Stingiest things thread(op for R&R access)

westcoast66

languagenerd wrote: »

Maybe not the absolute stingiest thing, but last year I went for dinner with a friend who was moving back to her home country the following day. When it came to paying the bill, there was a service charge of 10% because there were 6 of us and we'd booked the table on a busy night.

Hate that ****, there should have been a discount of 10% because you were a large party.

I've also, on occasion, deducted the service charge from a bill if they automatically include it and the service is crap.

Billy86

That's why I rarely put my money in first when paying in a group anymore, and usually do my best to go last. Far too often on a bill of say $50, with everyone owing let's say $10 each before tip, I've seen $45-50 in there only for the last person to try and sneak in $3 or whatever the remainder is rather than their full share. Really, really winds me up.

The same with people who literally give out to others in their group for tipping even if the waiter/waitress deserved it, likely because it makes them feel pressurised to tip also. There's one couple I know who would be better off just learning that opening scene from Reservoir Dogs off by heart, and be done with it!

ohnonotgmail

osarusan wrote: »

When i was in university a friend of mine went shopping with her boyfriend, and he actually took out his calculator (actual calculator) in the middle of the shop to see which product was better value (cheaper per weight/volume, etc).

She was mortified to be seen with him.

i would be mortified to be seen with somebody who couldnt do that in their head.

Fluorescence

westcoast66 wrote: »

Hate that ****, there should have been a discount of 10% because you were a large party.

I've also, on occasion, deducted the service charge from a bill if they automatically include it and the service is crap.

Having worked in restaurants, you should ask the server to take it off for you (for optional service charge) rather than underpay. It makes a bit of a mess if you simply short-change instead of asking like a grown-up to have it removed.

It also gives the waiter/manager a chance to see if there was a particular issue that night that could have been resolved in another way (future discounts, etc). If staff don't know there's a problem how can it be fixed?

languagenerd

westcoast66 wrote: »

Hate that ****, there should have been a discount of 10% because you were a large party.

I've also, on occasion, deducted the service charge from a bill if they automatically include it and the service is crap.

Whether you agree with service charges or not, you don't just say nothing and shortchange everyone else at your table. The rest of us paid the service charge and a bit extra, which they used to supplement their own meals. It's bordering on theft!

Victor

JustShon wrote: »

Knew a guy once who told me he calculates the calories when buying food at a fast food place, not to make sure he's limiting his calorie intake but to ensure he was getting the most energy for his money.

He should just buy a lump of lard from the supermarket.

:eeewaaaahhhh:

Grandeeod

languagenerd wrote: »

Whether you agree with service charges or not, you don't just say nothing and shortchange everyone else at your table. The rest of us paid the service charge and a bit extra, which they used to supplement their own meals. It's bordering on theft!

Been there. I just throw in my fair share. Often threw in more than my fair share.

I'll never be rich.:rolleyes:

castletownman

My father in his thrifty way tends to wait to the Monday to "borrow" the Sunday paper from the aunts. I'm usually on board as it means I can catch up with the regular articles I read in the sports sections. The shock horror on my face this week though when he arrived up with the paper WITHOUT the sports section.

However, when I was doing the recycling the following morning, what do I see lying there in the section of disguarded newpapers, only a (nearly) pristine copy of the sports section I was missing. A quick look left and right to ensure no-one was witnessing quite literally daylight robbery, and it was mine.

I think we both belong in this thread

westcoast66

languagenerd wrote: »

Whether you agree with service charges or not, you don't just say nothing and shortchange everyone else at your table. The rest of us paid the service charge and a bit extra, which they used to supplement their own meals. It's bordering on theft!

Sorry but in all these cases I am paying the bill myself. And I certainly make it known to the staff why I am not paying the service charge.

languagenerd

westcoast66 wrote: »

Sorry but in all these cases I am paying the bill myself. And I certainly make it known to the staff why I am not paying the service charge.

But there is a difference between telling staff to remove a service charge when the service was really bad and the situation I described. In my case, the service was good and the charge was 10%, which we probably would've left as a tip anyway. 4 people at the table paid their share of the meal plus 10% or more, then the last two decided without saying anything to the rest of us not to pay it. And then used the money we had put in to cover some of their own meals.

I think a key part of being stingy is doing someone else out of money to save your own, and that's what these two did. No shame or apology or even an explanation afterwards either.

Birneybau

castletownman wrote: »

My father in his thrifty way tends to wait to the Monday to "borrow" the Sunday paper from the aunts. I'm usually on board as it means I can catch up with the regular articles I read in the sports sections. The shock horror on my face this week though when he arrived up with the paper WITHOUT the sports section.

