Pre-tipping?

I was hanging out in Silverlake with Ashley and had dinner at a place that will remain unnamed but has the words Coffee and Table in it.


Now forgive me for not realizing this, a virgin to these ways, but if you eating at an establishment where you order and pay at the counter first, are you expected to pre-tip?

Very much like I would do in a Starbucks, I placed my order and paid with a credit card. I looked around while Counter Guy runs it and take note of thee big communal tip jar and skim past the tip line on the charge slip Counter Guy gave back to me to sign.

Like I’m going to pre-tip I think filling out the slip as Counter Guys watches closely .

Now with a number stand in hand I take a seat at our table as Ashley fixes her coffee, wondering if that strange look Counter Guy gave was for a what I thought it was for. When I ask Ashley about pre-tipping, she confirmed that she did on her charge slip and felt it not surprising for a first timer not knowing to do so.

About five minutes later Counter Guy turns the corner with my food and sees that it’s for that guy who didn't pre-trip. Oh how I could’ve shoved that more than obvious sneer up your pre-tip or die ass, stupid Counter Guy.

You know what?
I had already planned on dropping my tip into the shared jar on the counter. I could've left. I could've not tipped 20% but I did because the food was good and you didn’t drop it and the fact that you sneered was just amusing to me.

Did you acknowledge my monetary gratitude drop into the mighty tip jar? No, you were looking in the wrong direction, thus missing my post-eating tip.

Now I’m forever branded as one of those “non tippers.” Oh well.


[Pre Posting Update: I was googling reviews before I posted this and found this comment on The Coffee Table, and like that customer, the fucker charge a 20% tip without telling me also. Hmm. How much of an asshole I'm going to be about this?]

Comments

  1. He did sneer!!

    I wasn't going to worry about the attitude - maybe he was having a bad day - because I was going to tip so things were alright karmacally.
    (sp? is that even a word?).

    I am going to call the bank and let them deal with it.

    It's shady and snarky when places do that crap (FYI the Malibu Inn and Valut 360 do that even with cash transactions).

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  2. Anonymous7:26 PM

    In the spirit of what a tip has come to be -- an appreciation for good service -- the whole idea of pre-tipping is rather silly, and of course you should feel free to tip before or after as you please without fear of intimidation or reprisal (and haven't you ever pre-tipped and then gotten such bad service that you wish you hadn't?).

    That's a whole different issue from being illegally charged. HELL YES, make a stink!

    I sympathize with servers, as I used to be one. I don't sympathize with assholes who play god. If you know me, you know it really doesn't excite me to make a fuss about these things. I don't get off on it. I'm not "that guy." But this is stealing, cut and dried. It's worse than "shady"; it's illegal, unethical, and just plain sucky.

    It's gracious to say all is forgiven because they hardly make anything. But first of all, if they regularly swindle customers a buck or two, they're actually making a hell of a lot -- perhaps even more than the people being scammed do. Second of all, when I do pre-tip, I TRY not to care whether the server sees me (a silly exercise in humility…doing your alms in secret and all); so here I too could get charged the 20% plus my original tip -- *40%*. I don't know about you, but for 40% I expect a lot (maybe tax advice or a nice hand massage. Or garnishes shaped like little animals. I digress). Anyway, IT'S NOT OKAY.

    Post on that message board. Call the guy's manager. Get his thieving ass fired. And know that in doing these things, you're not being an asshole at all. You're being a small "h" hero, standing up for his next would-be victims. Sorry to rant, but nothing galls me more than when the bad guy wins.

    As far as the attitude and sneer: As with anything in life, if you know you did the right thing, try not to let the idiots get to you. Ya done good.


    *diatribe provided by s(jp) services, inc.*

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