http://www.americanownews.com/story/15378134/waitress-turns-the-tables-on-bad-tippers

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Waitress turns the tables on bad tippers



Have you ever not left a tip at a restaurant or bar? It's the customer's right, but now a Memphis waitress is turning the tables on patrons who leave her with little cash.

Waitress Megan Humphrey says her hard work does not always produce the payoff she expects.

"For every good customer we have, we probably have like six bad ones that come in," she says.

Fed up with zeros on the tip line, Humphrey started offering tips of her own - on Facebook.

"It was just something that I did because I was just so mad in the moment," she explains.

In fact, Humphrey goes way beyond just calling out customers, and actually posts pictures of her tip-less receipts.

"I just got sick of it, so I took pictures to show people, like, I got zero dollars on $117 and gave them perfect service," she says.

Author Emily Yellin, who wrote a book about customer service, says in this case, customers aren't always right.

"Waiters and waitresses have never really had a way to talk back to somebody who gives them a bad tip, and I guess the Internet now is providing that with social media," she notes.

But is Humphrey's perfect revenge on Facebook legal? Rick Harlow, Special Agent-In-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service's Memphis office, saw Humphrey's posts and says she is not breaking any federal laws. But he did offer some advice: "While it's not illegal, at least from my standpoint, it's certainly not very smart, and it's not very ethical. But we don't legislate ethics," he says.

According to Harlow, the private information Humphrey is posting probably will not put her customers at risk for fraud or financial loss.

"It only gives a few digits on the credit card," he says. "It does say the type of credit card, but it doesn't identify the bank or the account number."

And in order for her customers to sue her for invasion of privacy, they would have to incur damages beyond just being called out online. Attorney Jim Summers says that's unlikely.

"And then the other question is, if it's not an invasion privacy, could you put up something in essence and say, 'Somebody is cheap.' The answer is yes," he says.

So what does Megan Humphrey hope to accomplish by calling out customers on Facebook?

"I just want people to be educated on the tipping," she says. "Be educated about it and realize that we don't make minimum wage. That's the main thing. Just realize that we do make $2.13 an hour! We don't make anything, really."

And, she added, if you can't afford to reward good service -- stay home!

"I don't think they should go out to eat in my opinion," she says. "I mean, it's just not fair to me."

Humphrey's Facebook page is private, so only friends can see the receipts she posts. But what do YOU think?

If she isn't putting the cheapskates at risk for ID theft, . I'm still a little annoyed with myself that I left a good tip for our waiter Steve this past summer. I always leave a decent tip.

I understand the frustration but when customers stop coming to the restaurant, tips will be the least of her concern.

Seems like that can backfire on her. People may not want her as a server and some may even wanna get even with her after she puts them on full blast like that. I know its frustrating to servers when they dont tip but thats just part of the job. She should go work somewhere where her commission is guaranteed.

This may come around to backfire on her but in the meantime...well, here's a new reason of why whenever I go out to eat I always tip.

Yea I understand her frustrations, but I would never choose to put my customers on blast like that.

I always tip when I go to a restaurant, no matter how bad service, you'll at least get a few bucks from me.

I think the whole thing is absurd. I am a very good tipper and I tip good to the waiters/waitresses that deserve it. If I get shabby service you are getting a shabby tip, end of story. Some people are just cheapskates when it comes to tipping and that is just selfish because everyone knows that waiters/waitresses rely on their tips to survive.

And the truth is those slips aren't proof of anything. The customers could have charged the meal & left the tip in cash. People do that all the time.

If I was the restaurant owner I would be furious! And if my business noticeably suffered because of it, I'd end up firing her.

My guess is that she isn't as good a waitress as she thinks she is. There are always non-tippers. I waited tables once and there were a few regulars who never tipped anybody. But I didn't view it as the end of the world.

If I were in her shoes and I was getting stiffed while giving good service I would confront the customer right there in the restaurant and ask what the problem was. "Excuse me (Sir or Ma'am as the case may be). I see you didn't leave a tip. Was there something wrong with your meal or the service? Let me go get the manager so you can let them know." If I'm good at my job, my boss knows it and will recognize that the customer is just a cheap bastard.

I had an ex who NEVER tipped. The way he saw it....you chose this job, therefore you knew not getting tipped was a part of it. Being a former waitress....I understand her frustration and you do get asshole customers....but tips are still a courtesy. Tips are given according to service. And like another poster said....her service prob isn't as good as she thinks it is.

Bluesmama wrote:

If I was the restaurant owner I would be furious! And if my business noticeably suffered because of it, I'd end up firing her.

My guess is that she isn't as good a waitress as she thinks she is. There are always non-tippers. I waited tables once and there were a few regulars who never tipped anybody. But I didn't view it as the end of the world.

Agree. If I were the manager of the place she worked, I'd tell her to cut that out immediately. It struck me when she said that for every one good tipping customer, there are six bad ones that don't. Really? Maybe it's her people skills.