Waitress Who Posted No-Tip Receipt From “Pastor” Customer Fired From Job

The Consumerist ^ | 01/31/2013 | By Chris Morran

[cydcharisse]

A party of 20 ran up a bill for only $34.93?

[Scoutmaster]

Per the waitress' blog post, the group had the $200+ check for the table split into separate checks, apparently thinking it would get them out of the automatic 18% gratuity.

However, the same man paid for all of the checks, so the waitress ran his credit card separately through the machine for each of the checks.

[Oztrich Boy]

Also, if she is on staff as a “pastor” she is likely receiving a good portion of the 10% (or whatever %) that the congregation is giving to the church.

Like all of it, as "pastor and sole proprietor"

[mmichaels1970]

If she objected to the 18%, she should have adjusted it to 15% or 10% or whatever she felt was earned.

She claims she left a $6 cash tip which would amount to slightly over 17%.

[saleman]

Well suprise, suprise.

I work in retail sales. Automobiles actually. Pastors are notoriously cheap. Not cheap, stingy. And as for her skin color. Let’s just say that in the dealership I work in my ex general manager was a real bear about numbers and logging customers. I knew I was having problems with selling black customers so I ran the numbers. 33% of the people I talked to were black. 2% of the people I sold were black. So, I figured I had a problem and made the decison not to wait on any more blacks if I could help it. Racist? Just look at the numbers. I’m sure I was doing something wrong but the black customers really do seem to prefer that our black salespeople wait on them. So, it’s kinda a win/win

[AD from SpringBay]

Maybe the service was bad.

What!? How dare you bring up something like that. It was that evil, mean, selfish, no good, dirty, rotten, filty, Paaaaaastor who did this to the poor defenseless wait-person. The pastor probably makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a week. That waitress was entitled to a ginormous tip. Quality of service no longer matters unless, of course, one's thinking is stuck in the 50s.

[Cyber Liberty]

I always leave cash for a tip, so the actual server can do with it as they please.

Yeah, me too. 1) I don't trust the management to give it to her and 2) I don't want to leave a trail for the IRS. Oh, I usually start at 20% for my base tip. I've given 30% tips or more for really good service. I frequent the same places often, and they know me. We're good friends.

[Scoutmaster]

No. The party of 20+ ran up a bill of over $200. They asked for separate checks, crossed off the gratuity from most of the checks, and left the waitress with the equivalent of a 6% tip on the entire table. Then they asked her to run each check separately but using the same man’s credit card.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Did you read the article? It says the pastor left a $6.00 cash tip on the table.

[Above My Pay Grade]

If that is true, I approve of her scratching out the 18% but not her “I give God 10%” comment.

[LadyBuck]

Jerk customers come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

I once had a group of notoriously bad tipping regulars (with a standing weekly reservation) demand that I wait on them on my scheduled day off (and my birthday, to boot).

Good little soldier, I came in. My boss had somehow let them know I wasn’t supposed to work that night, but came in anyway because they were such loyal customers.

That night, the group gave me $200 tip, two dozen roses, a cake & and bought me a steak dinner. And every week after that, my tips from them were 25% or higher.

You just never know.

[mmichaels1970]

but not her “I give God 10%” comment.

I would agree. Like I said in an earlier post, if she in fact left the $6 tip, she was probably trying to get cute and left a joke that backfired on her.

[21twelve]

“I felt awful and reached into my own pocket to try to make up at least some of the difference.”

I used to do that when my BIL would buy dinner as he would leave a buck or something for an entire meal. After he became a cab driver he is a big tipper now!

[US_MilitaryRules]

Well that explains everything. We have a few restaurants that have closed down because these people have over taken the place. Then the restaurants can’t keep waiter/waitress’s because they are the worlds worst tippers.

[nickcarraway]

Yeah, I noticed afterwards. That means she goves God 10%, but she’s okay giving the government 75% to bomb innocent families and abort babies.

[Oztrich Boy]

No. The party of 20+ ran up a bill of over $200. They asked for separate checks, crossed off the gratuity from most of the checks, and left the waitress with the equivalent of a 6% tip on the entire table. Then they asked her to run each check separately but using the same man’s credit card.

Then the computor totalled the number of swipes, and automatically added 18% on top of the 6%.

Computer Karma ran over the Pastor's Dogma. Sweet.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I’m with you - by the way, if that pastor is giving her 10% to God, why does it end up back in her own pocket? She’s not God!

[Eagle of Liberty]

When I think about it, the separate checks issue is actually probably a pretty good justification for the auto-added gratuity. I've been with groups of 10 before where almost everybody but me decided to stick the server when they were done. I felt awful and reached into my own pocket to try to make up at least some of the difference.

Yeah, I don't mind the auto-gratuity if a) the party is a big party and b) the service is good. Scratching out the auto-gratuity and then writing down Zero? Wow. And then later stating that she left $6? I don't buy it.

[Lake Living]

For groups of over 8 (depending on the restaurant) many places charge an automatic 18% gratuity. If this is Applebee’s policy it should be stated somewhere (usually the menu) at the restaurant in writing. But whether or not that was the policy I can’t think of any pastor that I know that would act in such a manner. How is this loving your neighbor as yourself? Clearly the “pastor” was offended at this amount. Fine, then don’t eat there and tell management - not a waitress - why. Spend God’s money somewhere else. The waitress is in error posting the signature or private information online - but for me, her sin is easier to forgive that this pastor’s who’s supposed to be setting an example. A pastor’s salary can come from several different sources depending on denomination. I wonder what the percentage is of her salary from the money given at her church. Who thinks it’s 10%?

[To Hell With Poverty]

That was entirely true for me too. No tip, bossy and snide as all get-out. They had a system of asking for one thing after another each time you came back with what they just asked for. “We need straws.” “Oh I need more Sprite now.” “Extra napkins?” “Gimme a side of Ranch dressing” etc., etc, instead of letting me know up front while I was taking the order. One day I got fed up and came prepared. Walked up with a tray full of Sprites and a scowl and went from there.

“We need straws.”
BAM. Straws.

“I want extra napkins.”
BAM. Extra napkins.

(Getting annoyed that I didn’t have to keep running) “We want a side of Ranch dressing.” (They hadn’t even ordered yet)
BAM. Ranch dressing.

Wouldn’t you know it they actually left a tip!