(Heartwarming Story) Friendly and Generous Couple Help Me Out in a Tight Money Pinch

[Bongo]

OK, so now that that's all taken care of... How was the food?!

I was surprised actually. For $20, the chicken was well made and had a nice crunchy crisp near the end, which I adore, mashed potatoes were excellent, and bread was nice and fresh. My onlt true complaint that there weren't enough vegetables . Seriously, those were good! I've eaten at Flo's V8 and the French Market. The meal were perfect, but there seemed to always be something off about their vegetables. Something about a single ingredient being added or taken away. Carnation Cafe got the combination right, but sadly, there wasn't enough! Still great food though.

Also, like I said, Chocolate Cherry Cola. It's a Cherry Coca Coka with the taste of chocolate in it and a cherry on top. Tasted strange at first but after the next sips you start to grow on it.

Tip/gratuity isn't included in those prices. She was trying to make you feel better about not having enough money.

Thanks for the story

I could tell after I read the receipt that there was no tip and that she was trying to make me feel better. Awfully nice of her to make me feel relieved when I started to stress out a bit and panic because I was on a small money shortage.

And you're only 16?! This certainly sounds like a lot more maturity and thoughtfulness than most teenagers I've encountered!
First, tell your parents from me that they're doing a good job with you.
Second, my advice to you is, this couple was so generous, but they didn't want anything in return from you. So when you have a chance, be sure to pay it forward. At some time, you'll see someone else in need of a little extra kindness from someone. Be sure to extend that kindness the way it was once extended to you.
And thanks for sharing this story.

Parents brought me up good. No matter who, what, when, where, or why, when in public, be nice and that will reflect upon the people you meet. Kindness is always bounced back off of people. And if you ever meet a sour person like a rude guest, act calmly with a flat tone of voice like an employee would in any given situation.

And yes, I will pay it forward. I'll keep my eyes peeled out for anyone in need of assistance.

is a tip required because where im from you only tip if they deserve it which im totally sure she did and it goes to the waiter, not the register (i had a waitress job once and wasnt allowed to keep the tips )

I always tip the waiter, not the register. The only time I will not tip if the server was very poor. If the meal was poor and the waiter/waitress complies with my questions as to why the meal isn't to par and I request an exchange, I will still tip because it wasn't the waiter's fault. I am keeping that in mind every time I visit a sit down restaurant so that I am prepared for the future. And no, I don't think a tip is required and she only told me that so I don't start freaking out because I don't have the money to pay it off. But I always make my self believe I need to give a tip. It's just that this time I kind of forgot to include the tip in my calculations.

I think the waitress also deserves a pat on the back for not making you feel bad or guilty about the tip!

It is nice to hear about the kindness of strangers. Everyone comes away feeling good. Thank you for sharing the story!

(It looks like your receipt says Chicken Fried Chicken. That cracks me up for some reason!)

I'm glad about that as well. I thought she was serious when she said it was included. She made me feel more at ease in that situation.

The kindness of strangers is awesome. I love to take part in that a lot, like that time I spent an entire DAY at Universal Studios Hollywood. I saw a lost family of 6 trying to find their way to the entrance from the parking lot. I could of told them where to go, but I felt inclined to lead them there. They said it was their first time here, and asked me what to do. Since I was a prenium annual passholder there and the park was so small, I knew each and every nook and cranny and how to get to each show and ride as fast as possible. So I took the time out of my day to give them the grand tour from the Backlot Tours in the morning to the Jurassic Park River Adventure late at night. I went over everything I knew from park history I read up online to funny stories I've heard or encountered. I even used my Annual Passholder rights to get them a discount when they wanted to buy a mug. I've had a few other experiences here and there. Some people say I am just making it up, but why would I make it up? The fake story would probably be the more boring one!

And yes, the name Chicken Fried Chicken did get a chuckle out of me when I first read it, because I heard it in a "The name's Bond, James Bond" sort of way. He is 00Poultry

[Nonsuch]

I believe the 'Guest Count is 3 because the waitress included the Husband and Wife since they pitched in to help with the tip.

