BUZZFEE: Applebee's Server Gets Stiffed By Pastor Who Gave Her Tip To God, Promptly Gets Fired By Applebee's

[SteveFromYellowstone]

The thing that people seem to be missing is that gratuity was added onto the bill automatically due to the size of their party. This is generally announced when the server first comes to the table and is posted in the restaurant and menu.

The pastor crossed out the added gratuity and wrote in the price without it, after having the bill split into multiple receipts to try to get around the automatic gratuity, even though only one person was paying.

This isn't just a cheap skate not wanting to tip. It's an EPIC cheap skate not wanting to tip.

This is the equivalent of the pastor writing, "I give God 10%, why should I pay you $8 for a hamburger?"

Not missing that at all. My issue is that she compares supposedly giving 10% of her income away (which I sincerely doubt) to say, giving a 20% tip on a bill that wasn't huge. She even complains about the 18% added for dealing with a party that big. Some families can be a pain to deal with and complain about everything and I can easily see her group doing that. The note she left was just so condescending and unneeded. People like that who have never worked in food service as a waiter don't understand that waitstaff gets $2 an hour and depends on tips heavily.

In a way, some pastors depend on "tips" in the offering plate for their salary. You would think a supposedly godly person would be a bit more pleasant.

[Kosher Ham]

In a way, some pastors depend on "tips" in the offering plate for their salary. You would think a supposedly godly person would be a bit more pleasant.

You would think. But from when I used to manage restaurants...Sunday crowd could be the worst for the staff. Totally unpredictable (so not saying all the folks were difficult). They could have a great experience and compliment the staff member...crappy tip. They could be difficult and needy...decent tip. They could be pleasant and sweet as can be...crappy tip. The rare thing for them was getting a 20% tip or more on a Sunday. I recall them calling it "dysfunctional family day".

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Wow, I'm glad I read this. I totally would have fallen for that. In fact I probably would have given him $20 so he could get a sandwich too.

Seriously, why would anyone believe that ****? I tell people to piss off or that I dont have money when they come around begging. Everyone's got a story/scam nowdays, I believe nobody I dont know asking for money. They can **** off.

[Yusuf06]

It's a cultural thing ...I think it's safe to say, that not tipping the standard 15% is something that African Americans don't due ... for the most part.

I'd like to be able to say you're wrong but not exactly. The best I can do is say that in my experience it's most prevalent among "ghetto" Black folks. All the Black folks I know tip normally. I personally make a point of tipping well because I know what it means to the server, but if I'm honest it's due also in part to a desire not to live up to the stereotype.

If it is a cultural thing, then it's a bad cultural thing and it needs to stop. Nobody is hurt by a microwave on a jobs site or a floppy handshake. However it's clearly a disservice to someone who works hard to stiff them on the tip.

I just hope that Pastor Cheapskate knows that since this went viral, she'll probably be recognized by servers anywhere she goes. She's gonna be eating a LOT of spit and whatever else they do to food behind the scenes at restaurants when you show you're a dillhole...and she deserves every bit of it.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

I can't speak for that pastor, but I go by the rule, "If I got it, we all got it!" If God has blessed me with money and whatnot, what's the point of keeping it all to myself? At a restaurant, I will leave good tips. When someone outside 7-Eleven says, "Big man, you got any change." I give them a couple of bucks. It doesn't make me better than anybody, or make me feel any better about myself, I just feel it's the right thing to do. Aren't we supposed to help out our fellow humankind?

Helping out people is one thing. Scammers begging for money running game is another. Anytime my dad would have beggers/work for food/etc. people hanging out near the store he managed. He would offer to buy them a meal after they did some chore for him (cut the grass, clean off the sidewalks, etc.). The ones that worked got a hot meal. It was a sure fire way to weed out the peeps that were just scamming.

Maybe for you, money grows on trees, but not for me. I don't give anyone **** unless I know its a legit cause. Considering I don't know any of the bums/peeps asking me for money, they don't get it. Said person can piss off.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Love your neighbor.....guess that means stiff them on the tip then get them fired for shaming you publicly.

[Special K]

I don't understand why the pastor only gives god 10%....

