WWYHD?

[mskitkat]

Former server. I wouldn't have tipped. If it was just the kitchen screwing up and the server tries to make it right (she should have brought fries for the kids), I don't penalize her. In this case, she completely ignored you, didn't bring silverware, didn't do anything to try and help you. No tip. Or maybe $1 to be insulting.

[mollybrown]

Definitely not out of line. I wouldn't have tipped. It doesn't sound like anything was right about the experience, so no tip was warranted. It doesn't even sound like she tried to salvage your meal.

I've been a server too, and the first thing I was taught about how to handle the situation when big things go wrong is to bring out something free, or offer to comp something. It's much cheaper for a restaurant to send out some free fries or an app than to have to comp the whole meal when you complain to the manager.

[candycane]

I don't think you were out of line at all.

I used to be a server and even I probably wouldn't have tipped in this situation. If she had tried to recover the situation by paying you guys extra attention and apologizing, I would tip 12-15%. But she basically ignored you guys after her mess up so it's her fault for not trying to recover it. Plus, since she is getting minimum wage, I wouldn't feel as bad as if she was making $2 an hour or something.

[Deleted]

Apr 7, 2013 7:23:08 GMT -5 ECB said:

Apr 7, 2013 7:14:43 GMT -5 @sirsleepsalot said:

Just to make sure she knows you hate her?  She knows she did a bad job, I'm sure she didn't expect a tip.  I don't know why people feel a burning desire to try to make 19 year old Red Robin waitresses feel like shit.  It's a pathological control issue in America, I swear to god.  

Seriously?  so she knows I "hate" her?  Good grief. 

She may "know" she did a bad job and she might actually not care until she realizes "oh - wait - it's actually affecting how much $$ I'm making". 

Who knows.  But having had bad service myself - I don't "hate" the person, nor am I out to make them feel like shit.  If I tip poorly, it's to let them know I don't appreciate the bad service.

Obviously, that's the point of tipping.  And it's your right.  Going out of your way to leave a small, insignificant tip just so she knows she gave bad service is kind of silly.  In this case, leave nothing if that's how you feel - the gal obviously knew she blew it and probably didn't expect a tip anyway.  She probably doesn't CARE anyway - I waitressed for 10 years, if I had ever blown the service on a table that badly I would have fallen all over myself apologizing, comped the meal and expected nothing.  They don't need a "lesson" from the customer on top of it.  It's their job, they get it.

[bronxgirl]

Apr 7, 2013 8:45:36 GMT -5 Catlawdy said:

They'll do bun less burgers for low carb people.

I'd have tipped something, she didn't burn your food herself and she may have avoided the table bc of how irritated you were or been flustered over the kitchen screw up.

which is kind of like the definition of poor service 

[dexteroni]

Apr 7, 2013 13:17:14 GMT -5 bronxgirl said:

Apr 7, 2013 8:45:36 GMT -5 Catlawdy said:

They'll do bun less burgers for low carb people.

I'd have tipped something, she didn't burn your food herself and she may have avoided the table bc of how irritated you were or been flustered over the kitchen screw up.

which is kind of like the definition of poor service 

Exactly. Good service in a situation like this would be coming back, apologizing, paying extra attention to the table instead of ignoring it.  Anyone can make a mistake; when I can tell a server is trying to make up for it, I still tip well.

[Lucille Bluth]

Where's Springs1 when you need him / her?

[bronxgirl]

Apr 7, 2013 13:40:50 GMT -5 Lucille Bluth said:

Where's Springs1 when you need him / her?

just say the magic words... ranch dressing

[Deleted]

Apr 7, 2013 11:06:26 GMT -5 @libgrl said:

Apr 7, 2013 9:58:48 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

If you leave 10% you are definitely sending a message and it is not a kind one.

I guess I don't know how to explain what I'm saying better. Sure, a 10% tip sucks and I would leave one very rarely and only if the service was truly bad. 20% for good service, 15% for somewhat questionable service. 

I have not left a 10% tip thinking "I want this server to get the message that she sucks". I have left one thinking "the service was bad, but I feel bad leaving a lower tip. I just can't justify spending more money on this tip since it wasn't worth the money to me". I know going into a restaurant that I am going to be paying 20% more than the menu price, but tipping gives me the option to give less if what I received was not satisfactory. 

Also, I got a ton of 10% tips when I waited tables. I also got a ton of 20% or even 30% or more tips. Sometimes people are just cheap or ignorant or some combination. If I provided crappy service and got a lower tip, I expected it. If I provided the normal level of service - that most people tipped at least 15-20% for - and I still got a 10% tip, it sent no message other than that the customer was cheap. I mean I waited tables at Applebees and Perkins, so the clientele wasn't exactly upscale.

If people feel good about themselves because they feel like they really sent a message to a server, more power to them I guess. I just think it's a snotty attitude to think that you're going to send some big message to a server. Sadly, bad tippers are common and it's a little self important to think that the server is even going to give a second thought to why you left a poor tip. It's the attitude about it, not the actual smaller tip, that's rubbing me the wrong way in this post.

