[kagney123]

I have also heard this has become a new trend... I say these people are cowards..

Servers work hard and long and from now on, I will tip over the amount to help make up the difference of these mean non tippers.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by kagney123

I have also heard this has become a new trend... I say these people are cowards..

Servers work hard and long and from now on, I will tip over the amount to help make up the difference of these mean non tippers.

I so agree. That is outrageous, and cheap and cowardly.

[golf2140]

Originally Posted by KathieI

Red, I think that's awful. How ridiculous can people be. I feel so bad for the servers here in FL, they make so little money and they normally do work very hard.

I have a rule of thumb with tipping, if the bill is under $20 and the service was great, (notice I didn't say the food because the server really has nothing to do with the quality of food), I leave a $5 tip. Very rarely, however, my bill is under $20 so I leave a proportional amount of tip above $5. I think it is appreciated because I can tell when I frequent a restaurant, I do get good service.

Kathie,

We must be related. I do the same. For people to write a note is just plain rude. I see more and more of that in our area.

[KathieI]

Originally Posted by golf2140

Kathie,

We must be related. I do the same. For people to write a note is just plain rude. I see more and more of that in our area.

Hahahaha,,, your not husband #2 are you??? Shhhhh......

[Halle]

Originally Posted by kagney123

I have also heard this has become a new trend... I say these people are cowards..

Servers work hard and long and from now on, I will tip over the amount to help make up the difference of these mean non tippers.

I agree I will also increase my tips for good service. I have always been a generous tipper and after reading this thread will be even more generous.

[Trayderjoe]

Originally Posted by redwitch

As many of you know, my daughter is a server at Olive Garden. It seems that lately people have been leaving notes on checks rather than tipping (this started after OG started putting recommended tip amounts). Some of these comments have included, "Trevon Martin got no justice so you get no tip." "Thanks to Obama, I'm losing my Medicare so you get to lose your tip." "I only make 10% on my annuities so I'm not giving you 18%." and so on and so forth. I've never heard of such small-minded petty comments before.

I understand that some people don't believe in tipping and, I guess, that's up to them but to blame a server for the politics of a state or the general economy is just plain mean.

Small minded people like these are just looking for an excuse not to tip and unfortunately other people "pay" for this behavior. I tip commensurate to the service, and make it a point to speak to the manager to inform him/her of exceptionally good, or really bad service. I can only think of one server that we have had at a Villages establishment (the name of the restaurant is inconsequential to this discussion) who was less than adequate (we were pretty much ignored-getting a drink refill was next to non-existent and the plates were almost literally dropped on the table).

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by blueash

I wonder if this is a general finding around here or is it more specific to Darden Restaurants?

Just curious - Why would you think it is isolated to Darden chains? One poster said the same thing happened to someone they know at Applebee's (not a Darden chain member).

[perrjojo]

My husband and I had breakfast at Perkins on 441 today. When our server left the check, she also left a cute Halloween pin that she makes for all of her customers. How cool is that? Of course she got a very nice tips.

[gomoho]

My brother recently shared his philosophy with me about tipping - he tips servers generously to thank them for working - he ignores people begging in the streets.

[perrjojo]

Originally Posted by gomoho

My brother recently shared his philosophy with me about tipping - he tips servers generously to thank them for working - he ignores people begging in the streets.

A wise man.

[George Bieniaszek]

These people obviously don't or never worked in the service industry so they don't understand how hard servers or bartenders work during a normal shift to take care of their customers. My son works as a bartender in Connecticut and knows who the best or better tippers are and who don't tip at all. They get the best service from him, while the non-tippers are usually the last ones to be served when the bar fills up quickly.

If people cannot afford the tip to those that serve you and try their hardest to provide the best dining experience then they should stay home and discuss their views or agenda with themselves.

[l2ridehd]

I read an article someplace within the last week that claimed that studies have been done and when a restaurant shows the recommended tip, that tip totals actually decrease. Has something to do with showing the % (usually 18%) and people getting upset with the recommendation. Also depended on how the % was applied. Total plus tax or just food and beverage total. If I can find it again I will post the link.

But in any case, if you get good service, leave a good tip. (20 to 25%) If service is bad, still leave a smaller tip and tell the waiter/waitress why. Maybe they can fix the problem next time. Remember their hourly wage is not very high.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by kittygilchrist

If one has enough money and health to eat out at Olive Garden, and enough brains to write a coherent note, one is neither too poor nor too ill to leave a good server a good tip.

I agree with you. I was giving a probable reason, NOT an excuse. There is no excuse for such behavior.

Personally, I think extreme cheapskate tactics border on mental illness. Sometimes it's wealthy people who are the cheapest, pretending (lying) that they can't afford something under $10.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by perrjojo

My husband and I had breakfast at Perkins on 441 today. When our server left the check, she also left a cute Halloween pin that she makes for all of her customers. How cool is that? Of course she got a very nice tips.

The general manager was cashiering there the other day, and was right out there on the front lines where every manager ought to be, to see what both servers AND customers have to put up with! Her presence had a lot to do with the good service/food we got.

[CraigAC]

I've never had a bad service experience at any Village's restaurant. The servers have always been very pleasant and truly made us feel that they appreciated our business.

It bothers me every time I read about people that refuse to tip or under-tip. I wonder if they realize that most of these dedicated servers depend on their tips to pay their rent and basic living expenses?

I never penalize a server for having a bad day -- I've had a few in my time as well and was always thankful that my boss or coworkers never held it against me.

It's sad that this problem will probably never go away.