So you have a price and the rest is just negotiations?

I have no problems with joining in on an Applebee's ban, but it's not going to do much to their financial bottom line: I've eaten there all of once and the food was the reason for not going twice.

Well, the food and the decor. Have you ever looked at one?

The customer is seldom right and generally a jerk.

Hey, I got a price too. Let's negotiate.

Not an Applebee's fan. Last time I ate at one was in the electrical outage aftermath of the tornadoes that tore thru N. Alabamaa a couple of years ago. I was looking for a functioning gas station and finally found one next to an Applebee’s. So I ate there. I'll wait till the tornadoes strike again for my next Applebee's adventure.

The food is nothing special, unless you like bland Americanized rip-offs of every popular cuisine in the world.

They did have a bar, however.

Not tipping below minimum wage servers is way not cool, but I think it would be fairer to give them a raise in pay in lieu of tipping.

Not tipping below minimum wage servers is way not cool, but I think it would be fairer to give them a raise in pay in lieu of tipping.

Menu prices would just go up to compensate for the higher wage expense.

You're right, although theoretically the not having to tip would cancel out the menu price increase.

And if they’re not expecting a tip, they might not care so much about the service.

But I see so many people treat their servers with high and mighty attitudes and are quick to take offense at the first sign of slow service (which often originates in the kitchen), or the first time they don’t seem subservient enough, or if they pay too much attention to other customers, that I tend to feel that a reasonable tip is just a basic consideration.

It can be a tough job.

Agree with you that it is a tough job, but I have two comments

Firstly if you see two similar restaurants and one is priced at about 13% more than the other because it doesn't require tipping, I think that 90% of people would choose the cheaper one, even if it did work out more expensive when the bill came.

Secondly, we are rapidly moving to the same model as you, however until recently tipping was for good service (and I still start at 10% and go up if the service is good). There are people out there who get their power kick by treating waitstaff like carp however I don't think they are too prevalent.

Firstly if you see two similar restaurants and one is priced at about 13% more than the other because it doesn't require tipping, I think that 90% of people would choose the cheaper one, even if it did work out more expensive when the bill came.

People go where people like to hang out, in the U.K. and Northern Europe, slight differences in cost almost irrelevant. That's been my experience.

Frankly, I think tipping has gone far beyond what it was freely intended for. A simple reward for good service and thanks that was not presumed.

Shouldn't that pastor be giving God 100%?

Just sayin'

LOl I was thinking the same thing!

Well, with an autotip policy for parties of 8 or more -- first of all, %18 is too high IMO.

But anyway, with a bill for 8 people amounting to $34.93 that means the average charge per person was $4.36625? Mighty cheap bunch, you ask me. And no wonder Applebee's can't pay the staff a living wage!

Of course, while the group may have been large, the total bills could have been split between two or more members of the party and the autotip still have been applied. I've encountered that before (usually after funerals where I was only paying for the four of us not the entire group). That part of the autotip policy does make sense to me, though, as the server has still had to deal with a large group.

Anyway, the waitress who was fired didn't do much of anything wrong, in my opinion. She should have cropped out the pastor's signature, that was her only real mistake, TMI.

She shouldn't have been fired. But anyway, good for Applebee's, this should attract a lot of cheapos to their restaurants. Fine with me, let a bunch of people sit sipping their coffees and getting free refills occupying Applebee's, taking up space.

Joke's going to be on that pastor -- what do you think is going to happen every time she enters a restaurant in the greater St. Louis area from now on?

Right. Don't be surprised if some special "sauces" or "condiments" are added to her food every time she sits down, courtesy of the kitchen. You can bet that the wait staff of almost every restaurant in town will have her likeness burned into their memories since her picture has been posted online.

LAST EDITED ON 02-01-13 AT 01:57 PM (EST)

I need to read others links....this was linked.

sig Syren, bouncy by IceCat, bobble head by Tribephyl, and snoglobe by agman

While I agree with all the sentiments above, at some point don't people need to show some common sense and realize that twitter posts can come with consequences?

Another case in point. Hockey referee for the OHL (Ontario Hockey League. Canadian Junior hockey and probably the #1 feeder league for the NHL).

This referee made some very disparaging remarks about the town where he was sent to work for a game. Now he won't be working anywhere.

What's the old saying, "Lose lips sink ships". There must be a social media translation.

"Lose lips sink ships".