POA? - Think twice before not tipping your waitress.

[Brian]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/loca...html?yhp=1

Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip

Patrons claim service was so bad, they had to get napkins and silverware for themselves

If you’re frustrated by poor service at a restaurant, think twice before you decide to not tip. You may be in for a bit more than just a dirty look from the waiter.

"Nobody, nobody wants to be forced to pay a tip or be arrested for terrible service," Leslie Pope said when her happy hour ended in handcuffs.

Pope and John Wagner were hauled away by police and charged with theft for not paying the mandatory 18 percent gratuity totaling $16 after eating at the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pa. with six friends.

Pope claimed that they had to wait nearly an hour for their order and that she had to get napkins and silverware for the table herself.

“At this point I became very annoyed because I had already gone up to the bar myself to have my soda refilled because the waitress never came back,” Pope said.

After the $73 bill came, the group paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip. After explaining the bad service to the bartender in charge, Pope claimed he took their money and called police. The couple was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.

“I understand that, you know, we didn’t pay the gratuity, but it was a gratuity, it wasn’t something that was required,” said Wagner.

The owner admitted that the group waited unusually long for their food, but said the pub was extremely busy that night. He said managers offered to comp the food, a claim the couple denies ever happened.

“Obviously we would have liked for the patron and the establishment to have worked this out without getting the police involved,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Stuart Bedics.

Police charged them with theft since the gratuity was part of the actual bill. However, it is doubtful that the charges will hold up in front of a judge. The couple is scheduled to appear in court next month.

[NussieT]

That is so stupid, honestly that pub is only attracting negative publicity by arresting those two people. They are correct in saying that a gratuity isn't mandatory, if you offer poor service then why do you expect a tip?

[Beckster]

I have walked away without tipping from shitty service. You have to be really shitty for me to do that though.

What a load of crap, sounds like a place I won't be planning on checking out! They are going to have to do something, to make up for the negative publicity for sure.

[Brian]

I've never had shitty enough service where I didn't want to tip. I just didn't tip as much as I normally would.

This case is just total BS. It's not like they didn't pay their bill.

[Pete Nice]

That must be a local law in Bethlehem, it's not a state law. Or it might saw on the menu that 18% is mandatory.

Mandatory gratuity is BS. It makes the waitress care less.

It is rare that I ever tip less than 20% and if I do it's never under 10%. I have never totally stiffed anyone on the tip.

[ap bikini team]

That must be a local law in Bethlehem, it's not a state law. Or it might saw on the menu that 18% is mandatory.

Mandatory gratuity is BS. It makes the waitress care less.

It is rare that I ever tip less than 20% and if I do it's never under 10%. I have never totally stiffed anyone on the tip.

Even places like Denny's has this kind of stuff. After a certain number of people, or after a certain time frame, the tips become mandatory. I think it's bullshit though. I would fight it and it might set a precedent to get rid of that shit. If the service is shitty and I had to wait on myself, I wouldn't have wanted to tip either.

[knightryda01]

Just have everone in your party sit at differnt tables... problem solved... :clap:

[negadave]

I would fight it and it might set a precedent to get rid of that shit. If the service is shitty and I had to wait on myself, I wouldn't have wanted to tip either.

+1 :bullshit: I would be beyond pissed off if that happened to me. I'm not down with people suing everybody, but it sounds like the customers were unlawfully arrested. They should definatly try to do something about it

[Lou Scunt]

a lot of places I go seem to have that "mandatory gratuity" for larger parties, and it's usually 18%,

in cases where the tip's "forced" on my groups, we only give the mandatory 18%, which is less than we usually would have given if it wasn't forced on us

[Joe]

a lot of places I go seem to have that "mandatory gratuity" for larger parties, and it's usually 18%,

in cases where the tip's "forced" on my groups, we only give the mandatory 18%, which is less than we usually would have given if it wasn't forced on us

I agree. I always tip more than 20% unless they have a mandatory tip on the bill.

[the keifer]

kind of shit is that? If the service was that bad, you shouldn't have to tip. Simple as that. If you want to show a waitress that the service sucked you tip them a penny. At least they know you didn't forget. I tip around 20% most of the time. 110% POA.

[ap bikini team]

Just have everone in your party sit at differnt tables... problem solved... :clap:

Not a bad idea, unless it's like Denny's. Anytime after 11pm (varies from franchise to franchise), any order carries a mandatory gratuity, regardless of number of people in the party.

I tip over 20% too (worked in a restaurant in my early teens when my family ran a restaurant, and hated to dollar tips for $20 orders....damn retired bastards in the old folks home across the street), UNLESS, they suck ass. I've given as little as a dollar or two when the service just sucked.

[DaveP]

Just have everone in your party sit at differnt tables... problem solved... :clap:

Not a bad idea, unless it's like Denny's. Anytime after 11pm (varies from franchise to franchise), any order carries a mandatory gratuity, regardless of number of people in the party.

I tip over 20% too (worked in a restaurant in my early teens when my family ran a restaurant, and hated to dollar tips for $20 orders....damn retired bastards in the old folks home across the street), UNLESS, they suck ass. I've given as little as a dollar or two when the service just sucked.

Mandatory gratuity at Denny's?? That's :bullshit:

They can suck on my Moons Over My Hammy if they require me to tip at fucking Denny's. I never fuck someone on a tip if the service is good. I agree, you should be able to show them that the service was bad by not tipping well. Large parties and room service are the only things that should have mandatory gratuity. Even expensive restraunts shouldn't add it to the bill automatically, because they should assume most of their customers will tip good anyhow, if they can afford to eat there.

[Joe]

Just have everone in your party sit at differnt tables... problem solved... :clap:

Not a bad idea, unless it's like Denny's. Anytime after 11pm (varies from franchise to franchise), any order carries a mandatory gratuity, regardless of number of people in the party.

I tip over 20% too (worked in a restaurant in my early teens when my family ran a restaurant, and hated to dollar tips for $20 orders....damn retired bastards in the old folks home across the street), UNLESS, they suck ass. I've given as little as a dollar or two when the service just sucked.

If I'm at Denny's after 11 PM the only reason I'm there is because I'm too drunk to get in the car and make it home. I'm a happy drunk so I usually over tip.

[Beckster]

I think this has inspired me to just have a fist full of ones on me. Next time we eat out, I could place the wad on the table (amount determined by where we are at and how much we'll spend). Then I'll tell the waiter/tress that it's their tip and if they slack off dollars will be removed from the pile. LOL

(I wouldn't really, but that would be funny as hell)