Most stories in the Squirreling Gone Wild series have centered around interesting measures people take to save money. Usually, these stories have been about people I know or strangers who I have seen trying to save a few dollars or even pennies on food, gas, and other purchases. A few of these stories even involved me:)
This story is in that latter group as it involves me. However, it’s a little bit different because it discusses how someone appeared to keep a few dollars at my expense.
For this story, let’s rewind a few years, when I was doing a little bit more business travel. It’s one that I actually hadn’t even thought about being included in this series, until it popped in my head at a restaurant recently when trying to pay for a meal.
Anyway, during the aforementioned business trip, I recall eating a meal at a hotel restaurant by myself. Yes, the lonely business traveler is what I was that day:) Actually, the restaurant was a bar and grill, and I had been there before on a previous trip. Decent atmosphere, several TVs with sports on, and quick service….about all you can hope for at a mid-range airport hotel.
I don’t remember exactly what I ordered that day – but it was probably a small order, since it came out to just under $10. I think it was $9.83, but it might have been a few cents more or less. That is the price it came to, before tip, when I got the check.
Once I got the check, I reached for my wallet, pulled out a $20 bill, and set it in the little black folder that restaurants provide when giving you a check. I didn’t use a credit card that day, probably because the total was relatively low.
Soon after I set it down at the edge of the table, the waitress shuffled over to pick it up. Then, she proceeded to ask me the following question:
“Would you like any change?”
I remember sitting there thinking to myself, “Ummm….uh…YEAH! That’s $20 I left with the check!”
So of course, what I actually said was a polite “Yes, please.”
It seemed odd to me. Did she forget that my bill was less than $10? Clearly, my $20 was visible as it edged out of the little black folder. Maybe she didn’t see it? Hard to believe, but who knows.
Then, she quickly came back with the change and a big cheery smile, saying “Thank you!” I opened the folder, and saw the bill with a smiley face and the same words written. Then, I grabbed the bills and coins that represented the change she gave me, without thinking twice. I did a double take when I saw what she gave me, in addition to the loose change:
Two $5 bills.
On the occasions that I actually pay cash instead of charging, I usually look to the change I receive as the source for the tip I will leave for the server. I have to think many others view it the same way.
This got me thinking; “Why did she leave two $5 bills? Wouldn’t that make it tough to leave an appropriate tip?”
There’s no way I’m leaving a $5 tip for a meal that cost me less than $10. But that’s what would happen if I counted on the change for the tip.
I smiled as I realized that the waitress might be playing games with me, to secure a bigger tip.
At that point, I waited until I made eye contact with her, at which time I motioned to have her come over. She walked to the table, and I asked her if she could make change for one of the $5 bills.
She paused for a second or two before saying “It might take a while, since I have to get change from the bar. Do you want to wait?”
Ok. Maybe I was being cynical, but that convinced me that she was probably trying to extract from me. Believe me, I have seen enough instances of extraction to know what this looks like.
I paused, then thought that maybe I have some change in my wallet. I checked, and found a few singles.
I made the quick decision: take out a $1 bill, leave it on the table along with the change, and say “No thanks, there’s no need to get that change”.
I shared the story with someone, who chuckled while telling me that I didn’t exactly teach the waitress a lesson. After all, I did leave a tip.
That’s probably true. I said my tip was about 12%, which is lower than my usual 15% to 20%. Again, I got a few extra chuckles, as this wasn’t exactly a motivator for the waitress to play fair with the customers. I guess that in the split second when I made the decision, I just couldn’t walk away leaving nothing.
Allow me to ask you:
Do you agree with me that the waitress was playing games? What would you have done in this situation?
Haha, that’s pretty funny. At least she was acting coy about it. I once ate at a restaurant along with some others, and the way the place worked we paid one bill. The final bill was pretty large, and we had just finished placing the money for the bill. We were figuring out how to divide the tip between us when the waitress came by and grabbed the money. We wanted to ask her to break up a couple 20s for us so we could make change for her tip, but her first reaction was to look at us with an unhappy expression and say something like “what, that’s it?” when she saw that there wasn’t much of a tip in the pile for her! It was all a misunderstanding, but it was still funny, and a little shocking to see her react in that way!
Invest It Wisely – Yes, it’s not everyday one sees a restaurant server react like that, even with a misunderstanding like that. I recall a time when I was a teenager, and a small group of us went out for pizza, and we each left a tip as we walked out. Or, at least we were supposed to do this. I absolutely left my fair share, but one cheap guy left nothing (which I didn’t realize). Anyway, the waitress came by as we left, and collected the tip. Being teenagers, we milled about the parking lot for a few minutes after leaving the place, by our cars as we probably discussed plans for the rest of the night. Then, a guy walked out to his car, and yelled at us for leaving a small tip for the waitress. I think he was a manager, probably a frustrated guy a few years older, irritated that he was serving teenagers. Anyway, it was at that point that we talked as a group and the one guy came clean about not leaving a tip. Not cool at all, but the manager’s reaction was over the top as well!
