What causes you to NOT TIP at a restaurant/bar? (husband, person)
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I went out to two restaurants last night. I frequent the first at least once every other week, sometimes weekly or even twice a week, and received prompt, friendly service, and tipped accordingly. I went to the second establishment to grab a quick beer and was in the bar area on my cell phone, and the server told me to "keep it quiet." I don't think I was excessively loud and wasn't cursing, being rude, etc. I thought he was very rude and left without tipping. I can't remember the last time I was so irritated at the service that I didn't tip.
In all my years, I can count on one hand the number of times that I didn't leave a tip.
Once was when we went to Pizza Hut because our daughter got a coupon for a free small pizza as part of a reading program. The server took our order, then we waited...and waited. Meanwhile, people who came in after us got their food and our server didn't even check up on us. When she finally did, we gave her an earful. She didn't say a word but then the manager came to the table. He said that one of their pizza ovens was broken that's why it was taking so long. To which I asked, why didn't the server notify us of this? At least we would have had an explanation. I told him he needs to let everybody know this.
Another time was when we went to a Chinese restaurant that had a buffet and Mongolian grill. We were one of five tables seated. There was one waiter who ignored us the whole time. The only one who paid attention to us was the person who filled water glasses. We approached the manager and said no waiter came to our table. What do you want to drink, he asked. We said hot tea. He said he would bring it---never did. When we left, we told him we weren't coming back. I later found out that my husband left a $1 tip after we agreed to not tip. We kept our word and never returned.
The reason I remember these experiences is that, for us, encountering bad service is so very rare.
As for your experience---was the bar supposed to be quiet? Perhaps the manager told the server to say that to you. Did you speak to the manager? The times we didn't tip, we always let a manager know why.
I went out to two restaurants last night. I frequent the first at least once every other week, sometimes weekly or even twice a week, and received prompt, friendly service, and tipped accordingly. I went to the second establishment to grab a quick beer and was in the bar area on my cell phone, and the server told me to "keep it quiet." I don't think I was excessively loud and wasn't cursing, being rude, etc. I thought he was very rude and left without tipping. I can't remember the last time I was so irritated at the service that I didn't tip.
What makes you want to not tip?
I've never received service so poor that it warranted no tip. With that said, the server probably has seen his/her fair share of cellphone users who 'park' themselves at the bar and, because they must think that they're in a bubble, disrupt the ambiance of the bar with their cellphone chatter. The server may have figured that you were on of them.
I've never received service so poor that it warranted no tip. With that said, the server probably has seen his/her fair share of cellphone users who 'park' themselves at the bar and, because they must think that they're in a bubble, disrupt the ambiance of the bar with their cellphone chatter. The server may have figured that you were on of them.
[totally understandable]
I'm the same way, I've never not tipped. There are very few times I left less than a normal amount. One was at Atlanta airport at a dinerish cafe for breakfast...the waiter brought my toast out by itself, and said "your eggs will be out in a few minutes" You can't bring the eggs and toast out several minutes apart, what am I supposed to do, eat it without the eggs, or let it get cold waiting for the eggs?
The other time was also breakfast, maybe I shouldn't go out for breakfast anymore? I ordered cold cereal, and I saw the waitress pour the milk in it while she was still behind the counter, then let it sit while she got a counter customer a coffee, then served it. I don't like my cereal soggy, serve the milk on the side. To me anyone who has ever even just eaten cereal let alone serves it should know this, it's Cereal 101.
OP, are you absolutely sure no one asked her to say this, or could she have noticed another customer or her manager looking annoyed? I ask because people DO tend to talk loudly on cell phones for some reason, much louder than if we were talking to someone next to us. I catch myself doing it, I don't know why it happens, it just does, and we are in the wrong when we do this in places where it might disturb others. I'm just saying, if you were talking loudly and unaware of it and were just embarrassed when it was pointed out to you, to me that is a poor reason not to tip, JMO.
[quote=Emigrations;38715541]I went out to two restaurants last night. I frequent the first at least once every other week, sometimes weekly or even twice a week, and received prompt, friendly service, and tipped accordingly. I went to the second establishment to grab a quick beer and was in the bar area on my cell phone, and the server told me to "keep it quiet." I don't think I was excessively loud and wasn't cursing, being rude, etc. I thought he was very rude and left without tipping. I can't remember the last time I was so irritated at the service that I didn't tip.
What makes you want to not tip?[/quote]
Really bad service and especially if there's no excuse for it. As an ex-server of many years I am more than aware of how it is in restaurants. If I get slow service I take into account how busy the place is, whether the servers are hustling or just meandering and taking their time. On the one hand I am very picky about service but on the other hand I can sympathize with them if warranted. I can't remember never leaving a tip but I have left a smaller one than I would have if service had been better.
I always tip, no matter what the situation. I have known friends of my son when he was in college who were waiters and waitresses. It is a thankless job and many times servers are stiffed on tabs and undertipped when they have worked hard. My tip starts out at 20%, if it is bad or so so service I move the tip down to 15% but no lower. I just won't no tip or undertip no matter the circumstance.
I've left roughly 17 to 20%, usually just doing the math in my head and then rounding up. Usually I'm understanding of the woes of the industry. Unfortunately, with all this tipping, I've cut my restaurant expenses down to a quarter of what I used to do, so in a way, you can say I tip much less now Or, I go to places without being waited on so I can avoid the tip in the first place.
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Or, I go to places without being waited on so I can avoid the tip in the first place.