Is it ok not to tip if restaurant service is bad?

Question

I went to a restaurant with my family and the service was bad. I'm usually very understanding when it's busy and service may be a little slow but I do think the server should at least check in and let us know he/she is busy and will be right back. I've had servers explain that they were overwhelmed and I still tipped 20% or more because they explained the situation. On this night, our drinks were not refilled at all, we had to ask for forks three times, water twice, the sauce that usually comes with the meal was not served and we asked for it three times and never received it. The waitress served food to the table next to us then set the dirty tray with pieces of food on it on our table while we were eating. It just seemed like there were too many things that went wrong and she never checked on us one time until after we were done eating. This is the first time that we were so disappointed that we actually did not leave a tip. Just curious to hear other's thoughts on this subject.

Answer 1

Of course it is. NEVER leave a tip with that kind of service. It would be moronic. It doesn't sound like she was outright belligerent, but she was definitely a moron who could care less about your dining experience.

You should care less about her income. No tip. This one's a no-brainer.

Answer 2

I have been a waiter and I believe in excellent customer service. If I believe I have not given the customer 100% then I feel I do not deserve a tip. If I have obviously tried to make customers feel more comfortable or resolve problems quickly and efficiently I would expect some form of tip. If service overall is bad then I normally wouldn't accept a tip. That is also the way I have delt with it from being on the other side of the issue. I was with a party of 13 at Chevy's mexican restaurant in Gilroy, CA. Our water was brought about an hour after we sat down, over half of our orders were incorrect and our server was obviously new. First of all you shouldn't give a table of 13 to a new guy. Second, a party of 13 that is the largest table in the restaurant should be paid the most attention to. When another server decided to help our table, after noticing late service, on her own, the ball got rolling even though half the orders were incorrect. After it was over and over half of my party wanted to simply ditch the bill, We paid a seriously lower than original bill, and I personally gave the server who came in on her own to help a substancial tip. She was very grateful.
Things go wrong. People who are employed and notice these things and then do something about them, or atleast try, should be recoognized. Otherwise they don't deserve a tip, they are getting paid atleast minimum wage, so they are getting money for working. Remember, they can always get another job if they aren't good at the one they have.

Answer 3

If service is bad dont leave money for a tip, but leave a note for all the things that annoyed you so the server will be tipped about what was important to you because I'm sure the server has done that to other tables also. A little friendly criticism to help with a server in the weeds.

Answer 4

whether the service was horrendous or just a little under par, you should tip at least one dollar... You at least got your food right?! these people are only paid 2.65 an hour or so... and while she/he might've sucked (and I mean really!) they were still working... maybe it was their first week on the job ya know?! you took the chance in going out for a meal, and you know that each time you go out you run the risk of bad service, cold food, rush hours. etc... im not saying all mistakes are excusable, but still... they deserve at least a dollar.... :) Golden rule, Golden rule... what is going to happen to service everywhere if people keep skimping the tip because they had a bad experience.... Lets be honest, it'll go down hill alot more and way faster... you could have made that persons night by leaving a 15%-20% tip with a quick note saying "tough times never last, but tough people do... keep working harder than the day before, and everything will start to look up" i was once a waitress... my first week I was terrible, I worked 4 nights in a row, and none with any training really... the last night of that week, I spilled water in a guys lap, I forgot refills, I brought his wife's salad with the meal and not before it... I took forever getting them ketchup... and you know what.. they left me a note saying "Don't give up!" and $20 dollars... that was a gift, a gift from a fellow person showing there really is neighborly love out there... From that night on I vowed to myself that I would become the best server I could be.... ya know what, the couple came back 4 months later, just hoping to see how I was... and they were impressed, and became my regulars for the three years I waited tables in high school....

most likely your experience was not the only miserable one... that server probably felt embarrassed and bad that things went that way.. :) do what you want, but you never can get back a missed opportunity to help someone change for the better... :)

Answer 5

Tips actually are optional. You do not have to tip for bad service. I know that's a server's main income, but a tip, in my opinion, should be earned not expected. I usually always tip so don't me wrong here, but if I were to receive the service that you've described, I wouldn't tip, but I also take into account things like if the server is new (if I know) or if they're really busy, etc, but I can't stand to sit there and never get my drink refilled! Bad service should not be rewarded in my opinion.

Answer 6

If service is average I give an average tip. If service was bad I give little or even none as in a case where a waitress actually touched me and hit on my husband ? If its great service I give very big tips %20-50 but it has to be earned.

Answer 7

If you decide not to leave a tip, which is your prerogative unless the restaurant adds the service charge into the bill, then you should do the server the courtesy of pointing out the reasons you did not leave a tip. You may want to explain yourself further to the manager.

I think leaving a really small tip gets more of a reaction because the server might have assumed someone stole the tip you left.

Answer 8

I am all for tipping on service..I mean that is their job. Yeah..they make $2-3 an hour..and depend on tips. But I don't think that they should automatically get the tip. They have to work for it...just like anyone else. I think you are in the right. One time I left a note for my server that ignored me..."TIP: Next time, you should actually try waiting on the table, and you might get money."

Answer 9

Oookay...i had been a server for 6 months or so, when college graduations happened. I got 2 tables of 10, aong with 2 4-tops. I did my very best, reminding my tables that i was busy, and apologizing profusely. They seemed to understand, and when they left, their tip was low, and i had sort of expected that.

Fast forward a week. My manager pulled me into his office, and read to me a page long letter about how horrible my service had been, how i had ignored them, how i had been paying attetnion to everyone else but them. My manager understood, and told me it was no big deal, that he knew i had tried, and he would make sure not to overwhelm me like that again. Had this table actually listened to what i had said, maybe they would have understood. Maybe your waitress did tell you she was overwhelmed, and you just misunderstood.

I agree that leaving a low tip is acceptable, but not being tipped at all is insulting, and its true, waitstaff make 3 bucks an hour, and depend upon tips.

Then there are the people who dont want to tip you at all, but accidentally leave an extra 20 in the bill holder. I called them, and told them what had happened, and the wife said to me, "honey, i know you were busy. You go ahead and keep that, it'll be our secret from my husband." HA.

Answer 10

It depends.

If the waitress is totally ignoring you and deliberately not trying, then by all means leave no tip. If that's the case I'd also call the manager and complain when I got home. It seems like that's the case here. Leaving a tray with eaten food on your table? Ugh.

If she had been a new waitress and really trying, I'd leave a tip anyway. Nobody's perfect when they first start something. Effort is the key. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like that was the case here.

Answer 11

It's perfectly acceptable to not tip if service is that bad. Servers can't expect to receive a tip if they did almost nothing for a table the whole time they were there, and I find it ridiculous that there are servers that expect a 20% tip when they don't do anything. That's what they are there for, they're in the service industry.