Very crafty. She took a risk and almost lost out on any tip because of it. If I were in the service industry, I’d do everything I could to make it easy for the customer to leave an appropriate tip. No need to play these games and possibly piss someone off enough to not tip you.
CNC – yes, she was crafty indeed. I get the feeling that she had pulled off something like that before, the more I think about it. Maybe she had the experience to gauge that the expected value of these such moves is positive in her favor:)
She must have made a judgement call that you would leave the $5.00 instead of stiffing her. So unintentionally, that’s a compliment to you!
Yeah, she was probably playing you. Afterall, how long does it take to get change for a $5 dollar bill…
Kudos to you for not giving in! A 50% tip would be crazy!
Money Reasons – yes, maybe it was my charm that got her to think that I was nice enough to leave a tip anyway:) Or, maybe I looked gullible instead! Who knows. Either way, I did leave a reasonable tip, just not the 50% tip that she was apparently gunning for!
Funny. Maybe she was telling the truth and they were low on bills in the cash register or something, but somehow I doubt it. What a lot of hassle for only a few dollars.
Nicole – The more I think about it, after reading everyone’s comments, I’m suspecting that she had probably tried this before and had been successful. It seemed natural for her to do so.
Ha – her attempt at squirreling backfired.
She was totally trying to squirrel you, and what kind of an excuse is it that it would take awhile to get change from the bar? She is probably so used to drunk customers that she didn’t realize you actually had a brain in your head. I think you handled it perfectly, as long as you were happy with the service you received for your meal/drink.
In college once, we got totally awful service. We were so mad, that for a tip, I left 3 pennies and an army man. (Don’t ask me why I had an army man in my purse in the first place.)
I almost always leave a tip even with then service is bad. (I usually tip at least 20 percent though for decent service. I always feel bad for servers/waitresses.)
Everyday Tips –
Thanks for the feedback that I handled it well! Actually, I wasn’t even too mad about the whole deal, it was more entertaining than anything else.
By the way, I like your 3 penny and army man story! That’s funny! I had a friend (same guy I have mentioned in a few stories) that once got absolutely atrocious and rude service somewhere, and he responded by leaving a penny in a salt shaker. The thing is, he first emptied the salt shaker of much of it’s salt, and filled it with water, then added the penny, trying to get it to float. He had a pen on him for whatever reason, and drew an arrow on a napkin, pointing toward the salt shaker, with the caption “TIP”.
For me, I try to tip 15% to about 20% as a standard practice.
Let’s ban tips altogether and just make the richest patron in the dinig room at the time pay the bonus for everyone! Afterall, it’s all about taxing the rich more!
Sam – I think that waitress was trying to add a massive tax to MY bill. Maybe I looked the part, as a business traveler!
Aloysa – Yes, it was not the most professional move on her part. I’m thinking that she was hoping to gouge a business traveler who might not have cared. Well, she guessed wrong! Good point on going to the bar myself. I didn’t really think about other options, I just reacted on the spot, but that’s a good thought. Who knows what the next reaction would have been from her!
Okay, I was a waitress for years, so I can give you the inside scoop.
First of all, you always leave $1’s as change for your tip. As a matter of fact, usually my tips were with ones, so I always had a big wad of them in my pocket.
The need change question is standard, I personally wouldn’t be able to keep track of what the bills were for all my tables, so that’s just an automatic response.
She was playing you man. She deserved to be stiffed.
That being said, I always over-tip waitresses now even if the service is mediocre, cuz I know they’re only getting $2.50/hr or whatever it is these days.
She was playing me, I would agree. My split-second decision was to leave some form of reduced tip, but I realize that many people would have walked away while giving zero.
Good point on the low fixed wages they get, by the way. Good to keep in mind when getting normal service…unlike what I got that day:)
When she said it would take a while, I would have put the 13 cents of coins on the table and said “no thanks but you may want to keep some smaller bills on hand in the future” as I walked away. She was being sooooo rude and manipulative that I wouldn’t have felt bad for a second.
Crystal – Yeah, she was maniuplative alright. I think she may have also thought that since some people there could be business travelers, that they would give up pursuit of change and just not worry about it.
I usually overtip as well, however, a waitress with no dollar bills in her pocket? And it would take her how long to get change from the bar? She was being rude, and definitely deserved three pennies and an army man. 🙂
iamtheworkingpoor – I see that you also got a kick out that army man story from Everyday Tips! Funny stuff. It did seem odd, by the way, that the waitress didn’t have change. Must be tricks of the trade when trying to stiff the customer!
I would have asked for a $5 to be changed. I think she was playing you! That would have annoyed me!
She totally played you.
