Derek Jeter, Bad Mexican, and the Surprise Omelet

Hi,

I live in Singapore where most places charge a mandatory 10% service charge. If the service is exceptional, I do leave tips over and above the 10%. However, the service charge usually translates into awful service coz the waitstaff know they’re getting paid anyway.

Went out to a fairly ritzy eating place, just wanted to have a bite with colleagues before heading to a meeting an hour later. We TOLD the server that we had to leave in an hour. Given it was mid-afternoon, the place was empty other than us and another couple.

We ordered a salad and roast chicken, but 40 minutes later, the food hadn’t arrived. Asked repeatedly, even reminded the server we were in a hurry, the server kept saying, ‘It’s coming’. Finally, we gave up and walked out. Told the manager to cancel our order, she said, Oh but the salad is ready, you didn’t say you wanted it immediately.’

We refused to pay for it, but she then insisted that we’d have to pay for the drinks. So we paid, but refused to pay for the service charge.

Don’t see why I should pay for something that I never received, including service.

Well, I norally leave a tip even when the service is questionable – about 20%. Once at olive garden my son just got leave for a week from Iraq in dec. He asked the waiter for a discount because he was in the military. the waiter got the manager and the manager looked at the military ID card and asked my son if it was real. He answered in the afirmative with astonishment and some embarrasment. I pulled the manager to the side (because people overheard the comment from the manager) and asked him to honor a discount for him and I’ll pay the full price for the other 3 meals -just 10% (about 2.50) would be fine. He said it isnt policy of olive garden to give military discounts. So, he in essence, said he embarrassed my son for no reason since they dont give discounts anyway. Idiot.
Im not a pro-war person myself but I have respect for 19 year olds that join the military during a war (year 2005) and risk there lifes with the idea that theyre protecting America.
Anyway, we spent over $100.00 there that day, gave no tip, and will never ever go back there again. We used to eat there at least once a month.
Some people just dont know how to handle things and this was a prime example in my opinion.

Coming from Australia we aren’t normally ‘tipper”, like the US. So not tipping occurs more often without a second thought so not leaving a tip doesn’t really have an effect
However I have always tipped traveling OS.
I assume even though the service might be bad I put it down to we are all humans and have bad days. Just the size of the tip will vary.

Yes – I have done just that. My husband and I went to a Ryan’s several years ago and since we were short on cash asked the cashier for cash to leave for the waitress. Well I guess the first mistake was putting it on the table for her to see. Because she never once asked if we wanted a refill on our drinks or anything else for that matter. She was talking with a friend at another table where we could see her and having a good ole time. I told my husband to remove part of the money since I knew she was ignoring us not once but a couple of times and when her friend noticed what I was doing, I overheard her tell her that she was losing her tip and she proceeds to tell her friend “she didn’t care” so I told my husband to remove all of the tip – he fought me at first but since I was right he complied since he knew I was not happy. If she had not had such a bad attitude about it – I probably would have left a dollar or so – but no way after that.

If you don’t get what you asked for you should call the waiter over and tell him.
As to no tip that depends….if the waiter was swamped and apologized, I would tip normally. If the waiter was just a slug…under a dollar in small change tells it better than no tip. No tip might just indicate that you are cheap.

from a bartender of 24+ years

no, i never leave without tipping.
even if service is terrible, as an ex server/bartender i’m aware of the fact that at the end of the day the staff have to tip out to kitchen and bar a percantage based on their sales. (so if you sold $1000 and have to tip out 5%, but only made $75 bucks in total in tips, you end up with only 25 to take home)
if the service is bad, i tip 10-15% (it will make most servers feel like shit)
if the service is good, i’ll dish out anywhere between 20-30%.

i never used to follow this logic untill i worked in the industry myself.
its one of the toughest jobs, serving people all day. and even though your job is your job and youre supposed to perform well, after all that’s what you’re getting paid for, we all have our days.
so i try to be sympathetic.
instead, along with a tip (when the service is very bad, or very good), i make sure and let the manger know, on top of that i will also let the head office know, and write a review on a site such as yelp. (to which i turn for suggestions on where to dine).

we are all human, and sometimes you dont realize how bad of a service you give (unless you’re just a crappy server all around) just like you might not realize what type of junk you put in your body and how it will affect you in the long run.

ps: i love mexican food and am still in search of THE perfect tex mex stop.
we have “Fernando’s Hideaway” here in Toronto and its the most bland food i’ve ever tasted. bah.!

pps: no beer… i would have prob left 5%, just to cover his “end of day tip out” for my meal.

The waitress was a loser and the food was to

Being a bartender for the better part of a decade, I have never stiffed a server. However, I have had some service that made me think about it…Sometimes, bad service can’t be helped (short-staffed, broken kitchen or bar equipment, etc), but sometimes it can. I think that servers, in general, are getting lazier as the years go on, especially the younger generation. So, eventhough I don’t do it, I understand why someone would stiff a server. BUT if you are going to truly assess a servers ability and reflect that in the tip, make sure you leave an appropriate amount for the GOOD service you receive as well.

Ordered French Onion Soup one time – out comes a bowl of broth with a slice of american cheese thrown on top – ugh and also ordered a NY Strip during the same visit (my mistake on both counts) and thought it was a catchers mitt – no tip there!!

I ate breakfast at a restuarant in Silverton, CO. Food was OK but service was slow. I had to wait 20 minutes for the check, even after walking over to the cash register it took the waitress 5 minutes to notice me. I usually tip close to 20% but not at this place. So, no tip there.

Hi Joel,
Must be something to do with Mexican, a few years back I took my wife & 2 children to Disneyland in Anaheim. Very close there was a Mex food restaurant.

After walking around all day the troops were hungry so we tried it out.

We shouldn`t have the service was atrocious and the food not much better.

