re: Waitress stiffed on $735 takeout order, then fired for calling out customer on FB

Here's another example. Had a 1 year old birthday party at one of those kids places with games. At the end I go to pay, and the girl says if the hostess did well, you can add a tip here. Hadn't really thought about it up to that point and wasn't expecting it, but she did provide service (it was a buffet and she removed the plates that had been used in our room and the happy Birthday singing). So I rounded a 174 and change receipt to 190. That's 15 bucks for about an hour, but it's only 8%.
The issue is that I had no idea what's typical for such places.
And I can take it even a step further...we paid a $75 deposit that wasn't reflected on the final payment. So really, it was a $15 tip on ~250.
Is that appropriate? Doesn't sound like it. But like I said, it was 15/hr. So was it really that bad for that?

4 or 5 Years ago......... "The food doesn't pack itself" Out of Control

A leaked photo of a restaurant take-out receipt sparked controversy over the amount New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees — he of the $100 million contract — feels fit to leave as a tip. Brees ordered takeout from the Del Mar Rendezvous Chinese fusion restaurant in Del Mar, Calif., and his total with tax came out to $74.41. Brees left a $3 tip on the order (4%), angering gossip site The Dirty, which first publicized the photo.


American etiquette for tipping at high end restaurants is 18-20% for service and 8-10% for takeout. The food doesn’t pack itself @drewbrees

— Nik Richie (@nikrichie) July 31, 2013

Brees got plenty of flak from fans and service workers alike, but public opinion on Twitter is split. Most non-NFL players (including me) never tip on a takeout order, so why should Brees? Just because he has treasure chests full of money doesn’t mean he’s obligated to make it rain at the local Chinese fusion place. Brees responded to the issue on Twitter, clarifying that if he had sat down and ate at the restaurant, he would have tipped generously.


In case anyone still cares about this report: I tipped $3 on a takeout order. Had we sat down it would have been 20%+ LINK

— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) July 31, 2013

Daniel Schreiber, managing partner of the Del Mar Rendezvous, felt bad that the receipt leaked and Brees fell under fire for the tip, and decided to donate money to Brees’ foundation to make up for it.


“I… have issued a personal apology to Mr. Brees along with a personal donation of $888.88 (eight is the luckiest number in Chinese culture) to his Breed Dream Foundation today…. [The receipt] would indicate that Mr. Brees is a very generous individual, as it would be a take-out receipt… and takeout orders do not usually garner a tip at our restaurant.”

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Isn't that a problem for the server and the restaurant to solve?

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Not paying for services rendered? I think that falls on the consumer.

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That's one of the many problems with the tipping system - people don't know the ins and outs of it.

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I agree, the tipping system sucks and should be done away with. But unfortunately it's still there. Anyone not still in high school knows that you are supposed to tip at a restaurant though.

I get not knowing to tip on a to go order, but many on here are arguing the server didn't do much to deserve one which isn't true. She would have to have done alot of work coupled with the opportunity cost of not being able to wait on tables that would actually pay her.

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Someone needs to tell these service industry workers no one gives a shite about your plight

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I don't believe this is really about affordability. People simply don't know how much work, if any, went into preparing a takeout order. Furthermore, every place is different as to who was ultimately responsible for getting that order together.

This thread is proof that tipping on takeout is confusing, if it even happens at all.

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I agree with this. Alot of people don't realize they need to, and when they do don't know how much to. I hate the tipping system, wish we could get rid of it.

I do think people underestimate the amount of work the waiters do though. It's not just bitching and feeling entitled, there is a lot of work that goes into making a restaurant function from both the front and the back of the house. Waiting is good money, but it is alot of work.

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Not paying for services rendered? I think that falls on the consumer.

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My point is that the customer walks in, pays for the order, and the order is his. A tip is not required. Nothing was stolen.

Therein lies the problem with the system.

See, this is her opportunity to seize her destiny. Because the movie Ted taught me that this chick is supposed to be a stripper.

Lose about 50 pounds and make it to your destiny Tamalyn.

Last i checked takeout waitress don't make less than minimum wage where tips are expected to compensate for their small hourly wage.

Sure a tip would be nice, and i usually throw a $1 or so to a takeout waitress but boxing up the order, regardless of how large it is falls under her job duties that she is being paid for.

To expect a tip is retarded.

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Time and work was.

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Which she is compensated for by having a larger salary than servers.

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Do you sit there and watch your accountant the whole time to keep tabs on the amount of work done? And then only pay him what you think he deserves based on what you actually saw? The answer of course is no, and shouldn't be the case with a server either since they are paid directly by the customer for services rendered. I hate the system too, but for the time being that's how it is.

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Again she's a takeout girl, not a waitress.

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that's how it is

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because the consuming public allows it to be that way

if you don't want it to be that way, then change. nobody is holding a proverbial gun to your head to hand over money that you are in no way contractually obligated to provide. Before you even start, eat a dick with the "social contract" talk. Not my problem.