This past weekend, we ate at On the Border on NW Expressway. I will say, I'll never eat there again. This is the third time I've eaten there, and all 3 times I haven't been impressed. The food wasn't anything special...and it was pricey. I'm better off at Ted's. The waitress coughed and sneezed on our food, then served it to us....I demanded she bring us new plates. She didn't even apologize...in fact, she fought us on the issue, telling me I was just being "picky."
I basically had to refill my own drinks. And I had to get another waiter to refill our chips and salsa. At the end, when I gave her the money, she asked if I needed any change. I hate when waiters ask that question. It's as if they're asking me straight out for the tip. Look lady.....just bring me my change and I'll decide. If I want you to keep the rest, I'll tell you myself. Don't assume anything. Anyways, I was using my credit card. She comes back with the receipt, puts it down in front of me, and points at the tip line, telling me to include my tip there! Huh! I don't need het to tell me I have to give her a tip...I'll decide that.

Anyways, I left a tip, but it wasn't decent. I tip based on service. The way I look at it...I work hard for my money, my server should as well!

I once heard about a guy that put his tip on the table at the start....then, based on the service, he'd either add or take away bills.
I think this story is a little cruel, but it makes a point. If servers want decent tips, they need to show that they deserve them. If I'm having to serve myself, I'm gonig to pay myself, by keeping my portion of the tip!

Indeed

Patrick,

OMG.I would have talked to the Manager about her!What a nasty wench to hack all over your food and expect you to eat it.Yes you are better off at Teds Anyway I cannont believe the finale with her though how she poited to the line and siad tip goes here.That my friend is DESPERATION.She must be doing these sort of routines with so many customers that she doesnt get any.Im surprised she still works there.I DO however Love the idea your friend had about starting with the tip on the table and then take away for bad service.Thats excellent.Sorry you guys didnt have a good time Patrick.You and your Fiancee and Matt and I should go to Teds and make this all better!LOL

DarlingDiva

If I got bad service like that and someone pointed and said "there's the tip jar," I would say "here's your tip. Learn to treat customers with respect or get another job." Then I would call the manager.

T.I.P.S. Acronym meaning TO INSURE PROPER SERVICE.

The way I see it is, they get paid a minimum wage ( I think it is $2.13 an hour) for working. So why would a person that is getting paid hourly whether you eat there or not care about any of those things if there is nothing extra in it for them?

T.I.P.S. - Tipping Insures Prompt (or Proper) Service. They will work hard for you and you will reward them at the end for a job well done. I think in the end, there are enough people out there that understand that a good tip is a kind reward for a job well done; waiting tables can be quite profitable. It is no surprise that the most successful waiters are typically the most friendly, efficient and entertaining. I know those are the kind of people I am most generous with.

I have always accepted the practice of tipping, and I realize that by some economic quirk they are what many people need to make a living wage. I generally follow the 15% standard. Yet, I reserve the right to reduce or withhold a tip. In my opinion, tipping is not a courtesy. It is a payment for service, and if that service is not satisfactory, the payment is withheld.

I follow the rule that most people should follow.

If you give me lousy service: NO TIP! come around every ten minutes to offer me more coffee: maybe 10%. Good service: maybe 15%, Great service: anything from 20 to 100% maybe more.

I do not believe in these places that add a "customary" gratuity. Tip should be what YOU feel they deserve.

I could care less that they only make $2.00 per hour (retorical statement). They need to learn respect and how to serve people.

No service or lousy service, no tip!

I agree mranderson. I do understand that you're basically paying your server....the restaurant really isn't. But, I have to look at it from a business perspective......if this person were my employee and working for me, how would I deal with them? I think there's only been one time in my life when I didn't leave a tip. That's only because I basically had to serve myself, so I felt I deserved the payment. In situations like the one I described above, I base my tip on how much work and effort I feel the server put into the job. The server I commented on above, I gave 10% to. It was probably too much, but I always feel guilty about not leaving at least something.
Anyways, typically I give betwen 15 and 20%. I do give more for great service. I was at Macaroni Grill awhile back and received the best service I've ever had. I actually tipped $10 on a $25 ticket for 2. That's 40%. I tipped a similar amount at Bahama Breeze last time I was there.

