Posted on 11/26/2005 9:50:03 AM PST by smoothsailing
Bad tippers and bitter waitresses
By Jack Kemp (not the politician) Nov. 26, 2005
Once, years ago, I heard a heard a lecture by a rabbi on dating. He advised that if your date treats a waiter/waitress or a busboy in a condescending and mean manner, that is the way they will treat you after a while – if you were to marry them. Today's New York Post had an article about cheap celebrity tippers listed on the website www.bitterwaitress.com.
I went there to see how many well known political "champions of the little guy and gal" rated. I cross referenced the website with liberals from Bernard Goldberg's One Hundred People Screwing Up America.
........
Let's see. First up, Michael Moore, 3% tip.
Tipper's Name: Michael Moore (yes THAT Michael Moore)
Where it happened: Los Angeles
Total bill / Tip amount / Percentage: $452.25 / $17.74 / 3%
What happened:
OK I ran my ass off for this guy and his friends. Funny I didnt know this guy had friends, maybe they were kissups. 2.5 hours they spent shoveling food down their fat faces. Numerous refills. By the way MM is a pompous ass judging from his treatment of the staff.
............
Let's see again. Barbra Streisand, 2% tip.
Tipper's Name: Barbra Streisand
Where it happened: New York
Total bill / Tip amount / Percentage: $457.00 / $10.00 / 2%
What happened:
She demanded the best table, acting rude to everyone and then barely tipped.
..........
Next "champion of the people," Jessie Jackson 9% tip.
Tipper's Name: Jesse Jackson
Restaurant: Sam's
Where it happened: Kansas City
Total bill / Tip amount / Percentage: $228.00 / $22.00 / 9%
What happened: rude,arrogant,demanding and cheap
.........
Next up, Sen. John Kerry, 2% tip.
Tipper's Name: John F. Kerry
Where it happened: St. Louis
Total bill / Tip amount / Percentage: $773.24 / $20.00 / 2%
What happened:
Added $20.00 on the signature line and then scribbled a little note to vote for him. What a load of crap.
......
Kerry's former running mate, Sen. John Edwards, 2% tip.
Tipper's Name: John Edwards
Where it happened: Washington, D.C.
Total bill / Tip amount / Percentage: $746.25 / $13.75 / 1%
What happened:
This is the guy running for Vice President… Sat in our private section for 3 1/2 hours and left less than 2%. Jackass.
.........
Former VP Al Gore. 8% tip.
Tipper's Name: Former VP Al Gore
Where it happened: Alexandria, VA
Total bill / Tip amount / Percentage: $40.00 / $3.50 / 8%
What happened:
Al and Tipper Gore were regulars at the restaurant I used to work at. You'd think this would be cool, waiting on a former Vice President. And it would be, if not for the fact that Al Gore is cheap.
Last time they came in, Tipper actually spilled her beer on me (it's not smart to gesture wildly with a bottle of Corona on your table). She didn't apologize—he apologized for her. Still. Less than 10%. You'd think they'd know that the 'underclass' the Democrats claim to represent are people like waitresses in VA making $2.13 an hour. Guess not.
.........
Lastly, Sean Penn, 0% tip. Nada. Zip. Zero.
Tipper's Name: Sean Penn
Where it happened: New Orleans
Total bill / Tip amount / Percentage: $450.00 / $0.00 / 0%
What happened:
Sean Penn is in New Orleans filming & came into my restaurant with 3 other people. Waited on them hand and foot. The bill $450.00 – the tip: none. Cheapskate.
........
There you have it. The champions of "fairness" and "the little guy." Yes, President Bush and VP Cheney made the website as well. But who is claiming them as champions of the poor and oppressed victims, advocating extra government payments to make up for past suffering, etc.?
.............................
Thomas Lifson adds:
I have followed Bitter Waitress for years. It is well-known in the food and beverage industry, and at least at the upscale restaurants, it has a big following among the wait staff. When one of these bozos comes in, they usually will not treat them overtly rudely. But vengeance of another sort may sometimes occur. Let the diner beware.
Most people realize that watitrons (that's the non-sex-specific term favored theses days, believe it or not) are usually paid less than minimum wage, and that tips provide the margin of survival (to use leftist terminology) for them. To stiff a tip is to relegate someone to below minimum wage. This makes the behavior of these compassionate liberals all the more phony. Judge them by their deeds not their words.
I absolutely agree with Jack's rabbi that the best way to judge someone's character is to observe behavior with those who have no power or standing, and to do so in private in the case of celebrities and politicians. I have used this as a guide to friendships for almost my entire life, and it has proven highly reliable.
I generally get it.
Since I'm in the business, and most of my meals at top-end establishments are comp-ed, I make sure that I find out what the total would have been, and tip accordingly. I've gone out with a friend for a 'free' dinner that included paired wines for each course, and would have cost $300 had it not been a comp. I tipped out at 25% that night.
/john
I always use the post-tax total.
My minimum basic, "no frills not great service" tip is 15%. Overtly rude service gets no tip.
