Last night some friends called and asked if we'd like to join them for All-You-Can-Eat Chinese Food. Being that my son is a huge fan of Chinese food and we hadn't been there in quite a while, we decided to go.
I came to learn that Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings they add some crappy Alaska King Crab Legs and some shrimp stuff to the menu and they increase the prices from $8.95 to $11.95. IMO, definitely not worth it.
Nevertheless, we strolled in there with a total of 7 people. My friends daughter brought along her boyfriend who had already eaten earlier and wasn't interested in eating again, but they charged him anyway for a dinner.
Here's the kicker of it all. We got our bill and there was a 15% gratuity added to our check. Mind you, the waiter got us drinks, but that's it! I'm sure this comment is going to bring on a bunch of sly remarks but as I have owned restaurants in the past, All-You-Can-Eat doesn't qualify for massive tipping!
Besides the fact that I will tip what I feel they deserve. So I walked up to the Owner and asked him why, (if this is a serve yourself restaurant) they feel they can get away with adding this 15% gratuity? He replied, they got your drinks, right? Yes. They crean up youa diches, right? Yes. Then they deserve a 15% gratuity. I responded, NO! I'll decide what I want to tip them but they did NOT serve me! He could see I was not putting up with his BS and he said I didn't have to pay the 15% if I didn't want to. The Owner said they also own the Tokyo Steak House across the street and the average tip is 20%!!!! OK Jackass, I hope you're claiming that to the IRS?
The next thing we knew our waiter was standing some 10 feet away from our table rudely staring at us and wouldn't move. I looked at him several times and his stare was one in which he didn't even blink and he was very bold. This lasted a good 10 minutes before we decided we should leave.
Considering I have been in the restaurant business I am one of the best tippers I know. However, when I go into a place I serve myself, they're NOT going to get 15% tip from me, period! They had already charged us for someone who didn't eat and then they added a $14.00 tip to boot?
Seems to me Salisbury may be loaded with restaurants but like I have said in the past, friends of mine in Ocean City will travel to Salisbury to eat the day Salisbury opens up a quality restaurant and they're right! Just because there are plenty of places to eat doen't make the service and or food any good. I can't wait for the Wamplers to open up in Pittsville!
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
4 comments:
Just curious here, but what is the sidework at China Buffet? I take that into account when tipping at a buffet place.
I did a short stint at Chef Fred's a couple years ago. We were in at least an hour before opening, making tea and coffee, chopping veggies and setting up the buffet for the hot food. During lunch, we were the ones making sure everything was replenished. After service, we broke down the buffet, restocked everything we used for the night shift (who did NOT restock for us) and set up the dining room for dinner service.
The amount of work we were doing for $2.13 an hour was ridiculous. And of course, people didn't see that side of it, they only saw that we got their drinks and cleared their dishes.
Needless to say, I didn't stay working there for very long.
Anyway, that's why I ask, "what is their sidework like?" In a place that keeps their prices low by having their waitstaff do all the work, I can see tipping a larger amount. However, if there are "living wage" employees doing the grunt work, then no, I wouldn't tip as much.
As I do not normally agree with richard on many things, I do agree with him on this issue. Tipping is DESERVED. You out do someone with service and impress someone, that's one thing. However, to get what you deserve by going into a restaurant and ordering something, are we to expect bad service? Are we expected to not get served at all. The owner of that restaurant must take care of his staff, period. Either teach them how to be the very best servers on the Eastern Shore or simply pay them $6.00 an hour to serve your food. However, it is NOT my responsibility to make or break their income, ESPECIALLY in a buffet environment when I'm getting my own food! This whole thing is nuts and tipping at such high rates and the owners acting as if we're responsible for taking care of their own staff is just unbelievable!
I had a 50's style restaurant just outside Annapolis called Happy Days Cafe. The girls there wore 50's style skirts and made more money in my establishment than any of the big restaurants within 30 miles surrounding us. My bartenders always made far more money than any other bar because they loved their jobs, they loved the people coming into the establishment every day and the environment and setting was unique, fun and entertaining. Show me ONE place like it around here?
Anyhow, tips are earned and the idea that there's so much pressure to tip 15 to 20% no matter what is a joke! If the waitress or waiter doesn't EARN their tip, FIND ANOTHER JOB! Oh, know this as well. I know the difference between someone cooking a bad meal and getting bad service. I do NOT blame the server for what comes out of the kitchen.
Joe--
Did they have a sign announcing an automatic gratuity for parties of a certain size?
I believe that they have to inform you of that *prior* to making any requests in order for it to be valid.
I always judge service by how long my glass stays empty. If it ever gets to the bottom and isn't instantly refreshed, it's 10%. If it never goes empty, it's 20%.
Finally, if I do go to a restaurant with a min. gratuity, I am *ALWAYS* much more demanding of the wait staff.
Gunpowder,
They claimed it was on the menu but as anyone can tell you, I have never seen a menu here and or in "any" buffet restaurant.
They simply come to the table without a menu, ask for your drink orders and away you go.
Like I also said, we had 7 people but one didn't eat and they charged us for him anyway. He was served a soda and that was good enough for them.
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