The 10% is the percentage called for in the Bible. In my church (and I assume many churches), the 10% tithe goes to rent, utilities, pastor(s) wages, the our regional and national conference, our school system, wages for missionaries overseas and national and international outreach efforts. I suspect you already know this, but I wasn't completely sure if you were asking rhetorically or not

Count me as "they should pay a decent wage and add it into the prices" category.

To me, what they're doing is simply fraud.

"We have 7 meals under five dollars! But, well, if you want something to drink with that, then that's three bucks more. And, well, you see, we don't actually pay our employees. So, well, you could just eat for five bucks, if you don't mind the waiter's kids going to bed hungry tonight. But it's completely voluntary. You don't have to pay more than the price we told you it was going to cost, if you don't mind us telling everybody on Facebook that you're an ***hole because you didn't voluntarily pay more than the price. Here, we'll even tell you how much we think you should voluntarily pay."

Well, until the system is changed, yes, you're an ******* by screwing a waiter over by not giving him/her a tip

Just because one doesn't agree with a system doesn't give him/her a valid excuse to jip the wait staff.

Tipping question - what's the consensus of tipping on take out food (as in ordering over the phone and picking it up to bring home)? Tip or no tip?

As for this story - it's a shame that certain segments of society still don't understand what servers in most states make. At least here in California, I believe all restaurants have to pay at the minimum the state wage ($8 an hour). It's one of the reasons why we don't have Cracker Barrel here...

For take out, I usually give a 10% tip (which is typically $2-$5 depending on how much we order).

[Larry]

Just observing, here.

I'm seeing a lot of condemnation for the Pastor not leaving a tip.

And I don't think any for the waiter for publicly shaming somebody for not paying something which they claim is voluntary.

[Kosher Ham]

Just observing, here.

I'm seeing a lot of condemnation for the Pastor not leaving a tip.

And I don't think any for the waiter for publicly shaming somebody for not paying something which they claim is voluntary.

2 wrongs don't make a right. But it was seemingly predicated on the Pastors behavior initially.

[Special K]

Yeah, that's how I am too. If I picked the food up, I'm not giving 10-15% or anything. I'll drop a buck or two in the jar if they have one, but the receipt is being zeroed out. When you stop to think about it, it's interesting how many things have tipping, not that it's required, but just accepted. Food service, barbershops, hotels, heck even the newspaper delivery guy (when we got the paper) had the Christmas envelope. Tipping is pretty much everywhere now, and if I've heard correctly, the concept is pretty unusual in other countries.

You think you have it bad?!?

Think about how much us women have to go through with just the salon (hair color, cuts, waxing, manis, pedis, etc). Every 6 weeks I'm dropping a $25-$30 tip just to do my hair...and I have a short-ass cut! When you add in other services like manicures, pedicures, etc., it gets expensive.

It's nice in other countries: tips aren't expected and you're allowed to linger at your table, drink wine, and socialize for however long you want. Waiters don't rush you out so they can turn over a table. I still remember this one time in Czech I kept trying to get our check and the waiter kept bringing out more beer...we ended up staying an extra hour and a half drinking and people-watching lol.

One thing I've noticed a lot in my travels though is that even if tips aren't expected in a country, if you're an American, they're still going to expect a tip from you. And if you're an American in a developing country, they're going to overcharge you AND expect a tip. It pisses me off that so many American tourists still tip overseas and end up screwing everything up for American travellers following in their wake.

---------- Post added February-1st-2013 at 08:05 PM ----------

Just observing, here.

I'm seeing a lot of condemnation for the Pastor not leaving a tip.

And I don't think any for the waiter for publicly shaming somebody for not paying something which they claim is voluntary.

The impetus for posting this was not the fact that no tip was given; rather it was the arrogant and ****ty remark left by a self-proclaimed "Christian Pastor" followed by no tip.

This wouldn't have been posted online if it was a simply a case of a tip not being given. It was the hypocrisy of a "Christian" being a complete *******.

As for the waitress, I feel badly she had to deal with that, but it was equally as asinine on her part to post a financial document on a popular online forum (or anywhere online for that matter).

[Yusuf06]

Just observing, here.

I'm seeing a lot of condemnation for the Pastor not leaving a tip.

And I don't think any for the waiter for publicly shaming somebody for not paying something which they claim is voluntary.

