weird question

Last night DH and I went out to dinner with a few friends in the city.

The bill comes, and we all put in our money. DH paid for us and included the tip. The other 3 paid what they were supposed to and put in their amounts.

Before we left, the waitress came back to the table and said 'I just wanted to know if there was a problem with the service? Was everything okay?' and we said 'yeah, it was fine'. She then said 'Well, you only left me 9%'. I was MORTIFIED. I didn't know how much the other guys had put in, and I figured with our money and the money they put in, it should've been more than enough. I am usually in charge of counting the money, but DH's friend has a disability and doesn't have full use of his hands, and he was counting the money, and I didn't want to say in front of everyone 'Here let me get that' or something like that, so I just left it alone and figured they would do the right thing.

I kind of want to know what you would've done in a situation like that. Would you have been as mortified as I was, or would you have been angry that she said something about the tip that you were giving her???

well first i will say - i waitressed for a LONG time...and while i would've asked if there was a problem with the service, i would NEVER say 'well u only gave me ___amount'... sometimes u get great tips, sometimes u don't. and while it's fine to say 'was there a problem' because u genuinely want to know - i would NEVER have called out an amount to my customers...what if u were honestly just broke & didn't have more to give???

now - that being said, as a customer i probably would've apologized due to being mortified and said there must have been a problem that went unnoticed... i'd ask for a few minutes..then work it out & have everyone put in a little more. I personally would've then went to the waitress & explained the situation...

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Posted by Karen9508

I probably would have asked for her manager.. With the tough economic times, she should be grateful for anything she gets...

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I think that this is kind of harsh-



To me it is not acceptable to have said 'X amount' however maybe it is normal in the resturant to make sure everything is ok., and she said it wrong? - Maybe. Or maybe she just is living on tips and thought that it was wrong when she busted her butt.

I know as a waitress you count on tips. I did it for MANY years. Most servers make $4-$5 an hour plus their tips, which they have to tip out other people from (bartender, bus boy, hostess... etc)

As a waitress I completely agree with what the waitress did. If you have not served before then you dont understand. We live off our tips. We dont get a paycheck. I once worked a 12 hour shift and left with 40 dollars. This is when I worked at a blues club in the city with lots of tourists. Tourist pretend to not know how to tip. I dont believe after all this time they just 'dont know' 40 dollars for a 12 dollar shift is unacceptable. So yes I agree with what the waitress did. It is very painful when you spend over an hour serving people and then realize you werent properly compensated. It was a mistake and luckily she brought it to your attention so she wouldnt have been stiffed.

Also, at the end of a shift waiters/waitresses tip out the bussers/runners/bartenders. So they dont keep 100 percent of what they make either.

I waitressed for many years and have nothing but the highest respect for those in that service field- it is grueling work! However, I never would have had the nerve to say anything to any of my customers about what they tipped me.

But- If a server said that to me, I would have been mortified like you were Sara, especially if the service was good.

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Posted by Songstress

As a waitress I completely agree with what the waitress did. If you have not served before then you dont understand. We live off our tips. We dont get a paycheck. I once worked a 12 hour shift and left with 40 dollars. This is when I worked at a blues club in the city with lots of tourists. Tourist pretend to not know how to tip. I dont believe after all this time they just 'dont know' 40 dollars for a 12 dollar shift is unacceptable. So yes I agree with what the waitress did. It is very painful when you spend over an hour serving people and then realize you werent properly compensated. It was a mistake and luckily she brought it to your attention so she wouldnt have been stiffed.

Also, at the end of a shift waiters/waitresses tip out the bussers/runners/bartenders. So they dont keep 100 percent of what they make either.

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Oh I totally agree, my sister has been a waitress for years and I hear how people treat her. And that is also why I was mortified when she came and told us that. I told DH that I wanted to just put in a $20, but he told me not to. I didn't know if he wanted the other guys to pay , but I feel bad that I didn't give her more. I mean, it wasn't like she was the best waitress ever and deserved a phenominal tip, but she did her job and she should've been tipped accordingly. I always tip 20% at the very least, and I didn't know if maybe the other guys didn't feel that way, but apparently they didn't if they left what they did. One of the guys did ask for the check back ,and did put in more money, but I just wanted to know what everyone else though about it :)

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Posted by Kimbalina

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Posted by Karen9508

I probably would have asked for her manager.. With the tough economic times, she should be grateful for anything she gets...

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I think that this is kind of harsh-



To me it is not acceptable to have said 'X amount' however maybe it is normal in the resturant to make sure everything is ok., and she said it wrong? - Maybe. Or maybe she just is living on tips and thought that it was wrong when she busted her butt.