Not to put a negative spin on a positive story...

It is likely that tips are pooled and split based on the number of guest served.
Changing the guest count increases the server's share of the tips.

I have even seen this behavior at the Napa Rose: one server is basically stealing from their coworkers.

[Bongo]

Are you trying to imply I should not of tipped her?

[sbk1234]

I'm telling you that you handled everything in a perfect way. Be proud.
One thing I often do when I'm faced with an extraordinary waiter or waitress like her, I'll call the manager over. I often have a little bit of fun here, since they often get a little nervous, since they're so used to hearing complaints. Then, when the manager comes, I can tell they're a little on edge. That's when I tell the manager about the excellent service I've recieved. They are always very pleased to get the compliment. I think it also helps the employee even more than the tip, since this way their boss gets a report of how good they were.

[Bongo]

Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to remember that when I eat at the Blue Bayou on my birthday, or any other sit down eateries when the waiter/waitress has done an exceptionally good job.

[Kevin Noty]

Bongo do you remember her name? There is a guest compliment line that will REALLY go far with disney if you think she deserves it. Call 1 714-781 4000 and ask about this and who you can talk to, Guest services has weird hours so you may need to leave a message or call back when they are there.
Actually here name is at the bottom right hand side of that receipt

[tenchikiss]

I am seeing a lot of patting on the back going on for a situation that could have ended badly for the waitress. If one is old enough to eat by themselves at Disney they should be old enough to know that a tip at a sit down restaurant is expected. Here in the United States it is customary to tip waitresses/waiters, pizza delivery drivers, and hair dressers. If you receive service that is so bad that warrants no tip at all a manager needs to be called over. Otherwise 15-20 percent is expected.

The fact that you made it known that you weren't going to tip the waitress put her in a VERY bad position. What did you expect her to do besides smile and say that is okay? Especially at Disney where people can get in trouble for the smallest of "misunderstandings". Kudos to the couple that helped out the waitress and were trying to teach you a lesson. One that you keep wavering on. So let me repeat it for you. Tipping at a sit down restaurant is customary unless one receives horrible service. It doesn't matter if you do it via credit card, cash on the table, or if the tips are split between the rest of the crew. And while it is expected that you tip talking about tips in any fashion is tacky and makes the service person very uncomfortable.

[JerrodDRagon]

This why you always bring extra cash...never just enough...because what if you did not have enough? Could turn into a bad situation over a couple of bucks....I always say 25 bucks is the very minimum to have at a day at Disneyland

Glad to hear it worked out

[sbk1234]

Tenchikiss, I think you are forgetting what was mentioned in the first post: The young man involved is a 16-year-old kid, in his first experience in a sit-down restaurant on his own. Young people (and quite frankly, many, many adults) need experience to learn about how things work in life. Bongo was taking the time to point out and appreciate kindness that someone showed him, and seems to be taking this as a learning experience. That's about all one can reasonably expect from anyone.
I've found myself in a similar situation at an older age. It sometimes happens. If he didn't handle it the way you feel he should have, at least he was trying to handle it as best as he could. Give the kid a break. He could have said nothing, and just shorted the waitress, leaving her to wonder if there was a problem with her service, or some other problem. I think he handled it well, and I think he'll learn from the experience.

[tenchikiss]

Tenchikiss, I think you are forgetting what was mentioned in the first post: The young man involved is a 16-year-old kid, in his first experience in a sit-down restaurant on his own. Young people (and quite frankly, many, many adults) need experience to learn about how things work in life. Bongo was taking the time to point out and appreciate kindness that someone showed him, and seems to be taking this as a learning experience. That's about all one can reasonably expect from anyone.
I've found myself in a similar situation at an older age. It sometimes happens. If he didn't handle it the way you feel he should have, at least he was trying to handle it as best as he could. Give the kid a break. He could have said nothing, and just shorted the waitress, leaving her to wonder if there was a problem with her service, or some other problem. I think he handled it well, and I think he'll learn from the experience.

