How Bad Does Service Have To Be Not To Tip?

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

I've only intentionally not left a tip a handful of times, but it has happened. It takes a lot to get me to that point. I'm understanding if I can tell a waitress is new. I'm also a picky eater, so I remain level headed if someone gets my order wrong. It usually takes an attitude of not giving a ****. A mistake is understandable, but how you react to such a mistake can really set me off.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 minute ago, The Real Buffalo Joe said:

I've only intentionally not left a tip a handful of times, but it has happened. It takes a lot to get me to that point. I'm understanding if I can tell a waitress is new. I'm also a picky eater, so I remain level headed if someone gets my order wrong. It usually takes an attitude of not giving a ****. A mistake is understandable, but how you react to such a mistake can really set me off.

 

The number one thing that gets a tip slashed is inattentiveness to drinks.

If they can't be bothered to come back and ask about refills, I can't be bothered to leave a tip.

 

[row_33]

I have never left zero tip.

 

i have always stated problems during my meal and rarely has it not been dealt with at the time

 

i know plenty of a-holes who enjoy picking on staff for no reason and lording it over people worse off than them, and they think they are doing a good thing

 

 

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

12 minutes ago, row_33 said:

I have never left zero tip.

 

i have always stated problems during my meal and rarely has it not been dealt with at the time

 

i know plenty of a-holes who enjoy picking on staff for no reason and lording it over people worse off than them, and they think they are doing a good thing

 

 

We had an absolutely rude, inattentive, and uncaring waitress once. Finally, a waitress who wasn't even assigned to our section appologized profusley on our waitresses behalf and took care of us. So we made sure that the tip went to her, and not the one who was allegedly our waitress.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

The server would have to be blatantly rude to me to get no tip (which thankfully has never happened).  For bad service, I will always leave a tip and then just never return to the restaurant.

[teef]

1 minute ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

The server would have to be blatantly rude to me to get no tip (which thankfully has never happened).  For bad service, I will always leave a tip and then just never return to the restaurant.

exactly.  someone would have to go out of their way to insult me not to get a tip.  i've worked for tips before, and i just hate the idea of leaving nothing.  i'm with you...i just wouldn't go back.

17 minutes ago, joesixpack said:

 

The number one thing that gets a tip slashed is inattentiveness to drinks.

If they can't be bothered to come back and ask about refills, I can't be bothered to leave a tip.

 

i can't handle drink inattentiveness too.  we were out a few weeks ago, got seated, and waited 25 mins to get a drink.  i had to go to the bar and get it myself.  the waiter picked up on it, and drinks were good after it.  once i actually had a waiter get upset because i ordered a drink at the bar as opposed to the table.  you want the money?  give me my !@#$ing drink.

[seregil42]

I've done it only a couple of times.  Both times, we had excessive waiting times at the table, waitress basically only showed up to take order (other people brought food) and drop off check (never asked how anything was, if we wanted anything else, etc.) and had an attitude on them. 

[stuvian]

only zero tipped twice ever. Both times were when I felt the server insulted me

[KD in CA]

15 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

The server would have to be blatantly rude to me to get no tip (which thankfully has never happened).  For bad service, I will always leave a tip and then just never return to the restaurant.

 

Pretty much this.  I can't recall specifically but feel like I may have zeroed a tip on one or two occasions in the distant past.

 

But if this sort of thing happens to a person frequently, it's not the servers.

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

Last season, at the Bills Backers Bar, the waitress totally messed up our order. Took forever. Gave us the wrong food. Didn't get the right food to us until the 4th quarter. 

That being said, she was totally apologetic, and did everything she could to make up for it, and even took the food off my tab. We didn't ask for this, and we weren't even that mad. We tried telling her it was fine, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. So we just tipped her the difference. Like I said, it's not that a mistake is made, it's how you react to the mistake. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Never. Always 20%.  More if PLACE (not service) is exceptional.

8 minutes ago, KD in CA said:

 

Pretty much this.  I can't recall specifically but feel like I may have zeroed a tip on one or two occasions in the distant past.

 

But if this sort of thing happens to a person frequently, it's not the servers.

Bingo!

[Seasons1992]

For me, who's worked in a few restaurants from the kitchen to serving to the bar, you have to really, REALLY be bad for me to leave less than 20%. For my regular places I tip 50% or more but I'm adding in all the drinks I'm getting and not being charged for. People remember that.

[Rockpile233]

Having worked in several restaurants when I was younger, I can typically make correct assumptions where a breakdown is occurring when I’m experiencing bad service. I have never left zero for a tip, but I have certainly docked the tip when I could say with certainty server laziness or rudeness was causing whatever problem.