I know as a waitress you count on tips. I did it for MANY years. Most servers make $4-$5 an hour plus their tips, which they have to tip out other people from (bartender, bus boy, hostess... etc)

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Yea maybe a little harsh.. But I really don't think you should go up to someone and ask how come you only gave me x amount. Instead of going about it that way I would have probably asked if there was any way I could improve my service in the future.. This way you are saying it without saying it..

I am not saying they don't deserve a tip, but there is a way to go about asking about it.. Don't get me wrong when I go out I always make sure to take care of the waiter or waitress cause I know they rely on tip but again there is a way to go about asking...

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Posted by SFAR89

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Posted by Songstress

As a waitress I completely agree with what the waitress did. If you have not served before then you dont understand. We live off our tips. We dont get a paycheck. I once worked a 12 hour shift and left with 40 dollars. This is when I worked at a blues club in the city with lots of tourists. Tourist pretend to not know how to tip. I dont believe after all this time they just 'dont know' 40 dollars for a 12 dollar shift is unacceptable. So yes I agree with what the waitress did. It is very painful when you spend over an hour serving people and then realize you werent properly compensated. It was a mistake and luckily she brought it to your attention so she wouldnt have been stiffed.

Also, at the end of a shift waiters/waitresses tip out the bussers/runners/bartenders. So they dont keep 100 percent of what they make either.

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Oh I totally agree, my sister has been a waitress for years and I hear how people treat her. And that is also why I was mortified when she came and told us that. I told DH that I wanted to just put in a $20, but he told me not to. I didn't know if he wanted the other guys to pay , but I feel bad that I didn't give her more. I mean, it wasn't like she was the best waitress ever and deserved a phenominal tip, but she did her job and she should've been tipped accordingly. I always tip 20% at the very least, and I didn't know if maybe the other guys didn't feel that way, but apparently they didn't if they left what they did. One of the guys did ask for the check back ,and did put in more money, but I just wanted to know what everyone else though about it :)

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I find that when I go out with a group of people, something always happens where there isnt enough for the tip. Im a Nazi when it comes to tipping so I usually make everyone put in an extra 3-5 bucks if it isnt right. It happens.

And as far as calling a manager, Ive had managers advise me to do this. Times are rough but there are also people trying to make a living and it isnt right.

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Posted by Songstress

I find that when I go out with a group of people, something always happens where there isnt enough for the tip. Im a Nazi when it comes to tipping so I usually make everyone put in an extra 3-5 bucks if it isnt right. It happens.

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Usually I will do that, but like I said the guy was struggling with the money I felt bad taking it away from him and counting it like 'you can't do it' Ya know? lol

My sister once did a birthday party at friendly's...she works her butt off, and they only left her $1. I was like , I would've ran out and spit on them.

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Posted by SFAR89

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Posted by Songstress

I find that when I go out with a group of people, something always happens where there isnt enough for the tip. Im a Nazi when it comes to tipping so I usually make everyone put in an extra 3-5 bucks if it isnt right. It happens.

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Usually I will do that, but like I said the guy was struggling with the money I felt bad taking it away from him and counting it like 'you can't do it' Ya know? lol

My sister once did a birthday party at friendly's...she works her butt off, and they only left her $1. I was like , I would've ran out and spit on them.

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Yeah your situation was a toughy. Ive gone out with people who have money problems and usually end up putting the money in as painful as it is for me too.

1 dollar is just disrespectful. I would be FURIOUS!

i personally have never been a waitress but i have had several friends that did....

so i tip at least 20% and go as high as 25% depending on the service....

if the service was horrible i still leave at least 15% bc i know it is hard work to serve others, which is why i have never done it bc i would get horrible tips!!!!!


i dont really agree with her saying 'you only left X amount' but i do think it was appropriate to ask if there was a problem so she can avoid making the same mistake in the future....if i was a waitress and got a bad tip i would want constructive criticism to get better at it

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Posted by Brila09

That happened to me too one time at a mexican restaurant in babylon village. The waiter ran out and down the street after us because he didnt think we tipped him well enough. The service was awful and I told him so!

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was this Don Ricardo's?!?!?!

if so, i had a really bad experience there and will probably never go back

i worked off tips once as well - i got jipped before, and even sometimes NO tip - but i would NEVER, EVER say something! F that waitress!

'Before we left, the waitress came back to the table and said 'I just wanted to know if there was a problem with the service? Was everything okay?' and we said 'yeah, it was fine'. She then said 'Well, you only left me 9%'.

I think what really annoys me about how this situation went down is because you never asked why when she asked about the service. You said yea it was fine... so why she had to throw in that comment of leaving 9%.. i don't understand...