On her defense : I think they are not supposed to look at how much you left in front of you, so her question of do you need change can be normal.
But a waitress without change? I wouldn’t believe that.
I didn’t get this “squirreling” tried on me. I have different bad experiences. Once, I left $20 for some 9.xx bill, after some time, she came around asked if I need anything. Umm… my change? she gave me some pennies. I told her that I gave a $20, she didn’t agree till the end and maintained I gave a $10 🙁 I had just taken money from ATM next door, and my ATM gives in $20s. And that was the only cash I had, so I was not mistaken, but didn’t want to make a scene. Then (not the same restaurant or the same city), a few of us went to a restaurant, we got our water, ordered drinks and food. Nothing ever came, it wasn’t even busy. After waiting for 45mins for our drinks (we atleast wanted drinks even if the food takes longer) we decided to leave. We were charged for our water, because water is free only with food. We were so mad at that time, it was already 1hr after we had been seated. We paid and left, no tip, we put “0” in the tip. My mistake, the waitress had changed it to a $10!!!! because it was easier to add “1” in front of the tip and the total. My credit card company gave it back (the restaurant asked me to fax my receipt which I threw out as soon as we came out – now I save all of them until I see the bill). But she got her $10 for nothing. Those were the only 2 times I ever got out without paying a tip. Even for les than normal service we pay at least 15% but I was so mad I never went again to those restaurants, even in other cities.
I would have looked sorrowful and said, “No, I’m afraid I’m in a hurry and can’t wait — which is a shame because I really *did* want to leave a tip for you.”
I bet she would have JUMPED to get change.
Donna, you make a good point. I’ll bet her response would have been much more cooperative. It’s kind of like using game theory, dealing with people like that!
I definitely think she knew what she was doing! Maybe not the first question, but the two $5 bills were definitely intentional. I think you did the right thing.
Honestly, I hate the entire idea of tips, so if the service was not stellar I might have just walked away.
I probably would have told her I couldn’t give her a tip without the ones. I bet she had a bunch in her pocket from previous tips. That would be so irritating!
Kay Lynn – she was scheming to get more out of me. There have been some good ideas here in terms of how to handle this type of situation. If something similar to this ever comes up, hopefully we’re all at least somewhat prepared after learning from this – even if vicariously through me:)
The exact same thing happened to my best friend and I, only our returned change was provided in ten dollar bills. We attempted several times to catch our server’s attention to get change but he would just smile and keep walking. Between the two of us, we pulled our loose change from the bottom of our purses and came up with a perfect 15% tip! (pennies and all!) We were able to see him make a straight beeline for the table as we left and were able to see his expression when he saw the neat stacks of coins we had left him. It was hilarous! I would normally not do that to a server as I had worked as one when I was in school. But this was such an obvious maneuver that we just couldn’t help it!
When I was 25 and inexperienced at Business Travel, I took 2 customers to our home office out of state. At the restaurant, we ordered a bottle of wine (later a second) and dinner. As we were eating, the Waiter asked about dessert and that if we were considering Grand Mariner (sp?) souffle we would want to put the order in then as it takes time. Sounds like an “on top of it” Waiter, and he truly was throughout the meal. When dessert arrived, he had brought with him a bottle of Cognac “that goes perfectly with this dessert. One customer immediately jumped on it. Never having had Cognac before, the other customer and I agreed to share the other glass, thus ordering 2 Cognac’s. The dinner bill was $128 and the Bar bill was $218!
That Cognac was Louis XIV or something like that. I tipped the Dinner bill 15% and left the bar bill paid in full with no tip. The waiter actually came to us outside of the restaurant at the elevators and asked me if I had meant also to add a tip to the bar bill? “Absolutely not”, I replied. “You should inform people the price, especially when they seem as unsure as we were about Cognac.” The customers thought I was right on with my reply and my Boss was quite upset with the Expense Report.
Live and Learn!
Miolnir, thanks for visiting and commenting. It sure sounds like you had a live and learn experience. I think you handled that situation well.
I’m all for saving money.
However I don’t find saving money enjoyable at others people expense.
Servers get paid $2.13 per hour. A fourth hour work
Week means she gets paid about $80 bucks.
Many servers have children and families. They have rent or mortgages, car payments, etc just like everyone else.
Is it okay to be cheap at others expense? I don’t think so.
I bet if most had her job for a day or two- they’d get crafty to…..
Amy – thanks, but I didn’t save money at anyone’s expense. The waitress tried to extract a ridiculous tip by playing games. I wasn’t being cheap with her.
Sorry, I do think leaving a one dollar tip is cheap. I would never do that, but I’ve waited tables before and have tons of empathy for waitstaff and how hard their jobs can be.
Unfortunately I think you encouraged her to continue her game playing. If you and others would leave decent tips, she might not feel the need to try to make up the difference with business travelers.
I don’t think what she did was right, but I can certainly understand why she did that.