That’s not how I read it – I think he left a $2 tip on an $18 meal, a shitty tip by any standards. Who cares if a customer like this ever comes back to the restaurant?
The manager might care, in which case the manager is perfectly within his rights to pull $20 from his own pocket (or from the register, leaving a note in its place) to give to the wannabe lousy tipper. Jeff is certainly under no obligation to return the money, and if the customer gets in Jeff’s face, the manager is responsible for expelling the customer from the restaurant.
Since the customer knows exactly how much he overtipped, I would say he cares enough about his money to get it back. That said, I don’t know if Jeff has an obligation to return it: personally, I would return the tip, grudgingly (while keeping a happy face) if asked to, unless I needed the money to get by that week.
I think the manager of the restaurant should cover for Jeff in this instance. Give the customer a $20 gift certificate, or invite him back to have a free meal while he’s still in town.
That way, Jeff (who did absolutely nothing wrong) isn’t forced to give back $20 that he could very well have spent by now. The customer is pleased, unless he’s a complete jerk – he’s not actually out $20. Jeff is happy; his manager stuck up for him, and he will likely be more diligent in his duties knowing “the boss” is on his side. The manager comes off looking great to the customer and to his employee.
Has anybody noticed that the customer wasn’t even planning to tip 15 percent on an $18 tab? Especially if he’s travelling on business, there’s no reason to tip less than 15 percent. A 15 percent tip on $18 would have been $2.70, if my math is right; this guy wanted to leave two bucks.
Having said all that, if the guy is so insistent as to actually come back two nights later and ask Jeff for the money, Jeff should give it back. The guy would be a supreme jerk in that instance, of course.
Bah, I had intended to bring up the $2 tip but I see quite a few people beat me to it! I guess that shitty tip shows why the guy left so quickly.
If I were Jeff I’d give the money back, but I wouldn’t really blame him if he didn’t. How stingy and classless enough to try and stiff a server on a tip and then have the nerve to demand the extra money back!
Does the amount matter? What if instead of a new peachy $20, it was a $100? Should customer chalk that up to experience too?
What if it had been two hundred dollar bills? If the principle that most of you are espousing falls apart in that scenario, then perhaps the answer is not so clear cut. If he had left his credit card in the thing, should Jeff run off to the mall and charge up a storm?
And while an 11% tip is below the norm, I wouldn’t call it “stiffing,” I’d call it being cheap.
The amount does not matter. When a customer gives the waiter the little payment booklet thingy and says “Keep the change,” then the customer is saying “Whatever is left over after the bill is paid, it’s yours.” It’s up to the customer to determine what amount that is. To my knowledge, waitstaff aren’t required to be psychic.
This is an obvious strawman. A credit card, by definition, is not legal tender, to be given away. It belongs to the owner, and cannot legally be used by anyone else. Cash, on the other hand, belongs to the owner until it is freely given away, either in exchange for goods and services or as a gift. It can be used by anyone; there is no personal identifying information on it, as there is with a credit card.
Why would the restaurant want to court someone who:
Clearly only planned to leave a measly 10% tip (though from the OP, this may be in line with the service of the waiter)
Is this persistant about such a small amount. He is not likely to be a good future tipper if he has this much of a problem with $20.
Is only in town on business, thus not likely to become a regular or influence those in the neighborhood to dine at that particular restaurant.
Is the customer in the wrong here?
Yes. It is rather rude to bother others about money you have given them, they did not steal this money from him, after all. If this were a larger amount, I would understand, but for this amount? shrug
Should the waiter give back the money?
Yes. I don’t think that management should require it, but I think the waiter should of his own will. Not to keep a potential customer, as this customer does not seem to be in a position to become a long term patron…but for his own pride. $20 is not enough money to sacrifice his own dignity, even if the other party has slightly.
But then, I have odd views on money, worked out really well in my dating days. :rolleyes:
I agree with CnoteChris. If I was the customer, I wouldn’t ask for it back, and I think he’s pretty cheap for doing so. On the other hand, if I was the waiter, I would give it back. It was a mistake. I would just feel petty arguing with a customer over it. If he actually came back and argued with me over it, I wouldn’t even bother to fight about it. I would feel just as petty as the customer if I refused to give the $20 back - “sorry, you left it here, now it’s mine!”
I might not be able to resist making a little comment to the customer, though. “Of course you can have it back - you obviously need it more than I do!”
Now when I worked bars I used to have to budget fairly well to make ends meet. If I did get a gravy tip like that, I’d probably have used it to treat myself - maybe go out for a few beers, or buy a pizza for me and the girlfriend.
If I’d done that in this case, I’d then be going back to work to find someone asking for the return of money I’d already spent. That would be hard to do without dipping into a fairly tight budget already.
So, if you think the above scenario is plausible enough, does it not seem that it’s quite possible that in good faith Jeff may not be able to return the money very easily. As such, I really think the customer should just learn from his mistake - and perhaps be a little glad it wasn’t a 50 that was the next note down in his roll.
Not that it alters the ethics of the situation, but… how does the customer know he handed over two twenties?
BTW, it’s not ‘More Wrong’, it’s ‘More Wronger’.*
If Jeff learns anything about this episode, it will be to NEVER discuss the amount of his tips! [jeff] What extra $20??[/jeff]
Karma would suggest that Jeff should give the $20 back, as it was a mistake. And the cheap ass tipper should get his $20 back and lose his wallet at the airport.
Another person weighing in on the side of the waiter here. If the customer’s that anal about 20 bucks, he should check his money more carefully when he pays the tab in the first place. Those people trying to equate this with keeping stolen goods are idiots.
If the manager tells Jeff to return the money, then he’s an asshole. And if Jeff agrees to do it, he should bring in twenty bucks worth of nickels and return the money in that denomination.
I think it serves the customer right for trying to show off how much he’s a tipper in front of his new girlfriend, then try and get it back.
If the guy was from out of town, the manager should have given him a coupon, that expired after a couple months. Then it’s win/win for everyone. To make it win for the customer and lose for Jeff is not fair, as he did nothing wrong. Since he relies on tips, and has possibly spent it, to ask him to refund it isn’t fair to him, and now he’ll be out his $20, as it is his at the moment.
Why would it change things? It’s not the waiter’s fault that the customer is careless with his money, and that’s the main issue here.
BTW, as others have said, I think the customer should suck it up, but Jeff should probably give the man back his money if he feels that strongly about it. Or the manager could have nipped this whole thing in the bud by offering a gift certificate or a coupon.
Whoops, my mistake, it was meant to be a $2 tip rather than a $22. I think I was looking at Audrey’s story about giving change for a $20 instead of a $10 and mixed the two up.
Hmm… that puts the customer in a different light. I suppose I’d give it back anyway if I were Jeff, though I’d probably feel like a chump doing it.
[jeff] What extra $20??[/jeff]