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Always a popular subject on the level is how well groups of people tip. I figured I'd share a story that a guy I used to work with wrote about one of his tables:

I work at a fairly upscale French Bistro in the predominantly yuppie downtown district of my town, which does a fairly decent job of keeping unsavory types out of my section, but this past Sunday was an exception.

Sunday generally sucks for me anyway, as I am normally massively hungover and generally pissed off from the get go. I was the 12:30 in so I thought I had caught a break, until I walked in the back door put on my black and whites and strolled onto the floor. I looked towards the Host stand and saw what looked like the extras from an Akon video waiting to be seated. I immediately became filled with gloom, as I knew I was the only person that had an empty section. I have nothing against African Americans, except for the fact that they generally tip horrible, and they have the tendency to run me like I just entered a marathon. We have a "relaxed" dress code on Sunday, so Fubu and baggy jeans are acceptable attire unfortunately.

The host tells me that I will be getting a 14 top (My entire section). I don't feel all that bad at first, because I can auto grat anything over 8 at 20%. I begin to consider hitting up one of our many "mobile pharmacy" girl servers to take the edge off of the hell that will be the next two hours of my life ,as I stroll into the Kitchen and tell our line chef that a 14 is about to be sat. Antonio is my assigned busser/Runner, and he is already looking at me like I am about to lead him in front of a firing squad. Still, he grudgingly strolls onto the floor with water glasses and bread baskets.

I am in the process of jotting down the specials and our featured wines when the host taps me on the shoulder and informs me that what was supposed to be a 14 top has now decided to swap into two separate 7 tops to "make them more comfortable". I immediately call bullshit, as I know damn well their reasoning behind breaking up. I could protest to the floor manager, but I know all too well that my pleas would fall on deaf ears. "Damn, I am fucked", I say aloud as I pound down the remains of my Red Bull and stroll onto the floor.

I notice as I approach the joint tables that all the bread baskets are already empty and there are several people yelling loudly at Antonio for items that are way out of his pay grade. I give him a casual nod and he makes his escape back to the service station. I don't even have the opportunity to get out a "bonjour" when I am orally assaulted like a murder suspect on a witness stand. Important to note is the fact that our entire menu is in French. African Americans typically ask allot of questions regarding substitutions, etc, etc, etc to infinity, anyways (I used to work at Fridays). Try having a menu that they cant read to boot. Ya feel me? It takes me all of a half hour to 45 min to get their order jotted down. Naturally, about 90 percent of the group demands Rasberry lemonade. We can make it, but its expensive, as we use fresh squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, and fresh puree. They all have to be mixed and shaken by our bartender, Who I am sure will be looking to kill me after I get to the Micros station and type in my order.

What started out as bad, became progressively worse as the meal wore on. they drank so much lemonade before I even had the opportunity to run my salads that I inquired to one of our other servers, who is a nursing student, if it would be technically possible to go into toxic shock syndrome from ingesting too much. It was all poor Antonio could do to keep bread baskets full as they devoured it like they had just spent the last couple years in a refugee camp in Kenya.

Salads were as much of a problem as most of them seemed intent on having a dressing to salad ratio of 99 to 1. Watching them eat was a challenge for the fortitude of my stomach. Then there was the "Loud" Factor. They cursed allot and made many adjacent diners uncomfortable to say the least. At one point I even had to come over to the table and say "I am terribly sorry, but It would be deeply appreciated if you can keep the volume down as many guests are trying to enjoy their meal". This got me cold stares and dagger eyes like I was standing there in a white hood. I faintly heard "What is this, a mofucking library nigga?", as I was walking back to the kitchen.

After I served the food, I fielded a barrage of complaints. Dry food, steaks that were not "Well Done" enough, bitching for comps, etc to infinity. When I finally dropped off the bill the total came to just shy of 1400 bucks. They immediately called me over to discuss the bill. This always pisses me off when people complain about it. Like I set the prices. They demand to see a manager, and as I expect, they get their bill shaved down to 997.93. I take their card and run it at the micros and drop it off at the Table. I thank them as graciously as I can muster, and pray to they waiter gods to smile on me.