I've never actually used the method of putting the money on the table and adding and subtracting based on service, but I thought it made an interesting point......you're paying based on the service you receive.

DarlingDiva....we all definitely need to get together for Ted's sometime soon, or maybe even Laredo's, if Midtowner will come! lol!

They have needed to throw that G.M. out over there for a long time. He could really care less about the business. I too have had bad service over there but the food has been good in the past though. That's the problem with the corporates, it's all about the bottom line. As for Servers, if you don't keep a "clean house"(get the bad ones out that don't care about being the best) it will ruin you.
They've had issues in this area for a long time...

Thanks,
Ted.

Not Tipping poor service is not the answer, because most servers don't get the point. If you have a bad dining experience ask to speak with the manager. Let the manager know when the service is not up to standards. I have worked in the service industry and have been eating most of my life...lol so I have seen it from both sides. If the service is exceptional or the food was out of this world let the manager know about that as well. The managers really get tired of just hearing the bad side. I know one good story can erase 100 bad ones.

Granted. Speaking to a manager is an answer. However, if the waiter or waitress gives enough people bad service, and all those people do not tip, then that waitperson will realize something is wrong.

No good service, no tip. regardless of whether or not I go to the manager.

Yep, I agree about going to the manager. The only problem is a lot of them could really care less. Unless the owners focus on guest satisfaction often the managers down below will do anything they can to make their job as easy as possible. One of the ways to accomplish this goal is not to fire people. If you fire people you have to first rehire, then retrain, then rewrite your schedules, and spend extra money out of your "bonus" to do all the above. It's easier to leave everything staus quo and turn your back. The servers, if you let them, will always cut corners and take the easy way out especially towards the end of a shift. All they want to do is roll their silver and get the heck out of Dodge.

Rarely have I seen a server make the correlation between being stiffed and their bad service. Usually they just spew venom and never turn the blame on themselves. In their mind they were doing the best they could and did no wrong. These situations often occur when the server gets double or triple seated without help. When you interview them about a bad service event you often have to ask them 3-times before you come to what they did wrong. They truly don't get it un til pointed out. They're associating busy with quality. In the end the manager route is the way to go or definately filling out a comment card, if the restaurant even uses them, to share your thoughts.

Thanks,
Ted.

I would've waited for her in the parking lot. Hehe, j/k!!! No, I don't eat at IHOP anymore because it seems like the managers hire most of their staff out from under a rock. Everytime my wife and I went to IHOP, we always had some wierd freaky waitor. They waitresses are usually nice, but the waitors tended to flirt with my wife, or crack a joke so bad that I didn't event leave a tip.

The waitor asked, "Do you have insurance?"

I was confused. "Come again?" I asked.

"Do you have insurance?" He repeated.

"Uh, yeah," I answered.

"Here's your ticket," he replied, handing me my check with a cheesy giggle.

I should have decked him, but I paid the check and left the table empty.

I waited/bartended all through college, I understand the ins and outs of that business. I know what it means to be in the weeds and I know what laziness is. I know what to expect from someone who just started waiting tables and I know it when I see someone that just doesn't 'get it'.

When I get bad service, I leave no tip - but - I write a note on the ticket explaining why. That goes to the waitperson and if they have a beef with it they can take it to their manager. If not, then they know why they lost the tip and can improve their service.

Good service is rewarded with good tips. If you feel it necessary to tell the manager, by all means, do it - but I usually don't unless its exceptional service.


My worst experience was at Don Pablos on Memorial. In fact it was so incredibly bad that it became entertaining. Me and my date just looked at each other in amazement as this guy did his thing. Among various other things, he told us that the reason our appetizer was taking so long was because the 'stupid' cooks had to actually cook it. Wow really? They actually cook nachos?? weird! Then, after the SECOND round of adult beverages, he asks for ID. LOL. He took our order twice because he forgot it the first time on the way to the kitchen. A boothed opened up and we asked to switch over to it and he said cool, I'll still be your waiter. Then comes back and says the 'stupid' manager said I had to give the table over to the person in that section and we were like' whew' and then he came back 5 minutes later and said "OK GREAT, I spoke with yoru waitress and she said I could keep you guys!" argh! But after it was all over - it was so bad that it was entertaining. I tipped him decently but put a note on the ticket saying that he should get out of the waiting business.

