We went to the Roadhouse for lunch, as is our custom two or three times a month. We’re frequent diners there. We know most staff members by face — some by name. I’ve written before about my affection for the place, particularly the greeter, whom I adore.
Then, yesterday, our waitress appeared, took our drink orders, plopped down our drinks, promised us hot yeast rolls …
… and fell off the face of the Earth. She just vanished. The rolls never came. After a long wait, someone from the kitchen carried our plates out to us. No one checked on us after that. Drinks were never refilled.
And then, as if she had been with us all along, our waitress reappeared — to plop the check on our table without so much as a “Thanks for Coming By.” She ignored Clyde’s empty tea glass. She didn’t ask if I wanted dessert.
I got out my credit card to pay. I waited. I waited. I waited some more. Once again, our waitress had vanished.
Finally, we pulled out exact change for the bill — no tip — and left.
We left without tipping a cent.
I think we were justified in doing so … but would enjoy hearing your opinion. In a situation like this one, what’s appropriate?
I’m all for not leaving a tip if the service is bad. That is the reason you tip in the first place, to let your servers know their work was appreciated. Growing up my parents would leave one penny if they had bad service. When I got old enough to realize what they were doing I asked. They told me if you leave a penny it is obvious that you didn’t just forget to tip, you tipped that low to make a point.
I would also mention something to the manager, especially since it’s a place you normally enjoy going to. There’s no excuse for bad service…let alone NO service at all!
I’m all for the no-tipping thing…she did all but BEG for that. But I’d go further…write a letter to the manager, in a tone of sorrow, explaining that as frequent customers you were ESPECIALLY disappointed…I’ll be you get a phone call & possibly a free meal…if you don’t get some kind of personal response, I’d think twice about going back!
I think I visited that same restaurant a year or so ago, except then it was called O’Charleys and it was located in Gardendale, Alabama! I was sure our waitress had either quit her job or fallen victim to some manner of foul play after taking our order, but she too reappeared an hour and a half later to leave our check. (Like you, our meals were delivered by someone from the kitchen about an hour following our order.) When I cracked, “It sure took those hamburgers a long time to cook,” our prodigal waitress acted as if she had no idea what I was talking about. Needless to say, I saved the four or five dollars I had previously alloted for our tip. (Lest anyone think the worst of me, I am generally a very generous tipper who very much enjoys an attentive and friendly waiter / waitress. Also, having worked in situations in which I was largely “invisible,” I go out of my way to let other potentially “invisible” people know that I see them and appreciate them.)
Like most of you guys, I really pride myself on being a great tipper — when tippin’ is due.
I’m really really tired of every behind-the-counter worker (even the cashiers at the local Quick Mart!) hanging out tip cups … but when a waiter or waitress goes out of his or her way for me, I notice and appreciate it.
(Heck, these days, even if a waitperson just keeps my tea full, I put ’em in the will.)
Always always tip for the service you recieved. My first night waiting tables, I completely forgot about a table. Their meal was, of course, comped, and the manager explained that it was “my first day”. That sweet couple tipped me $5 anyway and I ran after them to give it back. No server can expect to be paid for work they didn’t do. I would definitely let the manager know as well. Pick a great server and ask for them when you go in. You may not be seated in their section or they may not be working, but that alerts whoever is serving you that you notice good service. Or bad service as the case may be.
Um. Don’t forget that some places POOL TIPS and you may have just left a $0 tip for a great waitress/er. Having a brother and sister-in-law in the biz and working in the biz for a number of years…Best thing to do: Get the manager, ask how tips are distributed, then comment, then leave nothing. The annoying task of seeing the manager will at least put the pressure on the RIGHT person. You can bet your waitresses story is “Can you believe those to #@$@#@# guys, I bust my ass around here and they scuttled out the back.” Not true, but you will have no rebuttal and the manager will continue guessing who is draggin the tip average down.Food for thought.
I think tipping, as a practice, should be abolished. Service is better in countries where tipping is not a way of life, and I’m weary of being positioned as the person who must compensate for an employer’s failure to pay his workers a fair wage.
Given that the abolition of tipping isn’t likely to happen any time soon,I’d say waiters and waitresses worth their salt should refuse to work for restaurants that pool tips. Talk about a way to make a bad system worse!
I’d also say there are two problems with a manager who must “continue guessing who is draggin the tip average down.”
First, if he’s having to guess, he needs to be fired. As a manager, it’s his job to know who is performing and who isn’t by means of direct observation.
Second, the tip average had better not be the index he’s using to gauge adequate performance. A restaurant manager should be on the floor, talking to customers, observing the waitstaff’s performance, and providing them feedback on how to improve service.
Just my .02.