RSSTwo local college students were recently transported to the Bethlehem police headquarters after failing to pay a mandatory tip at the Lehigh Pub. The students had gone to happy hour with a group of friends and, after reportedly terrible service, refused to pay a tip.
At first glance, refusing to pay a service charge can seem obnoxious. Waiters work for notoriously low wages, and even awkward or inattentive servers deserve some gratuity. The incident at the Lehigh Pub, however, doesn't seem to be iffy service. The group reported waiting for over an hour for salad and wings, and had to serve themselves water, napkins and utensils while their waitress was outside on a smoke break.
If a waiter is that terrible, does he or she deserve a tip? Are waiters completely entitled to gratuities, no matter what?
Most waiters deserve to be tipped, even if they make mistakes - forgetting to refill water or acting a bit short is no reason to shortchange a waiter. But a waiter that can't even fulfill the most basic expectations isn't entitled.
Good service, or even decent service, is so crucial to a customer's return and to a restaurant's image. Having students arrested who didn't pay a tip only highlights the Pub's terrible service. Was the bad publicity worth the $16 tip that would have been lost?
Editorial: Is not tipping a crime?
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Opinion
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 16
ELEANO
posted 11/19/09 @ 3:34 PM EST
nobody deserve to be tip
tip is at discretion
T.I.P.S. TO INSURE PROPER SERVICE
SERVICE FEE IS NON DISCUSSIBLE
ss
posted 11/19/09 @ 4:00 PM EST
The last sentence really sums it up: "Was the bad publicity worth the $16 tip that would have been lost?"
That's exactly what the pub staff should have asked themselves. (Continued…)
FREETHELEHIGH2
posted 11/19/09 @ 5:26 PM EST
THere should be a rally/protest outside the restaurant!
People shouldn't tolerate this! Charges need to be dropped and apologies to the victims here. (Continued…)
Danny
posted 11/19/09 @ 5:42 PM EST
If Mr. Opinion had actually read the whole story, he would have seen that they were part of a party of 8, and that the restaurant has a policy written on the menus that there will be a gratuity added for parties of 8 or more. (Continued…)
Thomas Paine
posted 11/19/09 @ 9:33 PM EST
The choice is simple. Patronize the establishment and demonstrate that you agree with their 'arrest the customer' philosophy or stay away and let them rot (and eventually close) as they deserve. (Continued…)
Bartleby the Scrivener
posted 11/19/09 @ 9:37 PM EST
The party of 8 rule is almost certainly clearly written, and despite that, the bartender was a complete tool for calling the police over this. You can call it what you will, but a part of the implied contract established when one pays for food in a restaurant is prompt and courteous service. (Continued…)
Joe
posted 11/19/09 @ 9:54 PM EST
Although the gratuity clause is mentioned in the menu agreement, it'd be nice for Lehigh pub to note their strict policy enforcement of prosectuing customers who receive poor service. (Continued…)
Joe
posted 11/19/09 @ 11:03 PM EST
Let me guess, the person that wrote this editorial also works as waitstaff? I have worked as a waiter and I made good tips. A waiter doing his/her job at a busy pub or resturant can make a good living off of tips. (Continued…)
Diego Mamani
posted 11/20/09 @ 6:52 PM EST
OK, OK, we all have opinions about the manager, and about the couple who was arrested. My question is about the police. What do you think about the police actions? I think the cops in this case were 100% ignorant of what a gratuity is. (Continued…)
Tom
posted 11/22/09 @ 10:01 PM EST
Danny: Regardless of a restaurant's policy of 18% gratuity for parties of 8, such policy is not binding and unenforceable. It is discrimination; a restaurant cannot charge different prices to different diners. (Continued…)
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