Unbelievable! I'll give Pablos less than a year, major issues abounding. I like the comment card approach. That way the server is praised when they do great and informed when they do wrong. They also get to see the comments other servers around them are receiving. It seems to really motivate them to do do better or take a closer look at themselves when they do wrong. However, I've still seen denial set in about 90% of the time when you confront them with the bad comment card. You usually have to got through a ritual to figure out what went wrong. It usually goes like this. "So, what went wrong?" "Nothing, I mean I got them everything they needed." Well there must of been something???" "I don't know..." "We'll just think through it". "I mean the only thing I can think of is I might have been a little late getting their change back because I got double seated". "That's it!"

This is an example that happens very often. The server associates being overly busy with giving good service. Until it's pointed out to them, if it's even ever pointed out to them, they don't get it. Management intervention is crucial for growth. One thing for sure, you can let a server cut their teeth on your guests.

Thanks,
Ted.

Waiting tables isn't for everyone. It's high stress and quick paced. It pays well to those that excel at it and those that don't, well...they need to find other forms of work. There's no need to sugar coat things when it comes to bad service - some people shouldn't be doing it.

I agree 100%. Hopefully the manager has enough sense to discern the difference between able and not able. I'm very concerned about the level of hires at Changs right now. When I was in there the other night I saw some pretty bad things going on. One was a server with partially spiked hair chomping is gum, mouth wide open, at his table while greeting and taking their order. I went to the restroom and got mowed over by a female server, almost knocked into the wall, and she never even said excuse me. I would smile as servers passed by my table only to get a smirk back form most of them. There was absolutely no continuity.

My server was very sweet and the food was very good but unfortunealtly there were so many other things going wrong that the good I experienced will be offset by the bad 8-1 if they don't make some corrections.

Thanks,
Ted.

Oh by the way "Floating Adrift", you sound like you were an outstanding server/bartender. You obviously get it. The world needs more like you for sure.

Thanks,
Ted.

I went to Denny's with the kids two weeks ago on Mustang Road off I-40. In the bathroom the kitchen help left without washing her hands. When I returned to my table, I asked for the manager. When he came over I told him in a loud voice so others would hear, "Your kitchen help just left the bathroom after having a bowel movement you can hear in NJ without washing her hands. Thats how hepatitis is transmitted." I got up and left with the food on the table and wouldnt let my kids eat it. So did the couple next to us with chilrdren. I got home and faxed their corporate headquarters a copy of my bill and a copy of the letter I sent to the Dept of Health. I bet that will get their attention. Our waitress was nice and I did leave her an appropriate tip. I will not return! If I hear of anyplaces like the one here, I wont waste my time or money there either.
The funniest tip I ever left a waitress was a note on the credit card statement: Dont dbreathe under water!

wow! nice work!

Floating_adrift....it's funny that you mentioned leaving a note for the waitress/waiter. Usually when I leave a bad tip, I also leave a note with it, just to explain, so I won't look cheap. I always wondered how waiters/waitresses took that.

In reference to Pablos on Memorial, I also had bad service there many times. Unfortunately, their cleanliness wasn't much better. A few years ago, the Health Dept. shut them down several times for having too many violations.

The result? Well, Don Pablos on Memorial is NO LONGER in business. They closed a few months back. I can understand why.

Wow! Great thread.

On the Border is horrible. I do like the chips they sell in grocery stores, however. They're actually my favorite.

Have any of you ever been to Poblano? Great Food and Great service.



About some of these other places.....have any of you ever wrote the corporate offices and informed them of your complaint. I complained on El Chico's website about a bad expierence with a call in order.

I thought it was cool the District Manager called me the next day.

He mentioned that they were making some staff changes because of complaints like mine. He then apologized for the bad service and sent me $30 in meal vouchers.

Who cares if it "hard work?" I don't. That doesn't mean anything to me.

I think the best service is at the Buffalo Wild Wings on the NW Expy, but they also have the tip recquired rule... I have never tipped less than 20% there, but it went down when they adopted that rule.


On the Border is awful. The one in Norman is however mucho worse than Memorial...