Since when do we not require our change??

morningstar said:
The waiter probably didn't get the tip when you used that gift certificate - the waiter almost always gets screwed over when people don't actually pay for their meal.
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How is it NOT paying for the meal when someone paid for the gift certificate? It is not like the gift certificate was free. Why bother offering gift certificates. It is not like I'm going to sit there and calculate how much to eat. It was a meal for $200 and our meal cost us $150. They don't cash the certificate and I wouldn't eat there again not when the average meal for 2 is $150. That theory just doesn't make sense and I'd be pissed if I bought a gift certificate for a friend and they were treated like crap just because they used the certificate to tip with.
 
janie1234 said:
How is it NOT paying for the meal when someone paid for the gift certificate? It is not like the gift certificate was free. Why bother offering gift certificates. It is not like I'm going to sit there and calculate how much to eat. It was a meal for $200 and our meal cost us $150. They don't cash the certificate and I wouldn't eat there again not when the average meal for 2 is $150. That theory just doesn't make sense and I'd be pissed if I bought a gift certificate for a friend and they were treated like crap just because they used the certificate to tip with.
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Restaurant owners are absolute jerks and don't give a damn about their waiters. Waiters aren't doing the job because it's so much fun - it's damned hard work and if they aren't getting tipped decently, they can actually lose money because of the tip out they have to do to other staff - bartenders, buspeople, cashiers. When a table is comped, the people at that table usually do not tip, and the waiter is screwed. At least in Canada they get minimum wage plus tips, but I understand that in the States, the waiters' tips are considered to be part of their salaries until they reach minimum wage. Hell, if I was a waiter in the States and someone didn't tip me, for whatever reason, I'd probably key their cars.

What I meant by not paying for it, is that when people don't pay actual money at the time of service, they often don't tip, whether the table is comped, they have coupons, or a gift certificate.
 
morningstar said:
Restaurant owners are absolute jerks and don't give a damn about their waiters. Waiters aren't doing the job because it's so much fun - it's damned hard work and if they aren't getting tipped decently, they can actually lose money because of the tip out they have to do to other staff - bartenders, buspeople, cashiers. When a table is comped, the people at that table usually do not tip, and the waiter is screwed. At least in Canada they get minimum wage plus tips, but I understand that in the States, the waiters' tips are considered to be part of their salaries until they reach minimum wage. Hell, if I was a waiter in the States and someone didn't tip me, for whatever reason, I'd probably key their cars.

What I meant by not paying for it, is that when people don't pay actual money at the time of service, they often don't tip, whether the table is comped, they have coupons, or a gift certificate.
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If she put the tip on the gift card, then there is no reason why the waiter would not have gotten the tip. It shows up on their receipts just like it does with tips put on credit cards. When the waiter sits down and tally's up their tips from the night from their receipts, that tip would be included. How is it you think they would be missing out on a tip with a gift card? Now, if the person paying with the gift card didn't specify a tip to be put on the card, then I could see that happening, but Janie said she did. I've worked in a restaurant and don't see how this would be a problem?
 
morningstar said:
Listen, I agree with what everyone says, but I also want to add, what the heck's up with a drive through window for a freakin' cup of coffee?
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Sounds like you haven't had your morning coffee morningstar :p
I can think of many a good reason for picking up a hot beverage at the drive thru.

Also, if it is only 35 cents why was it so bloody important for the store employee to keep it?
 
I have worked in the restaurant business for 10+ years before I got my college degree. As a teacher, I have also worked as a server in the summers. I have worked in many different ones and in different states. I was a dishwasher, busser, hostess, bartender, server and server trainer.

I have never judged anyone with a gift card. I don't know anyone who ever has. And yes, the server will get the tip if it is indicated on the reciept by the customer, just as Liann said. It is just like a credit card.

Restaurant owners/managers are not jerks, they have all been in our shoes. They do not determine our hourly wage of $2.58 per hour. I am not sure who does, maybe the State? Yes, you have to tip out the other workers, but I know that I still walked home with 15-20% of my sales. Heck, I made better money waiting tables than I did during my first teaching job and didn't come home with a mountain of paperwork and think about the kids all the time. The other staff works just as hard as we do and they deserve it. It is a team effort. It is really hard work trying to make people happy, make conversation with strangers, etc.

