It has been a while since I had a good rant on the blog.
Today I went to Toronto with my parents and we stopped for lunch. We stopped at a little Fish and Chip place we had never been to before. The area this restaurant was in , in well known for having residences with money. The restaurant was small. It was busy as it was just after lunch time. There was one lady working the entire floor. She had to cover ten busy tables while we were there.
She did a good job. She was quick, polite and the food was great!
The seating in this restaurant was really tight so it was easy to overhear people talking. The older couple beside us were having lunch with what looked like an old friend. The friend grabbed the bill and offered to pay. The wife of the couple said “If I had known you were paying I would have got dessert! Actually I would have got a few beers as well” Haha they all chuckled and it was cute.
The gentleman paying counted out the money for their lunch. There were three of them and I heard him count to ninety something.
He then asked the wife of the couple “Is $15 enough for a tip?” She replied that it was and he seemed content. Then for whatever reason the lady says “Actually, keep $5 back from the tip” The man looked at her puzzled. She then said “I think $10 is enough for her. After all she did not smile enough”
So $10 tip on a $90+ bill equals out to 9% most people tip 15-20% and the server usually has to share tips.
They said the food was good. They agreed she was quick and polite. Yet they penalized her for not smiling enough???? After all she was serving the entire restaurant on her own.
Maybe she was busy? Maybe she was so busy making sure everything was right she did not think to smile.
It took everything out of me not to tell this woman how rude I thought she was. She just got a free lunch. Now she is picking at the fact the server did not smile enough?
The workers who were there on their lunch all left tips. I do not know how much. The families did as well. Really, the amount does not matter as much as the reason for me.
My criteria for a tips is ; Good food, quick service, polite staff.
I was quite shocked that the woman was so quick to cut the tip due to lack of smiling. What do you think. Do you think “not smiling enough” is reason to cut a tip?
Grrrrrr. That's just being mean for no other reason that you can be. Awful treatment.
My recent post I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
Nothing I hate more than when people cheap a server on tips. It's a hard job and doesn't pay well … they need those tips! (Ever since I worked as a waitress, I've been the best tipper ever :))
My recent post In Honour of Earth Day
Oh wow, I've never heard of people skimping on their tip due to "smiling" regardless of the fact that everything else was great. Some people don't even realize they're not smiling and it's not out of rudeness or trying to be standoffish.
At first I thought you were going to say that she would keep the other $5. She is beyond rude – first she said she would have ordered much more if she knew she wasn't paying and then she recommended stiffing the waitress. A boor.
I'm with you – totally not appropriate. If you're getting great service in a busy place with one harried waitress who makes everything work for everyone – she deserves a good tip. Smiling is nice, and it's not like the woman said she didn't smile – she thought the server didn't smile 'enough'. I didn't know there was a number of smiles needed to earn a tip! I tip well for good service. If it's timely, genuine and I get good food, that's it! No smile meter needed. And since she wasn't paying, that makes her doubly cheap. Shame on her. (and I'm going to guess that you were twice as nice to the server to make up for the boorish behaviour of the other party, so maybe you helped make up for it just a little bit)
My recent post Canon EOS Rebel T4i Prize Package Giveaway! Enter to Win!
Wow! Are you kidding me? I have to agree with Brandi's comment. As a former waitress myself. Brandi hit it spot on. If everything was fabulous including service, the tip should have been higher. If not more then 15-20%! She was running the floor by her self! God forbid she didn't "smile" enough! :-O
I know what it's like to run your butt off and be the only person serving. We don't always think about smiling! We're concentrated on getting the food out and making sure everyone is happy. When we have time to smile, we smile! Just because were not smiling doesn't mean we aren't enjoying ourselves or that we aren't happy. People don't always have to be smiling for their personality to shine through. The service can still be supurb without one.
Sadly, in the restaurant/customer service industry, you always end up with at least one or two cheap aholes a day that complain about something as trival as this. It's people like that, that I have wanted to to say this to: "If you think you could have done better, by all means.." (hand out). "And don't forget to SMILE!!" LOL!…
Obviously that would not be tolerated and you would more than likely be fired. People like this woman make me cringe. I don't think I would have been able to just bite my tongue with that one. If I didn't work there, I would've said something. That's just me.
I've always been a cheerful person who's usually always smiling. It's who I am and something alot of customers remembered me for. Of course there wasn't always a perma-grin on my face. But if I wasn't smiling, they knew it was because I was just busy.
I've never heard of not smiling enough! Geesh! What would have happened if she was smiling too much? People like this woman are never satisfied. Something always has to be wrong. Grrrr!
Sounds like she is cheap and not smiling is an excuse to cover the fact she is cheap. If you cannot afford the tip you can't afford to eat out. I totally agree if the service is good and polite and helpful, and the food good (although the server often has no control over that) and it is served in a timely manner you get 20% on the total bill. I do not subtract the alcohol & tip. I tip on the total amount. Servers minimum wage is lower than regular minimum wage. That women should have to work doing that job for a day and my guess she will feel very different!