dinner ettiquette
So, say, if you were, hypothetically speaking, to go to dinner with girlfriends, and you were brought your check, which was for one drink, one appetizer and one salad, totalling $17 - and you added on a take out dinner, bringing your total bill to $31.......
and you paid with $40, would you expect change?
If said waitress was a poor waitress, and you weren't planning on leaving a tip at all, since your girlfriends had it covered.......
would you be upset that the waitress kept $8 + on a meal that was $18?
And if you asked for your receipt, and she told you that she had already crumpled it, and tossed it, and when......
you asked for a reprinted receipt, she stated that the computer was closed for the night.....
and so you called the next day to talk to the manager, who let you recite the entire evening before telling you that she wasn't the person you should speak to......
would you be upset?
Yes
Posted by: Suz | November 18, 2005 at 05:03 PM
Oh...upset? Understatement. I would have been up in the waitress' face that night or at the very least the manager. Is it a chain? Go for it!
Michele sent me.
Posted by: chatty | November 18, 2005 at 05:22 PM
Oooh, send a letter! We all know you're a pro at writing them, and I guarantee you'll get something free out of it if you're persistant.
Posted by: Annika | November 18, 2005 at 07:20 PM
Totally upset; the waitress should never keep their own tip, that's up to the customer. And no receipt, the computer's closed, etc.? Excuses to try to cover her extremely poor service and stealing.
Manager's passing the buck, too? Letter to place of business, BBB, etc.
Posted by: Stephanie C. | November 18, 2005 at 08:21 PM
Yep.
Posted by: lucy | November 19, 2005 at 09:52 AM
When I am out with friends and we don't get separate checks, I always end up spending more than I should.
Posted by: Fiona | November 19, 2005 at 10:09 AM
Oops--you did get a separate check? Then yea, you decide how much to tip.
Still, I always leave a tip, even if the service is subpar. I hated waiting tables, so I always tip.
Posted by: Fiona | November 19, 2005 at 10:12 AM
yes I would.
Posted by: NinaKaye | November 19, 2005 at 09:47 PM
VERY upset AND suspicious.
I would not let it rest, and I would NEVER go to that place again.
How awful, a nice evening out - and then to have her do this... :(
Sorry you had to experience this.
Posted by: Elizabeth | November 20, 2005 at 01:31 PM
A bad experience at a restaurant prompted me to call the manager. The manager did not sound mildly concerned. My next step was to email the CFO and the CEO of the company.
I got a personal call for the CEO of this large chain from here in the midwest. He profusely apologized for the incident and gave me his direct office number in case I ever had a problem in one of his restaurants.
Two weeks later, I received a $50 gift certificate with a very nice letter from him.
Okay my long winded point is, I am sure the people operating the restaurant would want to know how their employees are behaving while serving the customer. Give 'em a call!
Posted by: Chris | November 20, 2005 at 11:43 PM
hell yeah.
The waiter should NEVER keep the change without asking. ("Do you need change back?")
You probably should have said, "Excuse me? You owe me change."
And if she hesitated, you should ask to see the manager right then.
Posted by: kalisah | November 21, 2005 at 12:22 PM
I would be upset for sure. It didn't happen to be TGIF's did it *wink*
i woudl go higher up like omeone mentioned above.
Posted by: Mrs. Fun | November 21, 2005 at 05:20 PM
I would have been fuming!
Oh, the bed? A place in Lohman's Plaza - right next to Golf Galaxy.
Posted by: dena | November 22, 2005 at 01:18 AM
My, yes, I would be. I'd be publishing the name of the offending establishment and ensuring no one I knew ever went there again. There's no excuse for horrid service like this.
Posted by: Carmi | November 27, 2005 at 09:59 PM