[WOT?*]

First of all - PARAGRAPHS!

I didn't call the manager. I don't know why she appeared at our table. Maybe she was already monitoring the waitress, maybe the waitress approached her about the error in the kitchen (if that is what happened but since my sandwich was also black around the edges and untoasted in the middle I wouldn't be shocked), maybe the hostess approached her after I'd asked for silverware, maybe she saw me craning my neck looking for the server. Who knows?

I wasn't flustered or irritated enough to complain about the lack of service; that would have shown in the tip. I got flustered when the manager showed up at the table after we'd been waiting for ten or so minutes after DH's and my food came and there were still no grilled cheese sandwiches for the girls, we still had no refills or silverware (the waitress noted we didn't have any and said she'd be back but we didn't see her again until the manager appeared). Maybe she *thought* we looked irritated because I was trying to find her and probably looking irritated that I had to look when she didn't appear with the promised silverware (that I eventually had to seek out) or the girls' food. The manager came to our table with one sandwich, not two, and apologies that the food got burned and my response was "Again? So they burned the sandwiches twice? Are the remaking the other sandwich now? We ordered two sandwiches. Are we waiting on another one now?" and I immediately veered into "and really, the girls should have gotten fries or *something* to eat while they were waiting instead of us waiting for their food or them watching us eat. And his sandwich has avocado and he was quite clear he wanted BLT with no avocado. Her (GD2) glass is empty and she needs a refill. This really isn't acceptable." So yeah, when I saw only one sandwich instead of the hoped-for two so we could get on with our meal I got irritated and went off. Didn't yell, didn't scream but I did unload on the manager because yes I was irritated. I was also clear during her apologies that we'd been there a number of times, were familiar with the place and knew it was a one-off and not the general rule. She "hoped we'd come back" and my response was "of course. We've been coming for years and one experience wouldn't taint the others."

If she'd simply shown up with the food all would have been well. She didn't and so it progressed.

WRT the comment about "letting the girls eat the fruit salad with their fingers" I do hope that was tongue-in-cheek. We're (re)training them, teaching (or reteaching) them proper etiquette, they are 7 and 9, the fruit salad is sliced fruit in juice and we don't eat fruit in juice with our fingers in our house or in public so that would not have gone over well with me. That is why I went to get silverware when she didn't bring it.

[RoxMonster]

Former server here and I don't think you were out of line w/r/t the manager comments.

I probably would have left a small tip. Maybe no tip depending on her attitude when she was interacting with you. Tips should be raised or lowered based on things in the server's control.

If we go out to eat and the food is slow but the server is nice, helpful, and providing good service, we still tip the 20% we normally do. Slow food is most likely the kitchen getting backed up and out of the server's control.

If the waitress is snotty or rude to our face for no reason (like we are being totally polite to her) or we see her walk by our table numerous times and ignore us, then a small or no tip. The server's attitude is completely within his/her control and something I will deduce tip for. I've worked in the service industry for years, and even if you are having a crappy day as a server, salesperson, whatever, that is no reason to be rude to customers who are being more than kind to you. If a server is slow getting drink refills or forgets something we ask for, as long as they apologize for it and do bring it out, then I'm even fine with it.

Tips should reflect the service you received. Yes, there are people that get perfectly good service and are just jerks and stiff servers or leave a dollar or something equally ridiculous. You can't control that. But the tip should be a reflection of how good of a job the server did in providing service and a tip should not be a given at all.

[msmerymac]

I don't think I've ever not tipped. I think complaining to the manager is enough, and you made your concerns known.

[mrssandro]

I would have not tipped.

I also wouldn't think twice about this.

We tip 20% for passive minimal service. We over tip for exceptional service. Horrible service gets 10% or less.

[Deleted]

Apr 7, 2013 8:45:36 GMT -5 Catlawdy said:

They'll do bun less burgers for low carb people.

I'd have tipped something, she didn't burn your food herself and she may have avoided the table bc of how irritated you were or been flustered over the kitchen screw up.

But that's the exact wrong thing to do. 

Long before the food was burned/screwed up she should have ensured the table had full place settings and drinks.

When the food was screwed up, if she felt uncomfortable or noticed how irritated they were she should have been telling her manager right away that she needed help.

And even knowing they were irritated she should have checked that what did come out was okay, and did they need anything else.


Even without the kitchen screw up she sounds like a bad waitress. 

And no I wouldn't have tipped.

[WOT?*]

FTR, I would have left a small tip but all I had were $10 and $20 and one $1 - out in the car. DH didn't want to (and didn't) leave a tip at all.

[sparkythelawyer]

I would not have tipped based on what you described.

If she'd come over and said, "You know, I'm sorry, the sandwiches were burned, here's some fruit or fries and some coloring books for the kids, a refill on the sodas and what else can we do to tide you guys over?" And gotten over her embarassment and gotten the job done, I'd have tipped the crap out of her.