He did not handle the situation well at all. He should not have said anything to the waitress. He put the waitress in a bad spot by even mentioning the word tip. The couple felt bad for the tough spot the waitress was put in and thus they gave him money to give to her.

And I am not really buying that a 16 year old kid doesn't know that tipping is required. I knew from a young age (as in 7, not old enough to drive a car) that the money left on the table was meant for the nice lady/gentleman who kept checking in on us during the meal.

I was debating whether or not to say anything but it appeared to me he hadn't learned whether or not to tip based on his comments and some feedback in this thread. I thought by the couple helping him out it would be obvious to him but clearly a bit more experience is needed.

[Bongo]

I have read through your posts and I want to give a few opinions.

1.) I WAS going to tip her from the very begging. I know I need to tip, but I just didn't have enough money to do so. I know it is rude to not tip a server, but I had to run this by her just to make sure. Better safe than sorry. I never said I was NOT going to do it INTENTIONALLY. I was but I couldn't. It's like a friend asks if you can drop him/her off at a location in town, but you only have enough money for gas to just do what's on your list. You'd love to help your friend but can't. I was in that situation. I wanted to tip but I couldn't.
2.) If I didn't say anything and I didn't leave a tip because I didn't have the money, I felt as though I was saying she was providing a bad service, which is a big NO in my book.
3.) I didn't mean to bring the couple into this. I would of tried to handle the situation (Key word: tried) myself. It's like giving money to charity or helping the elderly. Some people just want to help. I didn't want to make my situation seem very poor. I was just asking a legitimate concern that I had on my mind.
4.) I don't see how my comments say that I have not learned anything about tipping. I have said in my comments that I tip, no matter what unless the service is poor.

I can understand your concerns, but please be reminded that this was my first time eating out at a sit-down restaurant and a learning experience for me. Give me time and I will adapt. Everyone's first times with everything is a bit rough; riding a bike, driving a car, using a credit card, but things will smooth out later on.

If you have any other questions, concerns, or remarks, I'd be glad to try and explain and respond as best and as quickly as I can.

Cheers!

[sbk1234]

Tenchikiss, Here's where we will agree to disagree.
His original post stated that he was inexperienced with solo restaurant dining. He didn't say he didn't know you had to tip, he ended up in a situation where he mis-judged his money and was short. He asked about the tipping, since he recognized the bad situation he put himself into, and was unsure how to deal with it.
It is wonderful that at the age of 7 you had the maturity to know that one tips in a restaurant. However, it is unrealistic to believe that all people have that same level of maturity or experience. That you doubt his sincerity in learning from this experience is a shame. Rather than scolding him for making a mistake that I've seen many older people make, others on this thread, myself included, choose to encourage him so he will learn to do better the next time. Perhaps the positive response will be what it takes to cement his lesson.
I'd tend to think that if he took nothing from this experience, he wouldn't have posted in the first place.

[Tinkd]

I just would like to add that i think this was an positive experience, for bongo, and that it is heartwarming to hear such experiences while at the park with other guests and that he did do the responsible act, obviously he was concerned or he wouldn't have asked. I have 2 teen boys, one who is 16 and he can barely get his dirty socks into the hamper, and although he has been to the park since he was a toddler, I don't know if he'd remember on his own to tip and how much. So rather than berating him, how about we continue to encourage this positive behavior as others have, and let him find his way to pay it forward.

[Bongo]

I did learn my lesson and I am preparing for the future in case such a mishap will ever happen again. I now keep 10 $1 bills inside one of my pockets of my wallet in case I run into an emergency like this again. I call it my reserve, and it's for any situation I'm in, whether it be short on cash when I'm tipping, or another person is in a desperate tight money pinch like myself, I'd be happy to assist them. I am also going to make sure my math is correct before putting it into my calculator to make sure I know the exact amount of money I'll need and the exact amount of change I will get from the dollar bills that I provide.

PS: I just noticed I have reached 88 posts. Can I go back to the year 1955 now? I love the 50's culture a lot...

[BugSam101]

That is awesome I knew my generation wasn't that bad(I do believe you said you were Sixteen). This brought a smile to my face.