 

I typically empathize with people who seem over their head busy, but if you’re just texting on your phone at the station and my drink is empty you suck at your job. 

 

What people often do, which I always hated, was penalize a server or bartender for an obvious kitchen issue. Happens all the time though.

[ExiledInIllinois]

8 minutes ago, Rockpile233 said:

Having worked in several restaurants when I was younger, I can typically make correct assumptions where a breakdown is occurring when I’m experiencing bad service. I have never left zero for a tip, but I have certainly docked the tip when I could say with certainty server laziness or rudeness was causing whatever problem.

 

I typically empathize with people who seem over their head busy, but if you’re just texting on your phone at the station and my drink is empty you suck at your job. 

 

What people often do, which I always hated, was penalize a server or bartender for an obvious kitchen issue. Happens all the time though.

Who really wants to excel in the waitering business... Unless one wants to be a professional waiter their whole life.

 

Make SOME $$$ and get the hell out.   Let it crush your soul, kissing ass for people... You gotta be kidding?

 

I expect the same when I go out.  Who cares?  People are so self-centered.  Food is dead or not moving, warm... I am happy.

 

"Perhaps I've grown a little cynical
But I know no matter what the waitress brings
I shall drink it and always be full, yeah I will drink it and always be full"

Edited August 6, 2018 by ExiledInIllinois

[Rockpile233]

5 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Who really wants to excel in the waitering business... Unless one wants to be a professional waiter their whole life.

 

Make SOME $$$ and get the hell out.   Let it crush your soul, kissing ass for people... You gotta be kidding?

 

I expect the same when I go out.  Who cares?  People are so self-centered.  Food is dead or not moving, warm... I am happy.

 

"Perhaps I've grown a little cynical
But I know no matter what the waitress brings
I shall drink it and always be full, yeah I will drink it and always be full"

 

I wanted to excel because to excel was to give great service, which in turn led to bigger tips. It was completely personally motivated to make some money as you say. People with **** attitudes usually maintain those **** attitudes in the professional world as well. I’ve grown with enough of them.

 

But yes, I was very cynical towards management when I was serving/bartending. Always was in a rush to get out of the industry. I see know they were just trying to work their careers as best as possible. I was in fact the !@#$ in that equation.

[frostbitmic]

I'm generally a 20% tipper ... 20%for fair to good service ... Less than fair service and I've left less ... Great service can get 30% tip.

 

Twice however I've left nothing. The first time we were halfway done with our entree and they made us move to another table because they needed the space for a party of 12, we were at a table for two, @*&! that, you don't make someone move in the middle of a meal, never went back there again.

 

The second time we went to a Mexican restaurant ( not Taco Hell) for one of my Daughters 10th birthday. She brought 3 of her friends, plus my other Daughter, wife and myself, we were seated and ordered drinks, received those and then ordered dinner. 45 minutes later I flagged down the waiter and asked what's taking so long ... he went into the kitchen, came back and said it'll be another 15 minutes ... 45 minutes later, again, still no food, I asked for the manager who came and promptly apologized and said it'll be out in 10 minutes ... half hour later still no food and I reamed this guys ass out in front of everyone ... 10 minutes later I got the food to go and wasn't charged ... Never went back.

[ExiledInIllinois]

25 minutes ago, Rockpile233 said:

 

I wanted to excel because to excel was to give great service, which in turn led to bigger tips. It was completely personally motivated to make some money as you say. People with **** attitudes usually maintain those **** attitudes in the professional world as well. I’ve grown with enough of them.

 

But yes, I was very cynical towards management when I was serving/bartending. Always was in a rush to get out of the industry. I see know they were just trying to work their careers as best as possible. I was in fact the !@#$ in that equation.

I agree.  I can see why people are jaded, especially more and more now.  Hard work alone will not get you ahead any more now than it did then.  Just chew people up, spit them out.  These honor and loyalty in an overly competitive world.  It's a vicious circle around the drain.  Pretty sad.

 

Great to have ideals though.

 

Why I tip 20% no matter what.  Even on take out when there is a tip line item.

[seregil42]

On a different note, I have gone out of my way to find a manager to praise a server for doing a great job when they have to deal with a miserable customer. 

[jr1]

I cut them slack if it's super busy. They have no control over how many people the manager called into work

[Logic]

I generally always tip somewhere between 20 and 25%.

"Zero tip" to me = 15%. No matter how bad things get, I don't leave less than 15%.

Now, I will absolutely speak with the server or manager or leave notes on the receipt about what I found less than satisfactory. I will also resolve never to return to a place if things are bad enough. But as someone who has many friends in the service industry, I simply can't leave myself to leave NO TIP AT ALL on the table. Can't do it.