However, when I was doing the recycling the following morning, what do I see lying there in the section of disguarded newpapers, only a (nearly) pristine copy of the sports section I was missing. A quick look left and right to ensure no-one was witnessing quite literally daylight robbery, and it was mine.

I think we both belong in this thread

Not at all, I usually pass the magazines to my dad and the main newspaper and sections to my friend.

kylith

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

i would be mortified to be seen with somebody who couldnt do that in their head.

Or just look at the price on the shelf where the €/kg is generally printed anyway.

Graces7

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

i would be mortified to be seen with somebody who couldnt do that in their head.

But it wouldnt have the same impact then would it? No effect!

osarusan

kylith wrote: »

Or just look at the price on the shelf where the €/kg is generally printed anyway.

When we were in university 17-20 years ago it wasn't.

valoren

One Christmas, my two brothers and I met our cousin in town to meet for lunch*, do some shopping etc etc.
We had bought our gifts and noticed that the Irish Heart Foundation were wrapping presents.
We went along and had gifts wrapped and then each threw a fiver/tenner or any loose change we had into the bucket.
They did a great job on the wrapping, so job done.

The cousin, who hadn't bought anything, so had nothing wrapped, was asked "Are you donating?"

"Sure, I didn't get any wrapping done!"

I know he was technically right, as he hadn't bought anything to have wrapped, but to me it was pure stinginess. It's for a good cause, it's Christmas, throw some change in the feckin' bucket Scrooge.



* of course Lunch was in the local O'Brien's where he had a loyalty card. He even asked me to take his to get another stamp on his.

The Highwayman

westcoast66 wrote: »

Sorry but in all these cases I am paying the bill myself. And I certainly make it known to the staff why I am not paying the service charge.

If you don't agree with the service charge and it will state on the menu that the a certain restaurant has that policy be fair and tell your server that you don't intend to pay it before you order. Then you alow the server to spend time in the tables where they will make some tips. And cheerfully ignore you as you are looking for yet another glass of tap water to wash down your "I'm just going to order the side salad" order.

Do I agree with a service charge? No not really but I understand why restaurants have them as a business owner in the industry I can see the need for them.

rawn

Re the service charge thing, I thought it wasn't a tip but more that a table of large people will take longer to serve/eat and it's a supplement to the restaurant for the lower turnover on the table? "Service" rather than "gratuity"?

Hmmm a stinge story to make my post on-topic...

We have one of those charity snack baskets in work with 30 snacks for €1 each, with an honesty box. You'd think there'd be €30 in it when the box is emptied every week but we're always, always around €7 short, and a lot of it would be random coppers or 20c. We've had to start monitoring the money going it with a "safe-keeper" physically putting the money in the box to make sure people are actually putting a full €1 in. Either someone is shortchanging it or blatantly stealing but it's for bloody charity ffs!!

rawn

Re the service charge thing, I thought it wasn't a tip but more that a table of large people will take longer to serve/eat and it's a supplement to the restaurant for the lower turnover on the table? "Service" rather than "gratuity"?

Hmmm a stinge story to make my post on-topic...

We have one of those charity snack baskets in work with 30 snacks for €1 each, with an honesty box. You'd think there'd be €30 in it when the box is emptied every week but we're always, always around €7 short, and a lot of it would be random coppers or 20c. We've had to start monitoring the money going it with a "safe-keeper" physically putting the money in the box to make sure people are actually putting a full €1 in. Either someone is shortchanging it or blatantly stealing but it's for bloody charity ffs!!

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

westcoast66 wrote: »

Sorry but in all these cases I am paying the bill myself. And I certainly make it known to the staff why I am not paying the service charge.

Oh god did I used to cringe for customers like that when I was a waitress. 'Hey honey, you know this service charge you had nothing to do with putting there? Well come and listen to my Serious Taking a Stand Voice while I shíte on about not paying it for a minute, and then you'll understand why you're not getting your 12% share of a 10% charge on a €80 bill.'

civis_liberalis

I worked in an engineering company and one of the engineers, who also happened to be a farmer, liked to read the Indo farming supplement on a Wednesday.

A local shop take our order in the morning and deliver it in time for lunch. I would get the Indo most days, out of boredom mostly. This was before smartphones were much cop.

If on a Wednesday morning, I decided not to bother, I would have that gob****e whining about it until the following week.

I eventually stopped getting the paper at all, although not because of him. He never stopped going on about it until I left.

He would go on about being owed a few cents by the shop or someone he gave something to, but if he owed anybody anything, he would try to show them up for even asking. Well, he was only showing them up in his own mind, as everybody knew what he was like.