It's pretty hard to expect otherwise. If Pastor Cheapskate had done what 99% of people do and just not leave the tip, there wouldn't have been anything of interest for the waitress to post. It was the extra step of tossing in a snide remark and adding the Pastor title, "You get no tip beyotch....and God agrees with that. Trust me, I know. I'm a Pastor". To try and pull that kind of grandstanding and get own3d for it means very, very, very few people are going to find fault with the person who reacted in very human fashion to your douchebaggery.

Hell, I applaud the waitress because most of the time people just take it, like it's just supposed to be that way. This server stood up for the disrespected service worker everywhere. Good for her.

[IONTOP]

Just observing, here.

I'm seeing a lot of condemnation for the Pastor not leaving a tip.

And I don't think any for the waiter for publicly shaming somebody for not paying something which they claim is voluntary.

In order to put grautity on a person's bill, it must be explicitly stated that parties of X or more are charged a 18% gratuity. If it is not stated, then it is illegal to do. Because Applebees probably covers their bases it was more than likely explicitly stated on the menu, by the host stand, and possibly by the server at the beginning of the meal (some restaurants I've worked at make sure you tell a party BEFORE they order anything, therefore they can choose to eat elsewhere if they do not agree)

BTW The pastor definitely paid that tip. Imagine you going into ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD, they had you a bill for what you've ordered (Mechanic, grocery store, work) and you scratch out your total, write a new total and hand them the cash for it. You'd be arrested for theft. Because it's a stated policy, you can't agree to it and then not agree to it.

What the problem is, is that she took a picture of the signature... Without the signature, she could have reaped that sweet sweet karma, those lovely imaginary internet points that can buy you nothing, and nobody would have known where she worked, or who the patron was.

[BuddyLeeGhostHunter]

so ... if this happens to your niece who's in college or one of the kids of your best friend, you would you still find this minute?! don't think so!

It's all about perspective man ... a lot of the people are really pissed off at this in this thread are former waitstaff, a few more are good tippers and are offended!

Yeah, well, I get all that.

I was referring to the onslaught some people (no one here) will go to in order to flame the guilty party. I mean, it made me laugh and there are trolls everywhere but again...perspective.

[NLC1054]

Just observing, here.

I'm seeing a lot of condemnation for the Pastor not leaving a tip.

And I don't think any for the waiter for publicly shaming somebody for not paying something which they claim is voluntary.

There is a difference between not leaving a tip, and being a douchenozzle about not leaving a tip. I know a family friend who, when he didn't feel like tipping, would right "Here's a tip; get a real job." That type of thing bugged me even when I was younger. There's literally no reason for it unless a person absolutely deserves it (like, rude and obnoxious and just being a complete and utter jerk), and the person involved usually didn't.

The woman literally didn't do a single thing wrong providing these people service by all accounts. It's not just about not leaving a tip; it was the WAY she didn't leave a tip. First of all, even though the pastor was the one who was paying, she kept trying to break down the checks more and more and more to get out of paying the tip. Then, she crossed out the 18% gratuity, in what seems like a vain but pointless attempt to show that she didn't want to pay the 18% gratuity that she had to have known would be applied to her check. And then she wrote that line about "giving God 10%".

The waitresses real problem was posting the ladies signature on the internet, which seems less like a malicious thing and more like an honest mistake. Otherwise, she was just trying to blow off some steam in what had to be a frustrating but funny situation.

And if you've ever worked in the service industry, as a waitress or in retail, you've met customers like this, and it is maddening and frustrating. And a lot of people in this thread have met someone exactly like this, which makes it harder not to sympathize.

[Bliz]

I personally make a point of tipping well because I know what it means to the server, but if I'm honest it's due also in part to a desire not to live up to the stereotype.

Me too. But because I'm Jewish.

(well, I was never a server. But did some time as a host at an Outback steakhouse and saw how hard the servers worked, and how badly they got screwed sometimes)

I will admit to having recently resented the 18% auto-gratuity for a big party. Bunch of us went to Chef Mickeys at Disney World (character dinner). It's a buffet, and an expensive one at that (because you're paying for the character meet and greets). I don't mean to sound cheap, but I did not feel that our server, while nice, did very much to merit an 18% tip on a $35+ per person buffet. But we still paid it.