Peer pressure ripped me off
moneyrelations :: Dec.06.2007
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I’ve been ripped off by peer pressure many times but in the majority of instances, I felt good about it. You know, like indulging my iPod touch or my golf set to “play the part”. However, I can’t stand being ripped off for nothing while trying to look good in front of other people.
Yesterday, we had a divisional lunch where we went out to say goodbye to some colleagues that were leaving us. It was at a nice restaurant but nothing fancy and we were a table of 15.
The service was incredibly slow!
Okay, so we had a big party and there were other customers in the restaurant as well but it wasn’t full. We had to wait 1 hour before our food arrived. Seriously, if you can’t accommodate the number of tables, then open up the floor space.
It was a good thing my immediate and divisional bosses were there as I ended up taking a 2 hour lunch. Some of us keeners wanted to leave, so we asked for our bill early. And since we all had the same thing, I knew what my co-workers were paying – $12 with tax totaling $13.68. One of my co-workers wanted to leave $20. That’s a tip of $6.32 – more than half of the actual meal. I asked her why and she responded that she didn’t want to wait another 15 minutes for the waitress to come back for change.
Great, so now we reward poor service and incompetence.
This reminded me of the spirited comments from both the Million Dollar Journey and the Quest for Four Pillars regarding tipping. It seems that there are high rollers at the MDJ whereas the people at QFP are more my speed.
I personally tip at 15% pre-tax but since I too had no change on me, I was at the mercy of a third colleague who supplied the coins for both of us: “you just want a twoonie back and pay $18?”
Welllllll… not exactly. For the sake of not looking cheap, I played along. It resulted in a 36% tip which is an overpayment of around $2.50. And seeing as I sure as heck am not a nickel and dimer, it’s not much – but it’s the principle of it.
I hate rewarding people when it’s not warranted.
However, I think I hate it more when I allow those around me influence me into spending more money…
And my lunch wasn’t even that good!
Career, Not frugal, Stupid ::
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Hey MR, thanks for the mention.
Thanks for the link. That is a tough situation.
Mike
I usually tip at 10-15% and hate over tipping…..Some people just tip like they just hit a jackpot or something. I don’t understand it at all…….
Hi LI,
And it makes me cringe when I know these generous tippers don’t make a lot of money…
A steak and a beer that comes to $40 with tip for lunch?! Oi vey!
Ooh, Mike. I just fetched your comment from the dungeons. I don’t know why Akismet keeps on thinking you’re a spammer
I hate that situation and I would have overtipped in that situation. I am getting better at speaking up if I don’t agree though
It is the principle of the thing. I mean sure we can spare the extra $2.5. But it’s the message we are sending. We are basically rewarding someone extra for bad service. That really gets me.
I would have over tipped too though. Most people wouldn’t understand and would think I’m being cheap.
Yah Akismet doesn’t like my comments from work (maybe it knows I’m supposed to be working?). I had the same problem on my own blog, I used to make a comment and then would have to retrieve it from the dungeon. After about 50 times Akismet finally figured out that I was ok.
Mike
@ WW and Esme
Good that you guys feel the same as I was thinking I need to be more mature and not care about what people think.
@ Mike
You know what to do… comment 49 more times
ok – a bit of small consolation (and trust bleeding-heart me to have this take): possibly, it wasn’t your server’s fault that the service was slow (ie. it was the kitchen/manager for not fully staffing etc.) Servers usually work pretty darn hard for their money, and have slave-labour wages. They only have a chance at proper money via tips. And it’s the holiday season coming up. So, while the restaurant itself did not give a good experience, if the poor server stuck in a lousy restaurant happened to receive generous tips … it may be the only nice thing that happened to her there all day.
OK, feel free to send me to Akismet in Mike’s place if you like.
HAH! I wouldn’t do that, Nancy. As always, I like to hear all opinions. I don’t have all the answers so convince me
I do agree that it’s not the servers fault, kinda. But it’s guilt by association.
I used to waitress when I was in uni as well at a small buffet joint and sometimes I was the only waitress while the owner’s wife helped in the kitchen or was doing deliveries.
Despite this, I STILL didn’t get all the tips.
I don’t know how waitressing usually works, if they pool all tips together and share but this is what happened to me. I have also heard of restaurants where the servers don’t get to keep ANY tips and it goes strictly to the boss, but in return, obviously they get higher wages.
Also, at this place we went to, we had specifically asked for our bills early. However, the waitress decided to do ALL 15 bills and had to add the tea and coffee that the hangers-on had just ordered.
Erm. Needless to say, it took awhile.
Tipping has gotten to the point where it’s expected even if it isn’t deserved. A tip used to be something you left as appreciation for good service or for a job done above and beyond the normal service. Now waiters and waitresses expect it no matter what. It’s like when you see tip jars on the counter of a donut shop or bagel shop. I think Jerry Seinfeld said it best, “so you want me to tip you for basically turning around?”. I never leave a tip unless the service warrants it.
Hey James,
That’s a good one from Seinfeld
That’s a good point about appreciation. Is it lacking nowadays? We’re so nonchalant about tipping now – giving and receiving. It’s just lost meaning either way.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I totally agree with James on this.. Unfortunately, the business model of most restaurants is built in such a way that it expects the customers to tip so as to make up for the minimum wage paid to the waiters and waitresses.. So, these days, I do tip by default.. However, I will refuse to tip if the service is exceptionally bad.. In fact, one time, the service was so bad, we just walked out of the restaurant without paying.. The main reason was as we tried to inform the manager that his restaurant was understaffed, he refused to acknowledge that fact.. They were so mismanaged, they didn’t even notice us walking out.. As obdurate as it sounds, I have no regrets, because this way, the restaurant owner paid..