Nice Planet 2011

[The Rube]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Hell, once I tried to tip something like $7000 at Toby Keith's!

This is true.

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

I usually start with 20%, and go from there. I rarely have had bad service, though, and then I think I dipped to 10%. Most of the places I go to, I'm a semi-regular, and the staff generally remembers me/my group, or I know that I'm going to get good service, and the tips are usually higher.

There are variables, of course. You have a right to expect a certain level of service in an expensive steak house. But it's unreasonable to expect that kind of service in a neighborhood restaurant. And the people I'm principally talking about are the ones for whom under or no-tipping is just part of their act. Looking for any excuse to get "comps." Unreasonable demands. Funny business when it comes time to pay. And on and on.

For years in Omaha, the Italian restaurant across the street from the radio station held a table for several of us at lunch. We were treated better, and our tips reflected it.

[The Rube]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

There are variables, of course. You have a right to expect a certain level of service in an expensive steak house. But it's unreasonable to expect that kind of service in a neighborhood restaurant. And the people I'm principally talking about are the ones for whom under or no-tipping is just part of their act. Looking for any excuse to get "comps." Unreasonable demands. Funny business when it comes time to pay. And on and on.

For years in Omaha, the Italian restaurant across the street from the radio station held a table for several of us at lunch. We were treated better, and our tips reflected it.

Agreed. Some of us joke about "our" bartender at Toby Keith's. It started with them comping us a drink now and then, so we tipped a little more. It became a regular thing to get really strong drinks in larger than normal glasses, and our tips got even better. There's a limit of course on how far this goes, and we've hit that limit. Works out for both parties.

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

It's true. The Anti-Christ has been conceived.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T04wXnlKbs0

[Twitch Boy]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

It's true. The Anti-Christ has been conceived.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T04wXnlKbs0

Maybe this Tebow kid has the right idea.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

I'm skeptical of some of those stories. Sure, waiters and waitresses get screwed over on tips, it happens and it sucks. But I don't like the idea that they expect a good tip if the service is terrible, maybe they don't, but that is impression that I have gotten. I have no problem tipping well when I get even decent service, but if the service is completely horse****, I don't think it is out of line to leave a horse**** tip. On the other hand, if the place is somewhere where I plan on going back to regularly or soon, I tip well no matter what because I don't want my food to get ****ed with, but that's a different issue.

I left a waitress at Sally's a $0.23 tip because she was such a b*tch.

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

I left a waitress at Sally's a $0.23 tip because she was such a b*tch.

You're proud of that? What are you, 12?

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

One thing's for sure, it's good to be His Airness. Check out the house.

http://online.wsj.com/video/michael-...7E7D30DCD.html

[UncleRay]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Disagree, Pio. If good service is to be rewarded with a fat tip, poor service should be punished with a lousy tip. I still remember as a kid we were down in Washington County picking my dad's experimental blueberries. As a big treat we went out to Helen's in Machias, famous for their pies. After the six of us ate dinner, my parents asked about the night's pies. The server said they were all out. She got a nickel tip - dad said if he left nothing she might think it was a mistake, but by leaving a nickel she would know it was on purpose.

Oh, did I mention that we were sitting right next to the pie locker and could plainly tell they weren't out, she was just trying to turn the table?

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Disagree, Pio. If good service is to be rewarded with a fat tip, poor service should be punished with a lousy tip. I still remember as a kid we were down in Washington County picking my dad's experimental blueberries. As a big treat we went out to Helen's in Machias, famous for their pies. After the six of us ate dinner, my parents asked about the night's pies. The server said they were all out. She got a nickel tip - dad said if he left nothing she might think it was a mistake, but by leaving a nickel she would know it was on purpose.

Oh, did I mention that we were sitting right next to the pie locker and could plainly tell they weren't out, she was just trying to turn the table?

That amusing annecdote does not change the fact that both people involved here were being, you should pardon the expression, putzes. There is a distinct aspect of bullying involved in these two stories. And the fact that you and dxm proudly recount them proves the point, IMO. "Boy, we really showed HER." These folks are unable to fight back, to offer an explanation. This is the kind of bullying one sees frequently at fast food places when losers give the kids who work there five different kinds of h*ll. Like those two fat cows who went behind the counter at a Greenwich Village Mickey D's a few weeks ago and got horrific beatdowns for their trouble. The employee, btw, was absolved of any criminal responsibility.

If your father had a beef about her lying to you, why not bring it up with the manager? Heck, he'd probably comp you the pies, maybe even the meal. Everyone knows and understands (or should) that waitstaff are hugely dependent on tips to make a living. Leave a smaller tip than you otherwise would. Tell the wait person. Tell the manager. But don't leave an insultingly low tip, then brag about it. Unless she intentionally dumped the soup in your lap, the punishment does not fit the crime. And it shows me you acted far worse than the waitperson did.

[The Rube]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

I've been on both sides of the coin. I'll tell you right now, that an "insulting" tip leaves an impression, and most (I stress most) of the time, it makes a server wonder whether or not they did do their best. No tip? Most of the time, the server just thinks that the customer forgot. A small small tip? A message has been sent.

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

I've been on both sides of the coin. I'll tell you right now, that an "insulting" tip leaves an impression, and most (I stress most) of the time, it makes a server wonder whether or not they did do their best. No tip? Most of the time, the server just thinks that the customer forgot. A small small tip? A message has been sent.

That's probably true. As I've said, I believe the actual amount of "bad" service is far exceeded by people throwing their weight around, dumping on a helpless person who, most of the time, is doing the best he can. Besides, lots of these problems originate in the kitchen and aren't the fault of waitstaff. Honestlly, I can't recall a single instance in my life where I left a tiny/no tip or even thought about it. Some people, not necessarily anyone participating in this discussion, seem to attract "bad" service way out of proportion to the public. I wonder why that is.

[The Rube]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

That's probably true. As I've said, I believe the actual amount of "bad" service is far exceeded by people throwing their weight around, dumping on a helpless person who, most of the time, is doing the best he can. Besides, lots of these problems originate in the kitchen and aren't the fault of waitstaff. Honestlly, I can't recall a single instance in my life where I left a tiny/no tip or even thought about it. Some people, not necessarily anyone participating in this discussion, seem to attract "bad" service way out of proportion to the public. I wonder why that is.

I was a cook, and if we screwed up, we heard about it. At length. The server isn't always at fault, but God help that cook if s/he deals with the wrath of a server. It is truly motivation to not screw up.

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

I was a cook, and if we screwed up, we heard about it. At length. The server isn't always at fault, but God help that cook if s/he deals with the wrath of a server. It is truly motivation to not screw up.

Yes, no doubt. I've become quite an "expert" watching Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. As far as cooks are concerned, Harry Truman was right, "the buck stops here." There was a guy who ran a bar and had daily lunch specials at very reasonable prices in Omaha. His dictum: Eat, Pay and Get out.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

You're proud of that? What are you, 12?

When we are at a table for 70 minutes and we don't even get asked once for refills and we literally had our bills thrown at us with a "HERE!", yeah, she had it coming. We weren't obnoxious. We weren't doing anything out of the ordinary.

I normally do 20% and round up. This was the single worst server I have ever had. She didn't even deserve a tip. Like Brent said, no tip wouldn't send a message.