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stupid business. really getting themselves some good publicity here.
Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip
Patrons claim service was so bad, they had to get napkins and silverware for themselves
By DAVID CHANG
Updated 12:20 PM EST, Thu, Nov 19, 2009
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.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/...-70426052.html
stupid business. really getting themselves some good publicity here.
Ridiculous, news of this story is going to cost this establishment a ton more than that $16 gratuity in lost business. They were idiots to even consider calling the police.
Ive stiffed waiters on a few occasions for ty service. For me its about my beverage service, if you are not checking on me for refills, you fail and I will stiff you, the food can be mediocre or even bad but I won't hold it against the server when it comes time to tip, but if you give me ty drink service you get ty or no tip depending on what mood I'm in.
If the service was as bad as they say it was, I would have done the same damn thing.
The whole mandatory gratuity thing is bull , anyway.
Philly style
Agree... if the gratuity isn't gratuity anymore, and it's 'mandatory', then it needs to be included in food prices so that they can pay their waiters a higher salary.
in which case, people would stop coming for their high food prices.
Last edited by MiamiHeat; 11-19-2009 at 02:45 PM.
I left 50 cents one time for a horrible waitress at PF Changs in Santa Monica who took 15 minutes to get my drink and never came by again except to bring the bill, even though it was like 2PM and the place was empty. For the most part I give 20%, unless like Ledger said, the drink service is bad (maybe 10%) or if the waiting is really spectacular sometimes I'll go to 35% (for instance, Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Hills never disappoints here).
It's not uncommon to require a gratuity for a party that size (Sounds like eight people), and of course it's not a gratuity when you require it, but they should have known this coming in, if you don't like it don't dine there.
The pub was obviously in the wrong, but even when I think I've had horrible service, I still tip. I just tip something outrageously bad like 5-10%. Good service will always get at least 15-20% from me. Great service, more. I don't see why the couple couldn't just give a ty tip, unless the pub was suggesting they give 15%. If they were really disgusted with the service, tip them $5 on that $73 bill.
Edit: Nevermind... I skimmed the article at first and didn't read that they were demanding an 18% "Mandatory" gratuity.
That's dumb.
Maybe the laws are different in Pennsylvania, but it is my understanding that you cannot be forced to pay a gratuity - because then it wouldn't be a gratuity!
gratuity
–noun, plural -ties. 1. a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; tip.
2. something given without claim or demand.
I was at Dave & Busters with a group of co-workers. We were on lunch, and my order was messed up and then by the time they got it fixed, we had to leave to get back to work. Because we were a big group, they automatically added the tip to our checks; but I complained to the manager and they removed it.
Waitstaff know the majority of their money is coming from tips - so they need to provide good service. If a tip is "mandatory", then they get lazy and don't work as hard.
It's pretty much the SOP at any place for parties of that size and I'm sure it was written down somewhere as well. In a situation like that you need to raise a stink while you're getting the ty service and turn that into some comped stuff rather than waiting til the very end.
Great minds think alike.
$73 for a party of 6?? The place needed the gratuity to try to make some money.
Yes.
But. Even when it's written down, they aren't going to be able to legally enforce. Mandatory gratuity won't hold up in court, because it is as defined, an additional payment in recognition of service provided.
With most credit card companies, if you cross it out on the bill and refuse to pay it, the restaurant can't charge it, and if they do, the credit card company will refuse to pay it.
We just had a long discussion about this in our staff meeting yesterday.
But yeah, you need to complain to the manager. And 'busy' doesn't give license for inexcusable service like having to get your own silverware and drink refills.
Ah so let's see 6 +2 =8.$73 for 8 people?? The place is a bargain
good business strategy: satisfaction guaranteed, or we'll arrest you.
I'm going to have to disagree with you there since THEY GOT ARRESTED.
Will it hold up in court? if I know but as I mentioned earlier, it's typical for parties that large, and it's regardless of the quality of service so you have to know that coming in and not dine there if you disagree.
news flash
Police can do whatever the they want. They have unparalleled authority to arrest you for even looking at them the wrong way.
If you even use the wrong tone of voice, they can arrest you for "Disturbing the peace" and if you protest, then hit you with "resisting arrest" if they felt like it. They can make up and lie about it. Other cops will back them up.
The point is, it has to get to court, before a judge. That's when the real justice system gets to work.
Cops arresting you and charging you with something means NOTHING. It's garbage. They can arrest you for whatever they please, then force you to go to jail and see a judge. Only then, do you go home.
Get educated.
Being arrested for it doesn't mean it can be legally enforced.
I've stiffed a few waitresses in my day.
Obviously you need to get educated, in reading comprehension because I said flat out that I didn't know that it would hold up in court, but that they did get arrested.
It's a lot easier just to not give business to places that have these types of policies, or to go in knowing that the tip isn't tied to the quality of service.
YYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH BBBBOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
You tell that fool!
If some of you would just learn how to cook this wouldn't be an issue.
I like to tip according to the service why should I have to tip more because I had lobster instead of fish sticks? Making someone pay a certain amount is borderline communism and you all eat this up everyday.
wake up people!
Sure the place offered to comp the meal. What a bunch of . Like those people would not have taken the meal for free if it was offered to them. Like Heath said, this will likely wind up being very costly for that dump.
i hate ty servers especially those that think they're the .
i had some terrible service the other week out in austin near the lake/river/whatever we were near.
dude was just taking orders and not running food to the tables so he definitely had no excuse as to why he sucked so bad. took him 10 minutes just to get to our table, then he left for about 5 minutes and came back to take our drink order, then left again for a good 10 minutes before coming back to take our drink order again. finally we get our drinks and he takes off again for a good 10 minutes before coming back to take our food order, he never comes around to refill our drinks, food comes out an hour later with all sorts of ups, then he proceeds to blame everyone except for himself.
dude claimed to be a "genius" waiter and was the best. my buddy was sarcastically saying how our other friend loves the waiter and just then the dude pops out of nowhere and asks, "who loves me?" and my friend starts laughing and says, "she does!". well that got our waiter thinking we liked him as a waiter and that he was on top of things, wrong!
we left him a big fat you on the table in pennies. yep what a tip.
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