lunch today with 3 colleagues from work. The bill came and 2 people put in cash and I said I'd put the rest on my card. The time comes to sign and I usually just double the tax amount to give a tip but this time I really wasn't thinking and I wrote down what the tax amount was. The waitress then comes back with the bill and tells me the tips isn't enough and I have to leave 15%. At first I was apologetic and then I became irritated when I left.

I don't ordinarily care about this sort of stuff because I usually give a generous tip but I was under the impression that the tip portion of your bill was voluntary and that whatever was given should suffice.

I just thought it was really rude to basically demand a tip.

There will be probably a lot of people who will disagree with me but I just had to let that out because it really annoyed me.

 

[RichGem]

That's just plain rude of her. Penny in the water glass time, if you ask me.

 

[Spivey]

Springs1? Is that you?

Seriously, though: I have always been under the same impression. The only time I've seen a compulsory tip is with a large group.

At the resent Austin Phamily Pho Phest (B&B Meetup), one of our group was charged twice! His lady-friend had to leave early and she paid their tab. One hour later, when the rest of us left ( ), he paid, too!

Your situation is completely different, though.

 

[mretzloff]

That was rude. You are in the right. Did you speak with her manager?

 

[sol92258]

I was in this little sushi place in Manhattan for lunch today with 3 colleagues from work. The bill came and 2 people put in cash and I said I'd put the rest on my card. The time comes to sign and I usually just double the tax amount to give a tip but this time I really wasn't thinking and I wrote down what the tax amount was. The waitress then comes back with the bill and tells me the tips isn't enough and I have to leave 15%. At first I was apologetic and then I became irritated when I left.

I don't ordinarily care about this sort of stuff because I usually give a generous tip but I was under the impression that the tip portion of your bill was voluntary and that whatever was given should suffice.

I just thought it was really rude to basically demand a tip.

There will be probably a lot of people who will disagree with me but I just had to let that out because it really annoyed me.

sometimes places specify certain rules about gratuities, like 15% automatically added for parties of 7 or more, etc.
otherwise, yes, IMO they're completely voluntary, and my response might have been "let me correct that then" and then leave no tip.

but then, I'm not Springs1.....

 

[Robxcarlson]

Tips are always voluntary unless the restaurant policy states otherwise on the menu (such as for a party of 8 or more) - but if it were mandatory, it would've been included on the bill. The waitress was acting in very poor taste and I think her manager should be told about your experience. She might be running off customers with that behavior.

In a lot of places, waitstaff only make $2 an hour plus their tips, but they're never allowed to demand tips, or to complain within earshot of customers about being stiffed - it's just rude.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Was she confrontational, or did she just inquire as to whether you had made a mistake?

 

[TonyH]

Springs1? Is that you?

Seriously, though: I have always been under the same impression. The only time I've seen a compulsory tip is with a large group.

At the resent Austin Phamily Pho Phest (B&B Meetup), one of our group was charged twice! His lady-friend had to leave early and she paid their tab. One hour later, when the rest of us left ( ), he paid, too!

Your situation is completely different, though.

Resent is right!

 

[73mountaineer]

+1 on everything above!

Even though it was an accident that you didn't leave what is customary, or even what you intended, tips are a gratuity, based on service, and in no way mandatory unless automatically added for specific reasons as mentioned above.

There is a reason that the customer is the one who fills in that little blank section of the check, "tip" or "gratuity".

You could talk to her manager on principal, but unless it is more than you would have left her anyway, it's probably more trouble than it is worth.

Odd thing though, most restaurants that I go to don't pick up the signature copy of the receipt until after we leave. She took it while you were still sitting there? Maybe it is different there than what I am used to, but normally the wait staff won't even see the tip until after I have departed.

 

[RichGem]

+1 on everything above!

Even though it was an accident that you didn't leave what is customary, or even what you intended, tips are a gratuity, based on service, and in no way mandatory unless automatically added for specific reasons as mentioned above.

There is a reason that the customer is the one who fills in that little blank section of the check, "tip" or "gratuity".

You could talk to her manager on principal, but unless it is more than you would have left her anyway, it's probably more trouble than it is worth.

Odd thing though, most restaurants that I go to don't pick up the signature copy of the receipt until after we leave. She took it while you were still sitting there? Maybe it is different there than what I am used to, but normally the wait staff won't even see the tip until after I have departed.

Not to go slightly OT, but I make it a point to hand over the signed copy to the waiter staff or manager... security paranoia, I suppose (altho not yet every place obscures your full CC number). But, on the up side, it can be effective at place where I want them to remember me.

 

[maxman]

I'd have given her nothing and made a point of telling her that.
If it's a store policy then that's between her and the management.

I only agree with set amounts for over 7 people. I have served in restaurants before as have many of you. There are good reasons for automatically adding tips for big groups.

really though, If it is a store policy, ask to see where it is written for the customer to see.

 

[R.A.D]

Was she confrontational, or did she just inquire as to whether you had made a mistake?

She was confrontational, she told me plainly that it wasn't enough and that I "had" to leave 15%.

 

[R.A.D]

That was rude. You are in the right. Did you speak with her manager?

I never spoke to her manager but I have decided I won't be going there again.

 

[nole1]

She was confrontational, she told me plainly that it wasn't enough and that I "had" to leave 15%.

This same sort of situation happened to me one time. I took the receipt back from them and asked the manager if they could print me a new receipt. When they did I gave them $0.01 as a tip. I didn't care if the bar staff and their busers/runners are mad at the server due to tip sharing. I made sure to tell the manager why they were getting the tip too.

I used to be a waiter. I know how much getting a short tip sucks. I would never demand a higher tip from a customer.

 

[sol92258]

She was confrontational, she told me plainly that it wasn't enough and that I "had" to leave 15%.

being it was a sushi place, it was at that point I may have started throwing sea creatures....

 

[Doc4]

To the best of my knowledge, tips are expected but discretional throughout north america. A canadian restaurant a couple years ago caught a lot of flak when it tried to impose a built-in tip (claiming that most of its customers were from Europe who assumed the tip was built in, and wouldn't tip ... of course they didn't do a good job of allerting their domestic customers of the policy, and they tipped again ... and got mad afterwards when they realised ... )

The proper % for decent service when I was growing up was 10% ... now it appears to be 15% in many people's minds. But a waitress demanding a tip, or a specific amount ... oh, I'd go Springs1 on her in a flash.

She was confrontational, she told me plainly that it wasn't enough and that I "had" to leave 15%.

Paying up may have been the safe move.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxZt4Kxj2cE&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Fortitudo Dei]

Different system over here. Restaurant staff are paid a half-decent wage (the starting wage for someone waiting tables aged 18-20 would be around $14 per hour) and tips are NEVER expected and are certainly not compulsory. We have no real tipping culture of any kind (the downside being that we are sometimes accused of being "tight" when travelling overseas. We aren’t - it's just that we have little knowledge as to what is expected).

 

[_JP_]

The part of all this that gets me is that the tip was paid before the bill was rung up. Or did she pick up the signed receipt before you left? Either way, that was not standard operating procedure for settling the check. And I think that you should phone the place and explain why you won't be back.

 

[Spivey]

Resent is right!

Whoops!

 

[Go West Young Man]

She was confrontational, she told me plainly that it wasn't enough and that I "had" to leave 15%.

Gotcha. That's completely over the line.