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Students arrested for not paying tip.
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20 Nov 2009, 19:12
Acid Fairy
Post Count: 1849
From Neatorama:

College students Leslie Pope and John Wagner and four of their friends went to the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The bill came to $73, which they paid, but they refused to pay the mandatory $16.35 tip, because they said the service was lousy. So they were arrested.

They had to find their own napkins and cutlery while their waitress caught a smoke, had to ask the bar for soda refills, and had to wait over an hour for salad and wings, they told NBC10.

The pub, which was very busy that night, took the $73, but then called the cops, who treated the matter as a theft.

The menu clearly states, “18 percent gratuity added to check of parties of 6 of more,” and a similar message is printed on receipts, a pub employee said this morning.

The students will be in court over the matter next month. What do you think? A mandatory tip for groups of six or more is common in the US restaurant industry in order to keep waiters from being stiffed when they can’t serve enough other tables to make up for it. However in this case, the policy seems to be a license to give poor service.

Link

What is your take on this? I used to work as a waitress and so whilst tips come in very handy, I don't think service tips should ever be made mandatory. The employers should pay them more, it's quite simple. I must admit I am a horrible tipper; it takes really amazing service to earn a tip off me. But tipping isn't ingrained into our society too much because it is law that waiters should be paid minimum wage (although some places get round this I am sure).

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20 Nov 2009, 19:59
Makayla
Post Count: 751
Honestly, I don't think the waitress deserved a tip. I worked in a resturant from 14 years old until I was 16, and I earned every tip I made. If I made a mistake on their order, I didn't expect one. Which sometimes I did get one anyways, but that's because I owned my mistake, apologized, and corrected it with a smile. But another thing I don't agree with is waitresses/waiters having to live off their tips. The restuarant needs to be paying them more than $2 & something an hour. It's ridiculous especially if you work at a busy one like I did, you are on your feet constantly. I worked in an emergency room after I worked as a waitress & I promise you it was way more physically tiring & stressful working as a waitress.
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20 Nov 2009, 22:04
Chris
Post Count: 1938
Why are there more retards in this situation than people with common sense?

Retard award 1 for the restaurant for calling the police.
Retard award 2 for the police that actually arrested the students.

I sincerely hope the students get off scotch free with some compensation from both these groups.
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20 Nov 2009, 22:15
[accepting.change]
Post Count: 74
Ha. I agree!
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20 Nov 2009, 19:20
Aiure
Post Count: 308
Like respect, tips should be earned, not expected.
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21 Nov 2009, 00:23
Lauren.
Post Count: 885
This.
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20 Nov 2009, 19:36
[accepting.change]
Post Count: 74
I will be honest. If I get terrible service and you're my waiter, please don't expect a tip from me. Because if you didn't earn it, you don't get it. I worked in a bar before so I do know how some people rely on their tips and need that money. I have also been a customer with a good amount of people at restaurants where there is a mandatory tip for groups. More often than not, we have received terrible and rude service because that waiter knew they were guaranteed that percentage of gratuity that is added to the check. On the other hand though, I have been to places with just two people and ended up leaving a fifteen or twenty dollar tip.

I agree, tips are earned.
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20 Nov 2009, 20:05
Oprah Noodlemantra
Post Count: 300
I can see both sides of this. If the service is crap, I won't tip very well, plain and simple. The only way I won't tip at all is if the service was pretty much non-existant. Other than that, I tip the average 15%.
I work at Applebee's, and technically, if you are in a party of 8 or more, we're supposed to tack on the 15% gratuity to the check. We have a sign that says this, so there's no reason our guests should be surprised. Part of the reason for this is definitely to ensure that the server makes money because they can't take on as many tables. The other part is because if it's a large party, the kitchen/expo might screw a few things up, and chances are that the manager will have to comp an item or two.
It sucks, but when the kitchen is used to tables of 4 or so people, then you send back a ticket for 8 or more, some things might be forgotten. It could be as simple as a topping on a salad, but customers won't tip their server over something the kitchen did.
I can see why they didn't tip, but in the end, it's not like they didn't know what was expected of them. If it was that big of an issue, they should have spoken to the manager, asked to leave their own tip (at a lower percentage), or explained why they didn't feel a tip was necessary. Tips are earned, yes, but when it's noted all over the place what the restaurant's policy is, there is no reason to not follow it.
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20 Nov 2009, 20:30
Acid Fairy
Post Count: 1849
Yeah, I never understood why waiters/waitresses get bitched at when it's the chef's fault!
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20 Nov 2009, 20:34
[accepting.change]
Post Count: 74
I see your point. I don't tip just because the kitchen messed up. My order has been messed up plenty of times but I don't blame the waiter for that. I do know people who are like that, though. And I don't think that is right.

For example, I was at Applebee's one night and both of our food orders were messed up. The second time around, the food still wasn't correct. Finally, I asked for the manager and explained to him the problem. He had an attitude and told me that I jut needed to eat it anyway because that's wasting food. I refused. I told the waiter that I would pay for the drinks and appetizers. I also tipped her fifteen dollars because it was nothing that she did wrong and her service was great.
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20 Nov 2009, 20:54
.love.struck.
Post Count: 492
I was a server once before. I can see how they wouldn't tip and I don't blame them. They paid $73 and that is a lot of money right there. For $73 servers should know this means huge tip so work hard! Not this server. They should of talked to a manager, but overall I wouldn't have tipped her either. That or leave a really bad tip which is worse than no tip.
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20 Nov 2009, 20:51
.love.struck.
Post Count: 492
Wow, she didn't deserve that tip at all! If you have to flag down your server for everything and get your refills, then there is no need to tip. Tips are earned.

