I understand the point of view of both the restaurant and the customer in this case. I get that large groups sometimes don't tip adequately, especially not for how much work they can be for waitstaff. With good waitstaff, one large group can take up all of their time and energy for however long they stay.
I still don't like the concept of "automatic gratuity"--Odysseus and I have had far too many bad waitstaff bring refills exactly twice: once when they bring the food, and once when they check to see if we want dessert. I would not want to reward behavior that bad.
Good waitstaff, on the other hand, are worth far more than the standard 15%--we often tip 20 or 25% for friendly service, keeping the drinks full (which can include leaving the tea pitcher on our table, if it's a busy time and section--we don't mind that), and keeping us up on what's going on with our food ("Kitchen's a little behind," or "It'll be out in a couple more minutes").
That said, I don't think that I'd be risking the waitstaff being all great in a place that sets an automatic gratuity on parties of six or larger. Every place I've been that have them starts at ten or twelve. Starting the automatic "You must tip--we add it to your bill" at six strikes me as an admission that their waitstaff are uniformly bad. Setting the automatic gratuity at 17% is reinforcing that impression, as well as the bad behavior that the idiots permitted by being willing to eat at that establishment. So... that means the customers made a bad choice.
And the manager didn't help. Instead of making it right, and perhaps offering a free dessert (possibly distracting from the automatic gratuity), the manager got snotty, defensive, and called the cops. The story made the national news (granted, on a smaller news site, but still). The restaurant's reputation has to have suffered, both locally, and in a little bit wider of a venue with the possibility of tourists who hear about it going somewhere else.
There was no good behavior, were no good choices, displayed in the news story linked. Both sides screwed up by the numbers. Nobody walked away from that happy--not even the manager, after the story broke, despite having won the small skirmish of forcing the customers to pay a good tip for shitty service.
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I do so agree. I stiffed a waitress this evening for some of the poorest service I've received in years.
ReplyDeleteWe don't stiff them--we leave them just enough to make it clear we didn't forget to leave a tip, we just chose not to leave more than they were worth: usually two pennies.
DeleteAnd only for service where we see the waiter/waitress four times in an otherwise-empty section: when he/she takes the order, brings the order (and maybe a refill), asks about dessert (with maybe a refill) and hands over the check at the same time, and for the last time when they bring the debit card back with the receipt for us to sign.
I hear you loud and clear. My oldest son is a server at Red Lobster. Oh the stories he tells us when he gets home. Lately he said the managers have no respect for the staff and the staff has no respect for the managers. Oh I could go on and on.
ReplyDeleteFirst off...Red Lobster portions are now so small, they look like samples.....
DeleteI use to tend bar--we never had an issue with tips, in fact the cocktail waitresses gave US a traditional cut of their tips---folks sitting at the bar were usually very good tippers.
I have tipped food servers 2 cents for bad service--but if the food is clousy DON'T blame the server!
Rob--I've been to places like that. Once. I don't go back because those kinds of work cultures do not produce good service for customers. I've found that you find work cultures like that most often in the huge, nationwide franchises.
DeleteOCM--I never blame the servers for the food, or for the kitchen being behind, or out of something I ordered. That's on the kitchen, not the servers.
I suspect the best recourse the people have against the bad service with mandatory tip is to go around and tell everyone they know how much the service stinks, suggest people not eat there, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with "mandatory tipping" is that there's no incentive for good service. I tip pretty dang generously (especially if I'm dining alone, I know waiters can hate having solo diners) if the service is good.
Like I said: I understand with certain sizes of groups, because a good waiter/waitress works darn hard, and often doesn't average out to break even for his/her time.
DeleteGroups as small as the one described are not what I'm talking about.
And yes, Odysseus and I tip really well, too--somewhere between 20-25% for excellent service.
My son told us a coworker was asked by a regular customer about tipping. She told them what the going rate was. The couple told her point blank, "We give our church 10% why would we give you more." She always gets 6% from them no matter what. My son has received a $2.00 tip on a $98.00 check. Told keep the change.
ReplyDeleteMy son had 4 college girls one night, he gave them great service, they flirted with my son the whole time there. When they left they took penny's and spelled out .2. His tip was around a dollar. He was so mad he just left it on the table. Other customers saw it walked up to him and tipped him and he did not serve them. It made his night so better.
Your son would likely be one of the ones getting a good tip from us.
DeleteI have resisted commenting because I'm biased. I've taken abuse from customers for years. I have had bad customers I've wished I could call the cops on. But what can you do? You're there for them to wipe their feet on and to be a whipping boy for the bad week they had, and you hope you get some payment in kind for the service.
ReplyDeleteI have seen waitresses in tears in the kitchen, who wipe their eyes, touch up their make-up, put on a fake smile, and head back out for more. Because the money might be good. This time.
I have a policy, with what I've seen, of tipping $5 minimum. I can't afford much, but maybe my server is having a bad day. It happens, and they are working for me.
Think about it. Have a black waitress, and don't like black people? Stiff'em. Are incredibly tightfisted with money? You'll find an excuse. Feel that you are above these servants, or that a waitress is one step above a whore, and doesn't deserve respect? Any excuse or reason will do. You can bust your ass, and get squat for they day. And the next day get enough to treat yourself to a night out for a change.
And that's not even counting the con-(wo)men. I believe I have mentioned them before. People who will complain to the Manager about damn near anything just to get a discount, including pulling a hair from their own head and putting it in their food.
I truly love helping people. I think, oddly enough, that I am called to it. But after the 2000th, spoiled, whiney, elitist bastard, it wears on you, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it but bend over and smile. And comment on FFOT's.
I have been treated exactly as you describe, but haven't ever been a server. I refuse to treat others like that. Not only is it demeaning to them, it is demeaning to me.
DeleteI know what you mean--and that $5 tip is usually our standard. We don't reduce it for honest mistakes, but do short it if we don't see the waitstaff more than four times, as I said earlier.
I was actually wondering what your take on this story was. I figured it would be something along the lines you actually wrote, but with more detail than I knew anything about.
I apologize, I am confused. Did I provide more detail than you expected, or would you like more detail?
DeleteYou know the business from the inside; I don't. I was hoping to get an insider's perspective from you (and you didn't disappoint).
DeleteSorry my previous comment wasn't clear on that--I've spent the past two hours getting the kids settled down for bed (and the baby is teething, grumpy, and going into a growth spurt and fighting the sleepiness that goes with it with all her might).
I will say this: It takes a lot for a manager to call the cops. The normal tendency is to do what you said, give them a free something or other or discount just to keep the peace, and hopefully recover a customer. The "Customer is always right" mentality feeds this, so usually everyone in the restaurant has to just close their eyes and think of Mother England when customers complain. So for the cops to be called, they had to be truly horrid.
DeleteThe customer is always right, but some people aren't customers. They're thieves.