No such luck, as I open the checkbook at the table and see a single crumpled up one dollar bill next to the signed credit card slip. By the time I got the mess cleaned up and my section back in order, I was cut. I still had to tip out the host, bar, and Antonio out of my own pocket. So at the end of the day, I actually payed for this experience. Damn I wanna quit my job!

That's great. And not uncommon.

Only false part of the story was I didn't blame him or want to kill him for the lemonades AND I didn't let him tip me out.

This group was absolutely the worst I have ever seen.

Innocent question. Why didn't you just give them the two tables, but keep the check all on one bill?

I mean, if they're all part of the same group and all. The only diff is they're sitting at two adjacent tables.

That was a decision made by our spineless manager at the time. I actually threatened to kick his ass once and he hid in his car until I left.

NTFF. You don't think they would have bitched at that F_B? Man, I think you are naive at times....I am really starting to Imagine Carlton from "Fresh Prince"....

Actually the bill did come out on one check, but the "manager" made the waiter not put the tip on to avoid a confrontation that he knew he couldn't handle. His excuse was that they weren't tables of over 8.

Actually the bill did come out on one check, but the "manager" made the waiter not put the tip on to avoid a confrontation that he knew he couldn't handle. His excuse was that they weren't tables of over 8.

this manager sounds like the most worthless piece of shit you conceive.

why is it that many black people don't tip?

do they not know or just don't care?

it's tantamount to stealing.

But he had no option, if the table had been told upfront about the situation, they would have threatened to walk, and he would have been asked to explain why he let $1000+ of business walk.


If they had not been told up front then they would have said they were not a table of 8 and they need seperate checks.


Bottom line, they were pieces of shit that selfishly paid over $1000 for Sunday brunch and did not have the class to pay the person that waited on them.

And they should die.

And wait, Munch, you were actually present when this happened? Were you the bartender making the lemonades?

But he had no option

but they paid with one credit card for one bill!

Yes I was GGB.

The manager had a choice and the group was not told upfront. The "manager" seperated them because he knew they would complain about a tip being on their bill. He was afraid of them and separating them was something I'm convinced he did because it was the only way he could get my buddy not to put a tip on the bill.

So actaully your manager is just as much to blame- if there is a auto-grat rule which he did not follow.

Should they have tipped anyway? Yes.

But I'm just sayin'

why is it that many black people don't tip?

I honestly couldn't tell you. You would think it is a cultural thing.

But white women in pants suits will sit forever, split the cheapest thing on the menu and drink either hot tea (with their own tea bag) or water with lemon, and then want to pay all separate checks with a $20 bill each. They are worse tippers than black people, yet their husbands are generally very generous.

The manager was to blame for my buddy not getting his deserved 20%.

But he isn't to blame for the classless behavior.

Should have just put the full tip on the card with the understanding that if they contest it with the card company the server has to pay it back. I did it unilaterally (Read: without managerial consent) on many an occasion when I was in the business. Never got burned.

And GGB- you might be right- they could bitch all they wanted but so what? It's fucking house rules, man. You (the waiter) don't make the rules. You don't care if they never come back right?
What are they gonna do? Sue you?

Get some mutherfuckin stones already- I still blame the manager who isn't even in control of his own restaurant. Of course people are gonna run all over you if you let em.

yes he is, his ancestors held the party's ancestors as slaves

KB is on a roll today.

GGB,
The manager didn't have the stones to do that. I told my buddy to put the tip on anyway, but he is a young guy and was afraid of losing his job.

But he isn't to blame for the classless behavior.

Which is why I quit bartending.

Get some mutherfuckin stones already- I still blame the manager who isn't even in control of his own restaurant. Of course people are gonna run all over you if you let em.


You are absolutely right Fred. It was like a perfect storm totally effed the waiter. A classless group who he knew wouldn't tip and a spineless manager who wouldn't do anything about it.

black people tip black servers poorly, too.

also, black people's genitals are VERY musky smelling.

BTW, Munch, where did he post that? Bitterwaitress.com?

you would know, ballhawk

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