How to Prevent being an SC

[angelicafire]

From how I understand it, if you don't end up making minimum wage per hour with your tips included in your measly $2 or $3 base pay, your employer has to make up the difference.

[theredbaron47]

Does anybody know why it's okay in the US to pay waitstaff less than minimum wage?

To the OP: No, you were not a sucky customer at all. You got service, period, you left a tip, period, AND the waitress had the audacity to comment on your "meager" tip to a member of your party! Good call on your part.

[AirHostess]

Things are a bit different in the UK. Servers get paid at least minimum wage and I believe the average tip is around 10%.

[icmedia]

BTW- (because I don't mean to insult) in some extreme cases it is appropriate to stiff the server, but I was saying that in the situation described in the OP it would have been an SC move to leave nothing.

I used to go to an all-night diner where it was actually a running gag how bad the service was...you could sit there for 2 hours waiting to get served, and we usually ended up just going up to get our own coffee most of the time and yelling our orders back to the kitchen if we were getting food. That was an obvious no-tip situation.

But, if a server basically takes the order, brings your food, and refills your drink(s) at least once, then you should tip a minimum of 10-15%. Most servers make insultingly low hourly wages and depend solely on those tips to survive.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I've had this happen once to me, too. I was with one younger man (about 30), and three older men (about 50-60). This was the film crew of the show I was working on at the time (for those of you familiar with Naturescene, it was Rudy, Jim, one cameraman, and one audio tech.). This waitress (who I guess looked in her mid to late thirties), wouldn't even look at me.

I don't remember if I tipped or not. I'm not prone to stiff, even for bad service, but this was beyond bad. It was insulting to the point that we were cracking jokes about it when she wasn't around. I cannot imagine I left a tip, actually. It was some of the worst service I've ever been subject to, and I'm pretty lenient. Probably should have spoken to the manager, but you know, I really don't give that much of a damn about stuff like that. I got my food, more or less, and we just didn't go back again (we were usually stuck in a little town somewhere for a week, and if we found a good place to eat, we went back quite a bit that week. This was not one of those places. ) In all honesty, I can see myself stiffing her in this case. It was that bad and that obvious.

[icmedia]

Well, the fact that you left her nearly 15% tells me that you aren't a Sucky Customer. A SC would have stiffed her or left like $0.23.

I, personally, think that it was bad form of her to comment on your tip to someone at your table. I mean, it's one thing to complain to your coworkers about crappy tips, but to a customer?

[Emrld]

Ok - I asked a question in another thread and well haven't gotten much response . . .since the thread is at like 7 pages I thought I should just start a new thread with my question. - so here is what I posted -

Ok Last night I met up with 4 males (I am female) to have a few drinks at a chain establisment that is known for its "Out of this world" Selection of beers.
The waitresses currently wear skimpy little plaid skirts that in some cases would be more of a really wide belt than skirt but that's another story for another day.
Basically the waitress felt I was not worth paying attention to. She would deliver drinks and twice actually bumped my nose from standing behind me and reaching her arm over in front of me to serve one the guys. When she would take orders two of the guys would take turns and directly ask me if I needed anything at the moment . . .because she wouldn't otherwise.
two of the guys left, then I left, I heard from one of the two that were still their that she told them I was cheap as I hadn't really tipped her. Ummm tab was $15 and change I left her $2 so no not 15% but I did tip even with her poor treatment of me.
Now I know how my friends handled the situation (yes, they made me proud). . . .but what are your thoughts? What would you have done in my place? In my friends place?

From people in the Wait/ Service Industry what should one do when being treated like this?