topic Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service in Community Chat

What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Topaz Gem — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:15:24 GMT

I thought this was kind of cool. It was definitely a different way of looking at a bad situation. I've been a waitress and sometimes you do the very best you can, but it's still not enough.

Makenzie and Steven Schultz of Cedar Rapids, Iowa hired a babysitter Saturday night and headed to a new restaurant in town to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

What happened next caught the attention of the world.

Their dining experience "sucked," Makenzie later wrote in a Facebook post that has gone viral with over a million "likes" and 150,000 shares. It "took 20 minutes to get water, 40 minutes for an appetizer and over an hour for an entree."

Makenzie told CNNMoney that one couple actually walked out of the restaurant and another ran up to the hostess booth to warn a friend not to eat there.

The scene was akin to something out of a bad reality TV show where the diners are duped.

But the Schultzes looked around and realized something: There was only one waiter serving 12 tables, and he was doubling as the bartender too.

"It was easy for us to say, 'Oh my goodness it's taking so long. I can't believe it,'" Makenzie said. "But I just flipped that and said look, he's working so hard. He's doing all that he can. He just has all these tables."

In the end, they left a $100 tip for the server on a bill of $66.65. Makenzie wrote on the bill, "We've both been in your shoes. Paying it forward."

Makenzie and Steven met when they were both waiters at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in the Mall of America in Minnesota.

They know that sometimes the kitchen messes up or someone calls in sick and it's not the waiter's fault, but guests still blame the server, often leaving horrible tips.

"Steven and I agreed it would feel good to make this guy's night when he would probably be getting minimal to no tips due to slow service," she wrote in the Facebook post that displayed the bill (but omitted the name of the restaurant).

The tip worked out to 150 percent, a heck of a lot bigger than the usual 15 percent to 20 percent most Americans leave.

"I'm just sharing this as a friendly reminder to think of the entire situation before you judge," the Facebook post concluded. "And always always always remember where you came from."

The Schultz family was astonished by how much attention the post received. They have heard from hundreds of people through Facebook, most complimenting them or sharing similarly inspiring stories.

As of Monday morning, they had not heard anything more from the server or the restaurant. They left without saying anything to the waiter because he was busy and they wanted it to be a surprise.

"I hope people just show more compassion for everybody," Makenzie said. "If you can give little or give big, I think everybody's world would be a little kinder, gentler and nicer."

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Preds — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:21:17 GMT

That is wonderful! Bless the poor mans heart. At least he was working and trying. There is only so much one person can do. Glad they did that for him.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

brii — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:21:52 GMT

I bet he was thrilled. What an awesome surprise.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Chalcedony — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:22:56 GMT

I think it was very nice of them to do that, and applaud their generosity. I don't agree with taking a photo of the receipt and posting on FB for the world to see and pat them on the back for how generous they are. That seems a bit self-gratifying to me.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

NoelSeven — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:24:02 GMT

Wonderful!

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Topaz Gem — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:25:22 GMT

On 9/29/2014 Chalcedony said: I think it was very nice of them to do that, and applaud their generosity. I don't agree with taking a photo of the receipt and posting on FB for the world to see and pat them on the back for how generous they are. That seems a bit self-gratifying to me.

I don't necessarily agree with that either, but some people share virtually everything on Facebook. I've never had the inclination to do that, but younger family members do it all the time. I doubt if they were looking for pats on the back; maybe they were just hoping to inspire others to look at things differently.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

chickenbutt — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:27:22 GMT

On 9/29/2014 Chalcedony said: I think it was very nice of them to do that, and applaud their generosity. I don't agree with taking a photo of the receipt and posting on FB for the world to see and pat them on the back for how generous they are. That seems a bit self-gratifying to me.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, too.

I found it kind of cringe-worthy, as I'm the last one for doing a good deed and then bragging about it, but maybe one positive thing is that it will help somebody else understand how hard somebody is working and maybe it's not their fault that the service is slow. I still could never broadcast it, however.

The line about how they haven't heard anything else from the server kind of made me queasy. Really? If there were expectations attached, maybe those should have been written on the receipt too.

But, kudos for the good deed.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

brii — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:27:37 GMT

It's better than someone putting a fake receipt on FB and using sympathy to get donations.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Preds — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:30:21 GMT

On 9/29/2014 brii said:
It's better than someone putting a fake receipt on FB and using sympathy to get donations.

AMEN!

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Lipstickdiva — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:31:44 GMT

Hmmm. Not sure what to think of this. Nice of them to do it, if they really did, but I'm not into the "look how nice we were" aspect of this. I really don't understand why they had to post about this on FB.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Free2be — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:33:07 GMT

In spite of any negative feelings about it being posted on FB, it is a nice reminder to appreciate when someone is in a predicament not of their choosing and doing the work of 3 or 4 people.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Catitude — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:35:12 GMT

Maybe shaming the restaurant on Facebook for being understaffed would help too.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Topaz Gem — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:38:38 GMT

I make it a habit never to go to a new restaurant the first month it is in business. Anything and everything can go wrong and obviously this was no exception. Once things settle down and the crowds dissipate a bit, then I'll check it out. I'm glad that this couple didn't take it out on the server, because sometimes it really isn't their fault, but they take all the blame when things don't go right.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

VanSleepy — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:41:08 GMT

I don't think that their saying they haven't heard from the waiter reflects any expectations on their part. The interviewer probably asked the question.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

PIT-HAG Melissa — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:43:53 GMT

On 9/29/2014 Topaz Gem said:
On 9/29/2014 Chalcedony said: I think it was very nice of them to do that, and applaud their generosity. I don't agree with taking a photo of the receipt and posting on FB for the world to see and pat them on the back for how generous they are. That seems a bit self-gratifying to me.

I don't necessarily agree with that either, but some people share virtually everything on Facebook. I've never had the inclination to do that, but younger family members do it all the time. I doubt if they were looking for pats on the back; maybe they were just hoping to inspire others to look at things differently.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

MomOf4 — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:43:53 GMT

I think it was an incredibly kind gesture. But showing the guy's name and the last 4 numbers of his AX Card really isn't smart IMO.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

shamalamadingdong4 — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:44:33 GMT

Good for them. If posting about the incident on Facebook inspires others to do the same, then I'm all for it.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

Topaz Gem — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:45:10 GMT

On 9/29/2014 MomOf4 said:
I think it was an incredibly kind gesture. But showing the guy's name and the last 4 numbers of his AX Card really isn't smart IMO.

That occurred to me as well. They should have X'd the numbers out.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

lovescats — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:47:56 GMT

On 9/29/2014 MomOf4 said:
I think it was an incredibly kind gesture. But showing the guy's name and the last 4 numbers of his AX Card really isn't smart IMO.

That is really true.

Re: What One Couple Tipped for Bad Service

millieshops — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 20:01:27 GMT

On 9/29/2014 Chalcedony said: I think it was very nice of them to do that, and applaud their generosity. I don't agree with taking a photo of the receipt and posting on FB for the world to see and pat them on the back for how generous they are. That seems a bit self-gratifying to me.

Works for me - this is a teachable moment and they took it. Most of couldn't often leave that kind of acknowledgement of the waiter's plight, but even a standard tip instead of a "stiff" along with a thank you lifts that waiter. My college boyfriend earned his tuition working in a restaurant that sounded like that one and I try hard not to forget those stories when I eat out.