Server Fired for Facebook Complaint About Lack of Tip From Church Group

[HereIStand]

A carry-out server working at an Outback restaurant in Florida was fired after complaining on Facebook about a church group failing to tip her on a $735 order. The church group contacted the restaurant to correct the oversight, and eventually did tip the server. She is still unemployed though. Do you usually tip for carry-out? With an order of this size, it would seem fair, even if one does not normally tip for carry-out.
Church compensates fired Outback server | Daily Mail Online

 

[Willie T]

Well, as the article reads, it seems she got herself fired for deliberately disregarding company policy.

 

[SolomonVII]

It is the right policy of a company to have consequences on slagging the customer, especially in public behind their back, even when the worker feels that she isn't being treated fairly, which even the church would agreeing that she wasn't, and this was a regrettable, (and understandable) oversight.

The thing is, if the waitress had had the foresight to confront the pastor of the church in private, there is every chance that he would have apologized and given her a generous tip, even more than would be standard for that church. Even if she had asked the volunteer if there was something that she did wrong after it was clear that no tip was forthcoming, the matter might have been cleared up before it blew up in her face.

Confronting people face to face is very hard for many of us to do. It takes courage. But it is not as if the resentment is going to clear itself up. The thing is, most people want to be seen to be good people, and sometimes we need to be reminded of what it means to be a good person, like for example tipping the waitress in special cases like this one was.

 

[Ana the Ist]

A carry-out server working at an Outback restaurant in Florida was fired after complaining on Facebook about a church group failing to tip her on a $735 order. The church group contacted the restaurant to correct the oversight, and eventually did tip the server. She is still unemployed though. Do you usually tip for carry-out? With an order of this size, it would seem fair, even if one does not normally tip for carry-out.
Church compensates fired Outback server | Daily Mail Online

I always tip for carry out...tho usually no more than 10%.

 

[Albion]

I won't be buying anything from Outback, that's for sure.

If the company is so fragile that it has to punish a simple waitress for posting on her own personal webpage about the injustice done to her, I feel forewarned enough to give my own business to a respectable corporation. And notice this line from the article: "She took to Facebook to complain that Christ Fellowship had stiffed on the tip, though she didn't identify where she worked."

On the other hand, my hat's off to the church which didn't realize the oversight initially but took steps to correct its mistake--and then some. I assume that it did not immediately think of ways to punish the waitress for theoretically damaging the reputation of the church. The company should have taken the same approach.

 

[He is Risen 72]

Just another example of the tolerance of a liberal based Australian company.

 

[iluvatar5150]

I won't be buying anything from Outback, that's for sure.

Their salty overcooked steaks not to your liking?

 

[FenderTL5]

an aside:
Church groups are notorious for their lack of generosity toward restaurant servers.

My son works as a waiter in a restaurant and comments often about church groups leaving the 'fake $10 bill tracts' and church bulletins/invite cards instead of tips.

 

[Albion]

I agree to that, Fender, or if they (church groups) do leave a tip, it's often much below current standards for tipping.

BUT in this case, the church in question did seem to behave in an honorable and reasonable way, that's all.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

A carry-out server working at an Outback restaurant in Florida was fired after complaining on Facebook about a church group failing to tip her on a $735 order. The church group contacted the restaurant to correct the oversight, and eventually did tip the server. She is still unemployed though. Do you usually tip for carry-out? With an order of this size, it would seem fair, even if one does not normally tip for carry-out.
Church compensates fired Outback server | Daily Mail Online

Of course, I tip for carryout service. These people make minimum wage, or less . The least I can do is tip them. I tip Subway all the time.

 

[JackRT]

Just another example of the tolerance of a liberal based Australian company.

Outback is an "Australian themed" American owned company. I have no idea whether or not they are liberal or conservative and I suspect neither do you.

 

[grasping the after wind]

I always tip for carry out...tho usually no more than 10%.

Is there a difference between "carry out" and "take out"? I am unfamiliar with the term "carry out" so I may be missing some nuance here. If there is a difference, what does it entail and you would you tip for take out or just for carry out? I have never tipped for being handed a bag od f food either by a grocery clerk or a food clerk or by a cafeteria worker. I was under the impression that tipping was in appreciation of service not for simply being handed a bag. If there was no service but that i.e handing someone a bag with food in it and perhaps accepting the fee and making change, I see no reason that the food clerk , as opposed to an actual server, ought to expect a tip any more than the checkout operator at a grocery store would expect a tip. If carry out entails actual serving then a tip would be in order. My preference is to tip 20% for service unless the service is extremely poor.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Of course, I tip for carryout service. These people make minimum wage, or less . The least I can do is tip them. I tip Subway all the time.

