Delivery and Waitstaff expressing they aren't happy with tip.

We order from a very popular local pizza place weekly. Today, I didn't have any cash and wrote the tip on the CC receipt. The driver called me personally to tell me he wasn't happy with his tip and told me it didn't even cover his gas. I asked to speak to the owner, who seemed responsive and said he would speak to the driver about it. We probably won't order from them again. This has happened to me three times. Once when I ordered Chinese-the driver stood on my porch and looked at the receipt and started shaking his head, and a few months ago at a newer restaurant in South Orange, where before we left the waitress didn't see where her $26 tip was written on the receipt and asked me if I forgot something. I'm no cheapskate. I worked in the service industry for several years and can't believe people think it's ok to question their tip.

I'm running out of places to eat around here.

i have read there is sometimes a problem for them to get the full amount when it is on a credit card?

i wish restaurants would just pay them enough, build it into the food and leave me alone.

Still doesn't justify them calling or approaching a diner directly.

Terrible behavior to call a customer and complain about the tip, but it makes me wonder what you tipped if it wouldn't cover his gas.

I knew it wouldn't take long for someone on MOL to blame me. sigh.

Well, you seem to have caught on to how MOL works very quickly.

There is a famous (in the MOL world) longtime troll who is perennially banned but comes back under new names now and again. There is a regular pattern where this person is again banned, then shortly thereafter threads like this start up that seem designed to do nothing but rile people here up. They start off seeming relatively plausible, then the poster cranks it up as MOL-ers get more and more outraged. These threads are usually started by a brand-new user. Is that what's going on here? I have no idea. But recently this troll in question was--apparently, according to some--banned under a different user name, then--again, apparently--started another thread using a new name to complain about the banning and was subsequently banned again. Now this first-time poster is posting exactly the kind of stuff that's likely to get people around here riled up. I smell a rat. Given other stuff that's currently going on in our community, how about we just let this one die the death it deserves?

Pecan28 said:

I knew it wouldn't take long for someone on MOL to blame me. sigh.

I didn't blame you at all. I don't know what your tip was. If your tip wouldn't even cover gas, then I'd blame you.

lol @mrincredible I am a regular poster and changed my screen named because I figured this thread might take a turn for the worse.

I didn't name the restaurants to avoid being called a troll. That worked well. Just needed to vent, that's all.

Wow, I've never had anyone question my tip for them. And it has happened to you three times. Remarkable.

@hazel Never happened to me before I moved to this area.

crazy_quilter said:

i wish restaurants would just pay them enough, build it into the food and leave me alone.

This!

If they can't get the full amount of the tip on the CC, then the restaurant should change its tipping policy to be cash tip only. When I go to Anthony Garubo, you can't tip on the CC and it's a known fact.

Tipping, sadly, isn't mandatory. NO ONE has to tip. I do agree that paying more would alleviate these issues, but that's for another post.

I've never had a tip questioned. Ever. And I've lived here since 1997.

So what was your tip??? Do tell...

I've had tips questioned before we were even presented with the bill. In other words, the waitstaff assumed based on our LOOKS that we were going to be bad tippers.

mammabear said:

I've never had a tip questioned. Ever. And I've lived here since 1997.

So what was your tip??? Do tell...

Seriously....even with a poor-tipping teen here. They do deliver again.

spontaneous said:

I've had tips questioned before we were even presented with the bill. In other words, the waitstaff assumed based on our LOOKS that we were going to be bad tippers.

An experience like that would reduce the cost of my meal.

spontaneous said:

I've had tips questioned before we were even presented with the bill. In other words, the waitstaff assumed based on our LOOKS that we were going to be bad tippers.

I never get questioned. But maybe it's because I look like this:

It doesn't matter what the OP tipped, and none of anyone's business. The fact that an employee of the restaurant the OP ordered from should be so disrespectful -- never mind unprofessional -- should not be tolerated by anyone, least of all his boss. Any restaurants I've ordered delivery from have all included a "delivery charge", which takes care of the car and the gas, so his complaint is BS. If he was so ungrateful for whatever the tip was, I would have asked for it back and sent him on his way.

Thanks @mumstheword By the way, this place has a $3.00 delivery charge. I always tip in addition to paying the delivery charge.

I actually have no idea what is considered an appropriate tip for a delivery person. I always give $5. Is that a fair amount?

I guess the first question is, whose car... restaurant or delivery person. Gas and wear and tear is about 1.25 for a delivery in our area. (based on federal tax deduction. Is the restaurant paying in addition? Therefore, without tips, the delivery person is making about $8 to 10 per hour if the $3.00 goes to the driver.

This afternoon, I saw a deliverer on a bicycle with his hands wrapped in plastic bags, driving on S.O. Ave. A $3 - 5 tip would certainly be in order.

PeggyHannis said:

I actually have no idea what is considered an appropriate tip for a delivery person. I always give $5. Is that a fair amount?

Seems reasonable. If the weather is bad I give them more.

I wouldn't like a delivery person calling me to complain about a tip....in fact it would piss me off.......However, I think that if this happened to me several times, I would start to wonder if I were tipping enough in general and may make some adjustments accordingly.

This is why I prefer takeout.

RobB said:

This is why I prefer takeout.

I always hate that "tip" line staring at me on the receipt when I go to pick up takeout. Any opinions on when a tip IS called for (if ever) when you order online or by phone and pickup and pay at the counter?

sac said:

RobB said:

This is why I prefer takeout.

I always hate that "tip" line staring at me on the receipt when I go to pick up takeout. Any opinions on when a tip IS called for (if ever) when you order online or by phone and pickup and pay at the counter?

If I order delivery, I tip 10% of the bill and I give it in cash.

If I order takeout, I put $2 in the tip jar. If they do something special for me (I mostly order Chinese, so if they prepare a dish without soy sauce or give me brown rice instead of white), I'll give them more.

@Pecan28
Is this how you want to be remembered?

mumstheword said:

If he was so ungrateful for whatever the tip was, I would have asked for it back and sent him on his way.

Yes, M'Lady... :O