Tonight I dined at Longhorn Steakhouse on Westshore, in Tampa. I received mediocre service from my waiter. Not bad, but not great. I never got a bread plate. He did a "drive-by" drop off of my salad onto the far side of my table as he hurried to another table. My steak and shrimp arrived sans the shrimp. I was 90% done with my steak by the time the shrimp arrived. But both were hot, and my steak was cooked properly (a less-than-average occurrence for me; I'm just lucky that way). And my glass had been empty for 10-15 minutes before I got a refill.
I declined dessert and the waiter brought my check. I put in two $20s, expecting most of one of them back as change. I started paying cash at restaurants whenever possible after a waiter at Mimi's Cafe failed to notice that he didn't return my charge card because he had dropped it on the floor on the way back to my table. Lucky for us both that a kind person found it and turned it in.
The waiter at Longhorn returned my change, only it was missing the coins. This irritates me. Paying cash at a restaurant, or anywhere really, is not implicit permission for someone to keep your money for themselves. That is called stealing.
I've had people say to me "Oh, it's just a few coins, what does it really matter? You were going to leave it as part of tip anyway, weren't you?" What matters is that it is stealing. Stealing is stealing, regardless of what sort of spin you wish to use. I'm not in the mood to have my money stolen, regardless of the amount or circumstances.
Before I tipped the waiter only the coins he stole, I checked with the manager to make sure it wasn't some weird policy to not return the coins portion when a customer pays in cash (I've actually had a restaurant claim that was their policy).
The manager offered to get me the rest of my change. I said it's not the money, it's the principle. It wasn't the waiter's place to keep my money. She said she didn't blame me, and would have a talk with the waiter.
I'm just not going to reward a thief, even if that thief waited on me in a restaurant.
I agree and for them to assume it was theirs you know what that means. I also do not like getting crappy service because I am not dressed perfect or their friends are in another booth. Many years back we went to a Red Lobster after working all day at a very small Ren Faire. We got lousy service. Had to ask for refills many times. She sat at a table across from us with frielonds chatting. She brought the bill and we put a quarter on the table, more than she deserved. I did not know you had to pay from the table. She brought the manager out in lobby like I was a walk out. I got upset. I pulled out a wad of cash and her draw dropped. I paid the manager and we walked. I tip very well but not to people who pre judge me and refuses to give me the service I deserve. You go for it girl you deserve the best a server can, we all do. Is why we go out. To have a night away from home and enjoy someone waiting on us for a change.
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