We explained our dis pleasure, didn`t tip the waiter and left.
He followed us across the car park screaming and yelling foul abuse until I did a U turn and went to approach him face to face ( as Aussies do).and gave him a TIP “Go Home and get some manners”

During the entire trip through the States we tipped at or above the mandatory 10-15 % and really enjoyed ourselves thanks to the many great people. it`s a pity to have this memory so vividly entrenched.

Cheers, Colin P. Australia

Not very often, and I generally leave about 20%. I don’t typically penalize the server if I don’t like the restaurant generally or if the food is not to my taste. However, I don’t appreciate having the server get my order wrong, or leaving hot food to get cold, or bad manners.

One time I was in an all female group out for lunch just before Christmas. Sure, the place was crowded. But the female server waited over an hour to take our orders, while flirting with the all male table nearby. She never brought the drinks, and it took nearly an additional hour to get the food. There wasn’t even the courtesy of an “I’m sorry.” Not only did I not leave a tip, but I wrote the reasons why on the check.

My dad, who was very wise about a lot of things, always said a tip was for good service — in the future! But needless to say, I never went back to that place, so it’s irrelevant.

I like your omelette recipe. I usually just scramble the salsa in with the egg before it goes on the pan. That way everything is hot when you eat it.

Here in the Middle East, 15% “Service Charge” is added automatically to the bill in most places so unless the service is spectacular (not often), I seldom leave an additional tip. There’s one place we regularly go to where we’re on a first name basis with the manager and he takes the service charge off – it’s a nice gesture and he always takes care of us so I’ll add 20% or more back onto the bill (I guess, that’s what he’s expecting and I don’t mind – it’s always a good experience eating there!)

I know it’s different in the US and I guess I’ve been lucky and have always received good service wherever I’ve been and so I’m quite happy to add on 20% to the bill. I don’t think I’ve ever not left a tip at a restaurant in the US…

If the food order is wrong, takes a long time, and is absolutely horrible and the service just as bad (including not caring about the food situation), you must leave a coin to make sure that the server realizes the distastefulness of the experience and not think that you forgot to leave a tip. Any coin will do: a penny or nickel or dime or quarter. If the server leaves a smiley face on the bill, it’s appropriate to cross it out and replace it with a frown. Yes, I have done it before.

That’s what you get for ordering any kind of Corona. Worst beer Mexican beer they make.

I probably have chosen to NOT tip a few times. I will not tip for two reasons. One would be awful food. That is rare but has occurred (think TGI Fridays in King of Prussia, PA). The other reason is rarer and that is if the server is RUDE. The now defunct Pizzeria Uno in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania earned that. DONT BE A WAITER IF YOU ARE RUDE!!!! I wasn’t rude to her. We treated her with dignity, friendliness, and respect. I feel bad that they don’t make much but I would LOVE a job where I knew I had 15% of a sizeable bill coming regardless of whether or not the server was good or not. Besides there is NO INCENTIVE to be excellent at anything if you get the same pay regardless of character, enthusiasm and demeanor. That’s been tried before. It’s called communism and it doesn’t work. Also called the US Postal Service.

Only once. Despite having very high standards, I generally over tip as I have been on the tip receiving side. For me not to leave anything though, the service had to be a perfect storm very bad service.

I definatley believe in not tipping bad service.I went to a Mexican resturant with my fiance whom was American-Mexican and had a very bad experience.First the waiter was slow,and then spoke to me in spanish and my fiance in english,,not sure why. I was eating refried beans when I bite on a small stone about breaking a tooth.I say about because it really hurt. Called over the waiter and showed him the rock.He took it and said he was sorry, they try to remove them first. Suggested I examine the beans before each bite.
My fiance was really put off by his nonchalant attitude and then it happened. She found a hair in her food. To make matters worse, it was a curly one. She got up and left leaving me to deal with it. I was told the beans have stones from harvest and that is normal…I am a nice guy and paid but with no tip. My fiance was almost sick from the thought of that hair. We never returned to that popular resturant.
I have left no tip or two cents along with a small note as to where they failed to earn a prpoer tip. It should always be left up to the customer how much to pay.It goes with the job, I used to bar tend and the same went there. I treated people well and they reciprocated in a fair manner.

Having been a teacher, I talk to the waiter or waitress. I certainly wouldn’t have sat thru a meal waiting for my beverage and THEN complain. I would respectfully get their attention or that of another waitperson and say, “I know you are very busy, but, I really need my _______ to enjoy the rest of the meal.” If that didn’t get service, I would then talk to the manager. The problem with not leaving a tip is that now most restaurants pool the tips and you wouldn’t just be shorting the bad waiter, but, the others who share and depend on those tips and had done their jobs properly.

The thing that really bugs me is when the place adds an automatic 18-20% tip because you have a larger party. I can certainly understand them doing it, but then the service needs to be there. We were and tgi’s and they did this to us. We had over 8 people and we waited at least 20 min. to even find out if we were getting a waitress, then it took them another 20 for the drinks and an hour for dinner, mine being only soup and salad. To top it off we had 3 little ones and they were starving, trying to eat the sugar packets! Really upsetting!!! And the food wasn’t even very good when it did come. I think that automatic tip should be negated under those circumstances. I hate to say it, but we won’t be going back because of that.

In the USA servers pay taxes as if they receive 10% on each bill. So the lowest tip I leave is 10%. If the food or service timing is bad don’t pay for the food or drink in question, but don’t let the IRS take advantage and tax someone for something they never made. It is also not a server’s fault they are not paid a real wage. They don’t even get paid minimum. I say we should ban together to change the labor law. Maybe servers can work on commission with the real costs built into the meal. You return a faulty tshirt right?

The service I (didn’t) receive was so bad I left without paying and no-one even noticed!

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