Billy86

Amanda Screeching Housewife wrote: »

Oh god did I used to cringe for customers like that when I was a waitress. 'Hey honey, you know this service charge you had nothing to do with putting there? Well come and listen to my Serious Taking a Stand Voice while I shíte on about not paying it for a minute, and then you'll understand why you're not getting your 12% share of a 10% charge on a €80 bill.'

So hold on, when service charge is included the waiter/waitress only gets 12% of that!? So in that €80 bill you would only get €0.96? Was the remaining €7.04 split between the rest of the staff (kitchen, etc) or was it pocketed by the restaurant?

Not saying you're wrong, but that's pretty shocking practice on the restaurants behalf if the latter!

gutenberg

Billy86 wrote: »

So hold on, when service charge is included the waiter/waitress only gets 12% of that!? So in that €80 bill you would only get €0.96? Was the remaining €7.04 split between the rest of the staff (kitchen, etc) or was it pocketed by the restaurant?

Not saying you're wrong, but that's pretty shocking practice on the restaurants behalf if the latter!

Sounds a bit like the restaurants who were recently exposed for creaming off a percentage of tips added electronically via card machines, and they claimed it was an 'administrative charge'. So if you added 10 euro to your 100 euro bill using the card machine, some restaurants took a percentage of it. I know Milano's were one such place.
No wonder my mam always insists on leaving a cash tip...

TitianGerm

Billy86 wrote: »

So hold on, when service charge is included the waiter/waitress only gets 12% of that!? So in that €80 bill you would only get €0.96? Was the remaining €7.04 split between the rest of the staff (kitchen, etc) or was it pocketed by the restaurant?

Not saying you're wrong, but that's pretty shocking practice on the restaurants behalf if the latter!

Standard practice in most restraunts (all that I worked in for over 10 years) was to spilt all tips among floor staff.

So if I got €10 of a tip and there was 10 of us working I'd get €1 out of that €10. It always worked out fairer in the long run.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Billy86 wrote: »

So hold on, when service charge is included the waiter/waitress only gets 12% of that!? So in that €80 bill you would only get €0.96? Was the remaining €7.04 split between the rest of the staff (kitchen, etc) or was it pocketed by the restaurant?

Not saying you're wrong, but that's pretty shocking practice on the restaurants behalf if the latter!

Basically what emmetkenny said. There aren't many places in Ireland (back when I was last in the industry anyway) that work on the American system, i.e. you have a 'section' of tables which you serve and all tips from the table are yours. Either tips are pooled and split at the end of the night/week, or go towards staff nights out. One place I worked that paid us a fair bit above minimum wage, we decided to just give the tips to charity.

There are a LOT of shocking practices in the restaurant and hospitality industry, from both employers and customers.

Actually reminds me of an example fit for this thread! My friend was working somewhere where the owner was paying most staff under the table, but still deducted (and pocketed) what they would have been paying in PAYE and USC, and didn't understand why they complained because sure, they're not any worse off at the end of the week than if he'd been paying them through the books!

Billy86

emmetkenny wrote: »

Standard practice in most restraunts (all that I worked in for over 10 years) was to spilt all tips among floor staff.

So if I got €10 of a tip and there was 10 of us working I'd get €1 out of that €10. It always worked out fairer in the long run.

Ah yeah that makes sense - I prefer that to just the server getting it all to be honest. Was more worried that it was a case of what Gutenberg mentioned in their post.

Fluorescence

Some restaurants split service charge amongst all staff on that day, and some pocket it. Some give service charge only to the kitchen staff. The waiter serving you almost never gets service charge - I have yet to hear of that happening, and I've worked in a few places...

For tips, some places pool tips and everyone (floor and kitchen) gets an equal share. Some let you keep cash tips and give credit card tips to kitchen. Others still just take a percentage of a credit card tip for all staff working that day and the waiter gets most of it.

A lot of people will ask where their tip goes, so if you're curious do ask! It varies from place to place

lisasimpson

I know someone who does their shoppimg when they know it student boozy night. Goes to the self service checkouts so if there were students in front of them buying booze and they didnt have a clubcard takes the receipt left behind to get the points added to their own clucard

Tom_Barry

lisasimpson wrote: »

I know someone who does their shoppimg when they know it student boozy night. Goes to the self service checkouts so if there were students in front of them buying booze and they didnt have a clubcard takes the receipt left behind to get the points added to their own clucard

The absolute EFFORT of that!

Comic Book Guy

Driving through country village near home and seen a lad with boot full of domestic rubbish dropping it into one of those street bins before moving onto the next one and continuing on!

Graces7

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

Driving through country village near home and seen a lad with boot full of domestic rubbish dropping it into one of those street bins before moving onto the next one and continuing on!

At least he was putting it in a bin... last winter some ******* emptied several bags of rubbish off the top of the Conor Pass here in Kerry. The photo was **** and the risks of clearing it up..