I was under the impression that food clerks like workers at McDonald's Subway etc. make minimum wage or better. It is my understanding that they legally must make at least minimum wage because they are not expected to receive tips. As real servers usually make less than minimum wage, tipping food clerks who make more per hour and do very little in the way of serving with none of the skill or attention of actual servers is somewhat of an insult to real servers. It would be like telling the pharmacist that the clerk that handed you your prescription deserves the same remuneration.

 

[Albion]

If there was no service but that i.e handing someone a bag with food in it and perhaps accepting the fee and making change, I see no reason that the food clerk , as opposed to an actual server, ought to expect a tip any more than the checkout operator at a grocery store would expect a tip.

I can appreciate that point, but when an institution or organization that's about to hold a banquet orders take out (i.e.carry out) for 75 meals (!), the customer ought to know that this requires more than simply picking up a bag and carrying it to the customer.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Is there a difference between "carry out" and "take out"? I am unfamiliar with the term "carry out" so I may be missing some nuance here. If there is a difference, what does it entail and you would you tip for take out or just for carry out? I have never tipped for being handed a bag od f food either by a grocery clerk or a food clerk or by a cafeteria worker. I was under the impression that tipping was in appreciation of service not for simply being handed a bag. If there was no service but that i.e handing someone a bag with food in it and perhaps accepting the fee and making change, I see no reason that the food clerk , as opposed to an actual server, ought to expect a tip any more than the checkout operator at a grocery store would expect a tip. If carry out entails actual serving then a tip would be in order. My preference is to tip 20% for service unless the service is extremely poor.

No...it's the same thing. I tip simply because of...

1. The work involved.
2. The relatively low pay of the employees.
3. The added incentive to not mess with my food.

 

[grasping the after wind]

I can appreciate your point, but when an institution or organization that's about to hold a banquet orders take out (i.e.carry out) for 75 meals (!), the customer ought to know that this requires more than simply picking up a bag and carrying it to the customer.

So you are speaking of delivery? I did not read the details of this specific situation . I was responding to the idea that one should tip Subway food clerks and such not responding to the specific situation the OP brought up. If a person is delivering a meal that person traditionally is tipped. Delivering to a location is as much serving as delivering to a table. Most restaurants include gratuities in the check for parties as large as 75. I do not know if the church group thought that such was the case but if they did not tip while understanding their charge did not include gratuities and they were not dissatisfied with the service when the food was delivered then they were surely not being a good customer.

 

[HereIStand]

I understand your point @grasping the after wind. When I pickup carryout, it's often at the bar. Since the bar servers work on tips, I usually tip. Exceptions might be places like Jason's Deli.

 

[grasping the after wind]

No...it's the same thing. I tip simply because of...

1. The work involved.
2. The relatively low pay of the employees.
3. The added incentive to not mess with my food.

It may be different in your area, but in my area workers at fast food places are paid on average higher than workers in unionized grocery stores. The going wages for fast food places around here are about $12.00/hr to start. I see that on signs in windows where they are looking for help. Meanwhile I know a person that has worked at a local unionized grocery store for 20 years and makes $11.75 /hr. The brand spanking new fast food worker also will not pay the union dues that the 20 yr veteran store worker pays so I would think tipping the fast food worker but not the grocery store worker seems a bit unfair.

 

[FenderTL5]

According to their website; Outback offers curbside pickup and delivery.

 

[FenderTL5]

It may be different in your area, but in my area workers at fast food places are paid on average higher than workers in unionized grocery stores. The going wages for fast food places around here are about $12.00/hr to start. I see that on signs in windows where they are looking for help. Meanwhile I know a person that has worked at a local unionized grocery store for 20 years and makes $11.75 /hr. The brand spanking new fast food worker also will not pay the union dues that the 20 yr veteran store worker pays so I would think tipping the fast food worker but not the grocery store worker seems a bit unfair.

Here:
fast-food (mcDonalds, Burger King etc) will start at or near minimum wage.

Restaurants like Outback, O'Charleys, Chili's etc, which are the mid-scale chains will pay servers well under the minimum wage (some less than $3 per hour) and the tips are split among the various positions with cooks and hosts getting a small percentage and the servers a larger one.