As for not getting change for the coffee, that is ridiculous, even if it was just 35 cents. That seems like just bad character from the person who did it to me. I don't think that is the norm. It's never happened to me before.
 
That is awful for you and also bad for business. I would either call or better yet, go inside the business in person, and ask to speak to the manager about this, and tell the manager what you wrote here. My daughter works at a coffee shop and is in shock over this story. You know that the same place - if you had $3.00 and your bill was $3.01 - would not let you go without paying that extra penny!!! If the manager doesn't apologize and say that the staff will get some training on this issue - I would NEVER go back to that business.
 
morningstar said:
Listen, I agree with what everyone says, but I also want to add, what the heck's up with a drive through window for a freakin' cup of coffee?
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The very rare occasions we go to a place with a drive-thru (Starbucks on some weekends) we always go in. It's part of the fun of it for us (yeah...we don't get out much!). Once in a blue-moon, when I'm done teaching my class at the community college and am hurrying to get home to put in my hours for my full-time at-home job, I'll hit up the drive-thru at the Taco Bell (gross and not healthy, but they have vegan options and sometimes I haven't planned ahead, am starving, have nothing to eat at home, and I need convenient and, well, fast food). I do prefer not eating fast-food and not rushing a meal, but sometimes life has other ideas for me.

Here's a concept for you to try on: WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT PEOPLE! Seriously, not everyone else is like you. Who knows why people use the drive-thru or eat fast-food, or do 99% of the things they do, and who freakin' cares as long as it doesn't hurt or interfere with others?! While I pretty much agree with you personally about the drive-thru for coffee, I see no reason to think others should follow suit. I'm not trying to be mean, but often you come off as kind of judgey about such minor things. Maybe I'm just reading you wrong?

And about the gift card, when I was last dragged to (Cr)Applebees where they have NOTHING for me to eat, I used an ancient gift card (a thoughtful, but terrible gift from one of DH's students, but hey, it came in handy that day). I specifically asked the waitress if I could tip her on it and she said yes, it's absolutely the SAME THING! I said, "I have cash if that's better for you" and she reassured me that tipping on the card was A-freakin'-OK!

While we're airing tipping peeves, I learned from a waitress friend that servers hate it when people use coupons or discounts and then tip based on the discounted, rather than the normal, price. I thought that was good to know.
 
Good for you that you asked for your change. I bet a lot of people drive off without it because they just don't want to ask. I live in Delaware and we have no sales tax so if something if $9.99 - we pay exactly that. And I will take my penny every time. Why? Because it's mine! And we do the same thing as a previous poster said. We put in a jug for our vacation in summer and every year we have over $350 in change!

As far as tipping: A few months ago I stopped into a McDonalds and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a tip jar!!!!! These little jars have become way too excessive IMO. I am tired of seeing them everywhere!!!

As far as using a drive through for a cup of coffee - Yep - that would be me and I don't feel bad about that for one dang minute!!!
 
The drive thru is one of the best things ever invented. I rarely stop for coffee but I do use the one at the bank all the time. It is sooooo much easier when you have 2 little ones in car seats.
 
mabdoo said:
The drive thru is one of the best things ever invented. I rarely stop for coffee but I do use the one at the bank all the time. It is sooooo much easier when you have 2 little ones in car seats.
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Not to mention when there is no parking available because people like morningstar all went inside my neighborhood Starbucks to order their coffee/tea/latte ;)
 
I work in a small coffeeshop seasonally and have the opposite problem. I hate it when people walk off without their change leaving me to wonder - did they forget their change or am I supposed to assume they wanted to leave it as a tip? If I worked as a cashier anywhere else, I'd walk over and say, "Excuse me you forgot your change". I hate to assume that it is a tip and wind up usually putting it on the counter in case they come back or having to run them down and ask them. Awkward moment for me. How about saying, "Thanks, keep the change" and not leaving me to guess? Don't get me wrong, I love my tips but don't want to be that person people are complaining about either.

Lisa
 
You can't necessarily use a gift card to tip. We got gift cards to Buffalo Wild Wings (ick, yuck, hack, gag) for Xmas last year. The server said they don't get cash (money) back off of them for themselves. All they are allowed to do with it is use it to buy food for themselves. She said they don't mind, bc they get a discount anyway, so they could get quite a bit for a few bucks. Don't know if it is still the case there, but I imagine if thats they way they do it, then other restaurants prob do the same, esp if they are owned by the same corp.

Nan
 
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