I give 20% nearly all the time, and in cases of exceptional service (special orders handled correctly, service like new drinks without asking, good attitude/personality that adds to the environment, I have given up to 50%.
My two sisters are outstanding waitstaff, and I work in healthcare, which is (or should be) heavily customer service oriented. I know what good service is, and I think people should be lavishly rewarded for great service, if one can afford to do it. (some people really can't...)
That said...I am not surprised by liberals who appear on that site. To be the devils advocate, remember the name of the site...:)
i've only ever done this once in the 25 years i've been paying for my own food at restaurants, and it was a couple of weeks ago... the waitress was GROSSLY incompetent... i left a 27-cent tip... i didn't want her to think i had forgotten by leaving nothing... and i didn't want her to think i was a bad tipper by leaving a couple of bucks... but this has only happened once...
What's really amazing is they actually paid their tabs. They usually expect everything to be comped.
bttt
BTW, I've been in restaurants many times in such instances where the waiter neglects to inform the person picking up the bill that a tip has already been included, knowing that many customers will unknowingly tip an additional 15-20%.
I'm surprised none of them pulled a Hillary Klinton and just walked out without paying in front of the entire staff and then sneered about it when asked by the media. Now that's arrogance! Of course, I haven't been to the website yet, so who knows what I'll find?
I then made him apologize to his Father, in front of everyone by telling him that I'd leave if he were to do so. He did, but then the parents told me they didn't want me to leave. The kid stormed to his room. The parents called me the next day and thanked me (can you imagine). But I was never invited to their home again! LOL!
>>>
What kind of moron, who is a billionaire and running for President, grossly undertips?
A good tip might be worth a half dozen votes.
<<<
In 1956, a young Bostonian was in L.A. and unable to get work in his chosen profession. He took a job driving a cab.
One night he picked up a U.S. Senator. Being from Boston, the driver recognized him -- John F. Kennedy.
The Senator, little known outside Massachusetts, was very flattered to be recognized and enjoyed a pleasant chat with the driver. For the rest of the ride they reminisced about their home town.
When the ride was over, Kennedy gave the driver a huge tip, $3 -- equal to perhaps $50 today.
The driver's name was Leonard Nimoy.
Nimoy said later, "Do I have to tell you who I voted for in 1960?".
I too am chastized for tipping too much when I am out with others I prob tip on average 30-35%.
I look on it this way. The waitress usually works harder for less money than just about anyone I know. So I don't mind giving extra.
Servers make less than $2.50/hour. They depend on tips for a living. The government even taxes them based on expected tips.
If you cannot afford to tip, don't eat out. Otherwise, everyone should tip at least 15% unless the service is bad.
It is no longer the case that tipping is for extraordinary service. It is the only for way servers to make a living wage.
I agree with you. They will get what I think they have earned. I am not afraid to be stingy or generous, it simply depends on the service that the tip is based on.
An automatic 20%? I dont think so.
That said, I wish they would just add the price of the tip to the foods price on the menu and pay their serving people a living wage while leaving the customer out of payroll.
Then, if the service is bad people simply wont return.
Rotten service deserves no tip (nor a return visit to the resaturant).
I usually tip to the next even dollar over 20% (including tax). I do, however, expect the server to actually look at the plate to see if I got what I ordered.
It is simply amazing how often they screw up the order. I can't remember the last time I got exactly what I ordered. Is it really so complicated to leave the croutons off the salad? Is putting the dressing on the side a complex task?
I wonder how many of these celebrities got crappy service and gave lousy tips for lousy service.
My regular practice when I receive lousy service is to tip 15% and never go back. If the manager isn't smart enough to notice the bad service, there's no point in me telling him.
No way I'd pay 50%. I tip 20% for good service, 25-30% for outstanding service, 10% for average service, and nothing for rude service, unless there's a chance I'll be eating there again, then lousy service gets 10% (protection money).
If I am dining with my grumpy old father-in-law, I start tipping up front to pre-emptively counter-act his insults to the employees.
Just wondering ...
Why should you have to pay a 20% tip on bills like $450, $770 and so on?
Surely a waiter or waitress, who spends maybe 15 minutes of total time per table, shouldn't expect more than $20 per 15 minutes?
20% of $450 is $90. If a waiter/waitress spent 15 minutes with those people, that's almost $400 an hour!
I tip about 15%-20%, but my bills are in the $20 range (since I normally dine alone).
D
I laughed at the part about the Gores in this article.
Tipper knocks over her bottle of Carona and spills it on the waiter, and Al does the apologizing!
I had visions of Tipper being so sloshed she didn't have a clue what she'd just done!
It's the cost of doing business - it depends a lot on the caliber of the restaurant of course, but if you can't afford 20% you may do better to stay home. Maybe I'm spoiled after over three decades of work experience in high-end dining atmospheres; just remember the rules of supply and demand.
There is always someone willing to tip 30% for the same experience. The valet, maitre' d, sommelier (as in my case) are often part of the formula.
Do I have some stories...
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