movieguru

Just wondering if this is a new thing or if it is just bad etiquette with regard to wait staff.

Yesterday I went to a local American taco type restaurant where they name their tacos after regional references with a group of friends. There was 14 of us in all. The service sucked to say the least. We had to ask for obvious things several times like napkins and utensils. The waiter could not get everyone's order right or remember who ordered which food or what was in each taco on the plates he was bringing out. I ordered a Diet Coke but got Doctor Pepper. Refills took forever for drinks and chips and you had to search for the waiter because he rarely ever came by the table. Some people got their meals more than 25 minutes after the first person got theirs.

There was one thing I found unusual though. We all received seperate checks. Half paid with their credit cards the other half with cash. When people paid with cash he never asked if anyone wanted change. My bill came to $9.15. I paid with a $20. when the waiter returned with everyone's change, I received a five dollar bill and five ones. No coins what so ever. The same thing happened to everone else that paid in cash. I normally tip 20%+, but becuase the service was so aweful I was only going to tip 15%. Since he stole some of my money, he got nothing else instead. Most of the others felt the same way. I don't what he did to those that paid with a credit card, but If I paid by credit card, I would be checking my credit card bill to make sure they didn't change the amount of the tip they wrote on the receipt.

We've been to this restaurant before and they've never kept the coinage without asking. It's not the amount of the money, but it's the priciple of the thing. I usually pay with credit card, so I've never noticed if this happens often. just wondering from those that have worked in this industry or often pay with cash if this is a normal proceedure now to not bother returning the change when it is under a dollar.

dex14

Did you ask the staff why?

Noonan

I'd imagine it may have to do with the amount of people at one table paying separately with cash? I wouldn't want to do all that math either.

ultimaton

Sounds like he didn't want to do much of anything.

Goat3001

Never seen that happen before. Based on your overall experience, it sounds like you had a waiter that was either too dumb or just enough of an asshole to not give proper change.

Having said that, I never waited tables but it has to be insanely annoying to have to do separate checks for 14 people by yourself. You should have had at least 2 waiters.

DVD Josh

That's fine and all but he could have then given him $11 back instead of only $10.

Dan

I see this happen often enough. When it happens to me, I just add that up in my head to include it in my final tip, whatever that may be. So if my bill is $9.15, I'll probably tip $2 or $3 anyway. If they come back with $10 only, not $10.85), then I just leave $1 or $2, since I know the "real" tip is $1.85 or $2.85.

I just assume it's borne out of the culture of knowing that some kind of tip is expected, so why bring back the filthy coins at all? I don't know. That's just my thought process.

And to be frank... if I'm eating out then chances are the server needs that $0.85 more than I do.

Noonan

I'm curious how this worked out with separate bills. Usually when you have a table of 8+ a tip is automatically added to the bill. With everyone cashing out separately, I don't think they're able to do that.

Obi-Wanma

I abhor carrying change of any kind, and anytime I pay in cash at a restaurant, any change returned gets left on the table with the tip, so this would not bother me.

Hokeyboy

That has never happened to me before as a regular occurrence. If the wrong change is received, I let them know immediately and correct the situation.

Did you bring it up with the waiter or anyone at the restaurant?

movieguru

No, the place was crowded and the service was so slow. After he dropped off everyones change, we never saw him again even though were were there for another ten minutes. Didn't want to waste any more time trying to find a manager or if one would show up if we asked. It was easier to just adjust the tip since he stole the money from us.

jpcamb

Ive had it happen a few times at differnet places. Does not bother me but it did strike me as odd. I can see it with all the separate checks, there was almost no way this waiter had a chance at getting 8+ of the folio things back to the table with loose change in them anyway.

At least you were not spending $80 for two people....

movieguru

Aren't you doing the math either way? If your total is $9.15 and someone gives you a $20, you take the 20.00 and subtract 9.15. If you decide to steal the change you have to add 9+1 and then subtract that from 20 or take 9.15 and figure out how much you have to add to it so that it equals the next whole numer, then you have to still subtract that number from 20. So you're really doing one extra math problem when you are not trying to give exact change. Besides just about every restaurant nowadays has a register and you just enter the amount and it does the math for you.

movieguru

There was another person that came out with the food which added to the problem because she also had no idea who ordered what or what was inside the tacos on each plate. We never actually asked for seperate checks. It seems to be standard now though to seperate give seperate checks unless it is obviously a family with children or a couple on a date or a night out. When ever I've been out with a group of three or more friends, every restaurant has always come back with seperate checks without asking.

movieguru

I can remember years ago when a large group of us from work went out and the bill had everyones order on it and they added the tip to the bill. Everyone split the bill down the middle and added a tip to it not realizing that they already put the tip on the bill. The adding the tip to the bill for large groups seem silly. There's always the comment on the menu "We reserve the right to add an 18% grutuity tot he bill of groups of 8 or more people. Feel free to add or subtract to that amount". If we can add or subtract to the amount, why bother adding it in the first place? Also most people are tipping at least 20% now, so if the add 18 % to the bill, people ususally won't add more after that, so they are shortchanging themselves in most cases.

Vibiana

I had lunch out today. My bill came to $11.76. I gave the server $15.01 and he gave me back $4.35 instead of the $3.35 I was owed. I pointed it out and returned a dollar to him immediately, then tipped him 20 percent.

I've waited tables in my day. You had a table with separate checks. It's a pain in the ass to handle. Why be a dick and not tip the guy over 85 fucking cents? Figure the 85 cents is part of the tip and be done with it. That guy makes about two bucks an hour.
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Draven

I'd argue that if you give poor service you shouldn't be tipped. Though I also have serious issues with restaurants being allowed to underpay employees because of tips.

I can't remember the last time I paid in cash that wasn't a situation where I got something with a group of friends and my bill was going to be like 14-15 bucks and I just leave a 20 because I don't want to deal with it. I never have any change with me but I'd be annoyed if the wait staff automatically assumed they got my change.

andicus

All that math? He's making change, not doing calculus.

Why So Blu?

Were you or your group being loud and obnoxious?

movieguru

He makes a minimum of $2.13 an hour pluse tips. He had our group plus two other tables which had a total of 7 people. So that's 21 people. If you steal 85 cents from 21 people in an hour that's $17.85. The average meal was at least $10 as some bought alcohol or more expensive meals. If everone tipped an average of 18 percent of the bill that's $37.80. So adding that up comes to $57.78 for just the one hour. Even if he has to tip out the bartender and has to work for an hour after closing to clean up, it doesn't sound too bad.

The point is though, it is the principle of thing. When I worked for this one retail company as an assistant manager, I was in charge of doing the payroll at the end of the week. He would tell me before I complete the payroll to make sure no one is over 40 hours before I post it. He did not want anyone to be paid for over 40 even if it was for just 5 minutes. I told him if he wants to steal then he will have to do it himself; and if he does he better hope I don't go and check any alterations later and let the employees know. Theft is theft. If I go through the express lane at the grocery store and my total was $9.15 and I hand the cashier $20, I expect to get back $10.85 and not $10 even. I don't care weather the cashier makes minimum wage or $15 an hour.

movieguru

No.

Toddarino

TomOpus

Good thing Oldboy wasn't with you. It would've been $80 a person.

Shannon Nutt

No one else does the trick (assuming you have change) where you give the guy $20.15 so he can give you back $11?

But in this case, it sounds like the guy didn't want to bother with "advanced" addition/subtraction.

Toddarino