Evangelizing to Other Customers

[Anriana]

I went to Bob Evans with a group of coworkers after work yesterday. As we were standing in line to pay our bills afterwards, the customers in front of us turned around and handed all of us some religious material designed to convert unbelievers, then the manager who was running the register wished him a good day!

Is it normal for restaurants to allow religious solicitation on their property?

[Evil Queen]

Not when I worked at <lame chinese place that closed>. Jiong, the owner, was very happy to boot relogious pushers out the door with a piece of rebarb. I still have no idea what his religion was, if he had any at all.

'Course I was more then happy to admit I was an Athiest and their religious curses couldn't hurt me.

[marasbaras]

I would've retrieved my tip and let the manager know that I would not be returning. I go to a restaurant to eat in peace.

[smileyeagle1021]

I am actually unsure on this one... it would depend on how they approached it... if they had turned around and said something like "excuse me, would you like some information on (insert church here)" and accepted your answer when you said "no thank you" then I'd say no harm no foul, they are a bit weird but not sucky and the manager would be right to be polite to them... if they just turned around and said "here, you need to know this" then yes they sucked and so did the manager.

[Peppergirl]

I would've retrieved my tip and let the manager know that I would not be returning. I go to a restaurant to eat in peace.

Why would you retrieve your tip from the waitress who had nothing to do with the situation? How would that send a message to management???

[PepperElf]

that's what "no solicitation" means

and you can always say "no thanks" and refuse the pamphlet. if they argue let the manager there kick them out

[marasbaras]

Why would you retrieve your tip from the waitress who had nothing to do with the situation? How would that send a message to management???

Because having that garbage foisted on me really annoys me. Since I'm leaving the restaurant annoyed ... I want to pay as LITTLE as possible. I will pay for the meal and that is IT. No more.

How would it send a message to management? Because I'd speak to the manager in no uncertain terms about his friendly behavior towards these spiritual salespeople. I'd let the manager know that I was so annoyed that I'd even gone so far as to retrieve my tip.

Had the manager told the people that passing out that kind of material is unacceptable in his establishment, things would be completely different.

[Peppergirl]

Because having that garbage foisted on me really annoys me. Since I'm leaving the restaurant annoyed ... I want to pay as LITTLE as possible. I will pay for the meal and that is IT. No more.

How would it send a message to management? Because I'd speak to the manager in no uncertain terms about his friendly behavior towards these spiritual salespeople. I'd let the manager know that I was so annoyed that I'd even gone so far as to retrieve my tip.

Had the manager told the people that passing out that kind of material is unacceptable in his establishment, things would be completely different.

I completely agree with sending a message to management...I'd be every bit as upset as the OP was. I'm just rather appalled at the manner you say you'd do it in.

Assuming the manager is as big an idiot as these customers, and would likely not reimburse the waitress, how is punishing the waitress a useful tool in getting your point across?

[marasbaras]

how is punishing the waitress a useful tool in getting your point across?

It's not. I'm just not going to leave an extra 20% behind in an establishment where they condone this kind of behavior. If the waitress doesn't like that, she can take it up with the manager about allowing customers to "witness" to others.

If I could leave without paying for the meal, too, I would.

[donruss]

It's not. I'm just not going to leave an extra 20% behind in an establishment where they condone this kind of behavior. If the waitress doesn't like that, she can take it up with the manager about allowing customers to "witness" to others.

If I could leave without paying for the meal, too, I would.

You my friend are an SC, no two ways about it. I don't want to offend but I call it like I see it, your own words have condemned you. What a horrible thing to do to a waitress that has absolutely NO control of this situation whatsoever. For shame!

[the toy guy]

It's not. I'm just not going to leave an extra 20% behind in an establishment where they condone this kind of behavior. If the waitress doesn't like that, she can take it up with the manager about allowing customers to "witness" to others.

If I could leave without paying for the meal, too, I would.

Tipping is a communication between you and the waitress. By taking it back, you are telling her that you are dissatisfied with her performance. It's likely that she has little say in the manager's behavior, and may even feel the same way about it as you (If the man hands out pamphlets to fellow customers, I wouldn't be surprised if he hands them out to the restauraunt staff as well, possibly in lieu of a tip).

Taking back a tip, in this circumstance, would be the equivalent of complaining about a cashier for following a corporate script, or screaming at a phone rep because of an error in another department.

I think the best response would be to calmly explain your complaint to the manager to insure that he is aware that a problem exists, then decide what to do next based on his actions.

[Damien]

I would leave a tip and refuse to listen or to accept any leaflets from the evangelists - why I always take my i-pod with me.

[Canarr]

You my friend are an SC, no two ways about it. I don't want to offend but I call it like I see it, your own words have condemned you. What a horrible thing to do to a waitress that has absolutely NO control of this situation whatsoever. For shame!

I'm with donruss here; that's SC behavior.

[Sandman]

That is SC behavior, you are telling the waitress that they have to be bouncers as well.

[marasbaras]

Call me what you will. I honestly don't care. I'm not an SC.

I've never stiffed a waitress (who didn't deserve it to due really, REALLY bad service) in my life ... and likely never will. I've left 500% (yes, that's five hundred percent) tips before. I hope I will again because that service was beyond perfect. My average tipping rate has been 20% long before it became the norm.

So, there is this hypothetical situation where I know I'd get seriously angry with the manager and, by extension, the restaurant. And, you guys label me an SC?

Words cannot describe the depth to which I loathe the people who hand out those little leaflets to random people everywhere. Loathe is a bit of an understatement, really. It's more like "wishing them a very painful and long death after which they are sent to the very worst part of Hell".

If the restaurant condones those buffoons shoveling their garbage at me, I hold it responsible. Maybe the waitress will point out to the manager that lettings those jerks hand out their filth to paying customers is not good business ... because she is upset that she gets no tip. Not that I care, because I wouldn't eat there again anyway.

Fortunately, I've never had it happen. And, I hope it never will.