Skip to main content

Good Tips for Good Karma


I've posted quite a bit about getting poor tips from many different customers, both foreign and domestic. Yes, it's frustrating and irritating when this happens. I think my frustration is split evenly between people still not knowing how to tip properly, (mostly overseas customers,) and the fact that I still depend upon people's generosity to provide for my family and pay my bills.

However, not all tips are bad. Through my tirades and bitching, I have made a difference in the way some people tip. For example, my parents consistently tip 20 percent. Although it's mostly because their son works in the industry, but nonetheless, it's 20 percent.

And then there's the power of the Internet. I have come across many stories of a "random" person who left some outrageous tip for some unsuspecting server or bartender.  Take the story below for instance.  Thanks to my friend Joan, who posted this on my Facebook, I was able to learn how a man's dying wish was to leave random people a very generous gratuity.  See below:



It was that man's dying wish to be generous and leave an awesome gratuity!  I've had customers wish I was dead, but never were dying to leave me anything like that.  Almost restores my faith in humanity... almost.

 Here's another great story about a server who works at a Steak N' Shake.  That place might sound familiar to those of you who listen to my podcast.  It was Beth Haggerty's first job in the service industry.  You can check out Beth's episode HERE.  And below is the story about the generous tip at the Steak N' Shake.

These phantom tippers seem to appear out of nowhere.  I like how the manager actually complimented his server.  And rightfully so!  Makes me believe that lightning can strike the same place twice.  First strike was the tip, the second strike was the compliment from the manager.  Most things I hear from management are:  1. Get off your phone.  2. Upsell. And 3. Get your shift covered.

So these things do happen.  Not often, but they do happen.  Hell, I get excited when I get an 8 percent tip from Mr. Walsh.  He's a regular at one of my places who's notorious for poor tipping and complaining about not getting enough stuff for free.  But stranger things have happened.

The new podcast is up.  Please go to iTunes and rate and review the show.

Until next time... Server's don't pay their rent with compliments.

 "Bitter.  Party of 1?  Your table is ready."

 The Bitter Bistro

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER CLICK HERE

"LIKE" ME ON FACEBOOK CLICK HERE



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

You Got Yelp!!!

What better way to get through the work week than to pick on the people who's parents truly should have considered contraceptives before having sex, the people who write negative reviews on Yelp.com. As always, I have found someone who embodies the spirit of "douchebaggery."  Who alone, stands to make a mark on the world because he is THAT important.  (And by mark, I mean skid mark.) Scott B., from Beverly Hills, CA makes the list.  His review is short, direct, and abrupt, because he's "got places to go people!"  Here's what Scott had to say about one restaurant in Los Angeles: "If you have an unlimited amount of time and an equally unlimited amount of patience, than this place might be worth it."  It's nice to see that Scott was stepping out of his box to test himself on this theory. "If I ever indeed got serviced within the time frame I had to eat, I might chance the food again!"   Since Scott is obviously an alien, h
Post a Comment
Read more

Empty Restaurant Syndrome

When Charles Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," he must have worked in a restaurant that used to be booming, but had come crashing to a halt.  Time cannot be crueler, than time standing still in an empty restaurant. I've noticed that restaurants have busy and slow seasons.  Yes, there are some restaurants that are busy 365 days a year.  Spago in Beverly Hills is one of those places.  But for the rest of us peons who couldn't get hired at one of the cash-cows, we work at places that suffer from great highs, and extreme lows.  When it gets close to tax time, my restaurant is slow.  When the holidays roll around, business picks up with parties and bosses acting like they care by paying for the company to have a 3-course meal. Right now I am in the midst of the slow season.  School just started.  Families are adjusting to their fall schedules.  Whatever!  This in turn has given me ample time to reflect on my life and how long I hav
Post a Comment
Read more

Excuse Tips

It's ideal for a server to receive 18 to 20 percent gratuity for a job well done.  Now it seems that customers are looking to leave an excuse rather than a monetary tip explaining why they couldn't leave their server any money.  WTF?!! Of course, because my landlord would love to receive an excuse instead of a check for rent this month. "I don't have the money for rent, because I'm a writer/comedian.  But I adore this building.  So secure." The above picture was found on Yahoo.com .  One of the comments said that they thought this was an altered pic, but I have actually seen this happen to myself and co-workers.  And by-the-way, what if the server waiting on the woman was a single parent?  So the lady who wrote this has now started a domino effect on their server who is struggling to make ends meet.  And so on, and so on...  Get bent! I don't believe in saying that if you can't afford to go out, that you should never go out.  There are ways t
89 comments
Read more