I tip based on service. I always give a tip even if its crappy service, but they get a shitty tip. If problems are due to the chef's, well I never blame the server because he/she didn't cook it. If the order was completely messed up then it was the server but I usually give them a second change and also based how they handle the situation.
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20 Nov 2009, 21:52
.Blue Bella.
Post Count: 743
And this is why I love living in Australia.

Waiters/waitresses get paid a wage. Tips are not mandatory. I will leave a tip if I am pleased with the service, food, everything all round (as I believe a business is a team effort and not that of just the waiter/waitress).

This particular case, the waitress did not deserve her tip. Hell, she did not deserve her job. If a business wants to make tipping mandatory, irrespective of the number of people in the party, they should still provide adequate service, which they failed to do. For fucks sake, they had to find their own cutlery. That alone would shit me off. Especially knowing that whilst I was searching for my own cutlery and arranging my on refills, that my useless waitress was outside sucking on a cancer-stick!
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20 Nov 2009, 22:26
Chris
Post Count: 1938
Tips weren't mandatory here either until today, I guess.
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21 Nov 2009, 08:10
Oprah Noodlemantra
Post Count: 300
They're not really mandatory, it's just that the average server wage (at least here in Wyoming, Utah, and the like) is around $2.13 an hour, and companies don't pay more because they expect that the servers will be tipped, and make more than minimum wage by the end of their shift. It usually happens, but I've seen servers work a six hour shift and make fifteen dollars. That's barely making $4.5 an hour, which is definitely not minimum wage.
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21 Nov 2009, 03:26
KerriBlue
Post Count: 260
Yeh I was just about say, Tipping in Australia isn't mandatory - but I'm starting to wonder what a difference it would make. Because I know a few places here in Melbourne, they are nice places, but the service is AWFUL, the waitresses just do not care on bit. So far as they are concered - they are just waiting for the end of shift. I'm wondering how much harder they might work if they realised they can get a tip.

That being said, I went to one place, the service was AWFUL, the waitress actually sat down with the table next to us (with friends of hers) to have a conversation when we were clearly trying to order/ask for drinks/get the bill etc. She sat there, talking with her friends, cackling like a witch, ignoring the other customers. She wasn't too pleased when we didn't tip her. But seriously...here in Australia at least....if you want a tip..freaking work for it. I'm not going to give a person a tip unless they have done a good/great job. And when servers do a good/great job, I want them to know about it.
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20 Nov 2009, 22:30
Dreamer ♥
Post Count: 167
The reason the waitress gets the shit if the kitchen makes a mistake is that the guest has to blame someone. Unless the kitchen has an open front and you are allowed to approach the kitchen you have no one else to blame so I can understand why people blame waitresses/waiters.

I have 5 years experiance and even when you give your best service, not everyone will leave a tip. In the UK you dont have to. You get minimum wage which sucks although if you are good at your job you can earn about £100 in tips. However, the downside is then you are supposed to declare it to the tax man and pay any tax on it. So at the end of the day, you may get nothing which sucks. It's like getting birthday/christmas money and then the goverment wanting tax on that. It's not right!
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20 Nov 2009, 22:31
Dreamer ♥
Post Count: 167
and also, I wouldnt have tipped if was having to do her job.
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21 Nov 2009, 01:08
Moonlight Shadows
Post Count: 90
sorry i have to disagree with everyone saying that a server isn't responsible for incorrect orders/bad food.

i was a server for about a year and a half so im not talking out of my ass here ;-)
but seriously. you go to the table and take the order correctly, it is mandatory that you check the food once you get it. if its not right.. YOU send it back. you should not freaking send bad food/cold food/incorrect food to a table.. and thats why people get annoyed especially if its something blatant. if i ordered mashed potatoes and you come out with fries.. you should spot that. its not rocket science.

now if the steak isn't well done as the customer ordered, then yes, thats something that shouldn't be penalized.. you can't just look at a steak and tell that necessarily. but 9/10 times.. problems with the food order can and should be caught before it gets to a customer.
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21 Nov 2009, 01:51
Acid Fairy
Post Count: 1849
But how can you tell if the food is shit? I had someone bitch to me that their chicken was too dry... umm how am I supposed to know how they like their food?

I used to work on Sundays in a pub which gets seriously hectic. The world and his wife likes to come out for Sunday dinner. To catch a small mistake in an order when there are fifteen meals going out at once is pretty tricky. Also over here, orders are usually taken by the bar staff and not the waiter/ress, unless you're at a decent restaurant and not a pub.
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21 Nov 2009, 02:40
Moonlight Shadows
Post Count: 90
well thats what i meant by adding the steak example in there. of course there ARE some things that you really can't spot. food being too dry being one of them, or how a steak is done.
but im talking about major things - things that are obvious. people come to a restaurant to not have to care or work for what they're eating. i mean, if you can't spot obvious things then why are you a server? *shrug* JMHO.

even when it gets busy, you can still do a once over.. i did sunday morning breakfast shifts (ugh but yay turnover) and you learn how to quickly spot if someone wanted scrambled eggs and they gave you over easy.

but.. its been awhile too since i've been a server so i dunno :)
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