Service worker tips.

0patience

In one week, I have had 2 firsts in my life regarding leaving tips for service workers (Waitress/waiters and servers).
I have left the largest tip I have ever given and I walked out of a restaurant leaving absolutely no tip.

The largest tip.
My wife cooks and she likes an ice blended coffee.
We had one day recently that was 85 degrees. That may not be too warm elsewhere, but here in the NW it is very warm. And with her in a kitchen all day, I could only imagine how hot it was.
I had the day off, so I swung by Dutch Bros coffee (which has her favorite ice blend coffee) and was gonna pick her up her favorite to help cool her down. LOL!
So I get there and couldn't remember what it was she always got.
The barristas (what ever they are called) knew exactly what one she always gets, so he has me covered. 

I bring Momma her coffee and she is happy as hell. Which made me look very good.
Scored big points. LOL!
So I get to thinking, these folks at the coffee shop made me look really good, so they should be rewarded. I tell the wife I am pulling $50 for a tip for them.
They always make her smile and treat us really good.
Made their day. LOL!


No tip.
Now, I have to imagine that to be a "chef" at a pancake restaurant, cooking an egg and omelet should be pretty basic, right?
the wife orders a ham and cheese omelet and I order a sampler with eggs over hard.
Being specific, over hard, no runny yoke.
The order shows up and not only is the yoke runny, it is broke and most the white isn't even cooked!
Missy cuts into the omelet and a lot of the white isn't even cooked!
I tell the waitress that the eggs aren't cooked right and all she says is, I can see that.
WTF?
So we pay for a meal that is hardly edible and leave no tip.

I had never left a restaurant not leaving a tip.
Their attitude about it sucked, their food sucked and paying for a meal I couldn't eat left a bad taste in my mouth.

You ever get good service so much that you left an extra large tip or so crappy you left no tip?

genareddog

Used to have a pizza restaurant so I always leave a good tip when one is deserved. Don't think I have ever left without leaving one. 

kswildcat

North Platte Nebraska. Not in a good mood in the first place because I set in a dock for 7hrs trying to get unloaded. I order coffee, water omelet with extra cheese.. I drink my coffee before omelet comes out and place the cup at the edge of the table. Omelet comes with 2 slices of cheese unmelted inside and that's it. I make waiter aware of it and he says he will bring me some shredded cheese and tabasco.  Coffee cup still empty, he walks by my table 10 minutes later and asks if everything is ok.. I inform him I'm leaving and he takes off.. The azz that I am stop at the register to offer to pay for 1 cup of coffee, half eating hash browns and toast. I did so just to be an azz.

Whenever I get  real good service I usually leave at least 5 bucks. If having a bad day and get good service and they make me smile I'm not afraid to leave a 20 or more. If my meal is really good I tip the cook. I've left penny tips also..lol

Albinfk

Generally I always tip well. You really gotta screw up well to get 15%(usually tip 20). Years ago the wife and went to Myrtle Beach on vacation and stopped a local joint for dinner. Place was hopping and waited awhile for a table. The waitress was so rude it was unbelievable. Finally asked her what her problem was. She just smirked and said she was busy and knew we weren't local folks(aka tourists spending money). When the check finally came there was a 20% tip added on. Went up to the hostess and told her to remove the tip and told her sorry that I was told I wasn't a local and treated like ****. Only time I never tipped.

Yakster

I have left the penny tip, sends more of a message than no tip. The waitress went MIA smoking a cig outside and we had to wrangle another server. Tipped the helpful server. 

At a Vietnamese restaurant I sent a plate back several times for runny eggs, cook didn't know how to cook over hard. Finally settled for pork and shrimp without the egg for a dollar less and learned my lesson. 

0patience

Shouldn't learning how to properly cook an egg be a basic thing for chefs?

CharlieHeis

One time a group of friends and I were traveling and went to a restaurant. We were not loud or obnoxious but they almost seemingly went out of their way to ignore us. After asking to speak to the manager about the lack of service he disappeared. We payed exactly what we owed, cash on the table, so they couldn't add a gratuity to a credit card. Only time I have never left a tip. I usually leave 20% and up, depending on the service.

CharlieHeis

Yakster said:

I have left the penny tip, sends more of a message than no tip. The waitress went MIA smoking a cig outside and we had to wrangle another server. Tipped the helpful server. 

 

The problem with this is many places share tips. One may go above and beyond and he/she has to share with the one that doesn't give a rat's azz.

kswildcat

CharlieHeis said:

Yakster said:

I have left the penny tip, sends more of a message than no tip. The waitress went MIA smoking a cig outside and we had to wrangle another server. Tipped the helpful server. 

 

The problem with this is many places share tips. One may go above and beyond and he/she has to share with the one that doesn't give a rat's azz.

More and more places going to shared tips.. bs if you ask me

Yakster

Yeah, this was several decades ago before I'd heard of tip sharing. 

avengethis

I tip based on service provided. Doesn't matter if their share tips to me. If they suck their peers will make them feel it.

My basic rules is 20% for average service. Great service will be up to 50% and poor service will be down to a penny. I can appreciate them being busy but it's not an excuse. 

peter4jc

Even though I'm cheap as cheap can be, I still follow similar guidelines to what Brad and others have said.  The hard part for me, because it can be somewhat confrontational is have a few words with affected parties.  The tip - or lack thereof - is often not enough to convey what I really want to say, so I try to make myself talk to either the server or the manager.  Sometimes not everyone involved is aware of the great service or the offense, and in attempt to reward or correct, I tell them what I think they should know.