Not a rant as I'm not a cheap charlie, this is more of an observation and wondered what you lot might think.

 

I went out with the Mrs and a friend for a bite to eat at a local restaurant the other night, not an expensive place just one of my favourite foods, anyway, we finished the meal and asked for the bill, it came to 415 Baht so I gave the girl 450 Baht, we sat there for a few minutes chatting while waiting for the change which didn't come, the girl had put the 35 Baht straight into the tip tin, now normally I would tip just 20 Baht, its not a flash place and the service is always pretty mediocre but I know the owner and have eaten there many times.

 

This pissed me off a tad, so on the way out I had a word with the boss and told him to have a word with his waitresses as this has happened before, the reason I get annoyed is that I have a huge money box at home where I put all my 10s & 5's and once a year we empty it and share the contents, so I was hoping for a 10 & a 5 plus a 20 Baht note, the loose change would have gone into my pocket and the girls get the 20, conversely they have done them selves out of money previously by keeping the change, 15 baht, instead of giving it to me and I would have left a 20.

 

I know I can expect a few flames but this is more a question of right and wrong in my book, as far as I am concerned the customer decides if he or she wants to tip and by how much, not for the staff to automatically assume ownership of your change ?  

That is totally unacceptable behavior by the waitress unless you explicitly told her to keep the change. 

 

I had a similar experience the other day at a counter of a bakery. I was given change and as I was holding some shopping bags, I grabbed the bills first but left the coins on the counter momentarily before I could grab them. I don't tip counter clerks, sorry. Before I could blink the waitress picked up the coins on the counter and started to put them in their tip jar. I stopped her. Not only that I reminded her that I had a basic question about the products (she works there all day, she should know) that she didn't know, which was over the top because I wouldn't have tipped anyway, but it was a rub it in saying you're a moron thinking you deserve a tip and you don't even know your job.

Moral of the story -- don't leave coins on the counter for even a few seconds? 

26 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

it came to 415 Baht so I gave the girl 450 Baht

Suspect the odd amount given indicated it was tip.  Wrong for her to assume and you mention happening before so perhaps not - but believe if you provided 1k or 500 baht change would have appeared.  

That's 35 baht .....  just terrible  !!   go to the police.     

 

15 minutes ago, steven100 said:

That's 35 baht .....  just terrible  !!   go to the police.     

 

No, it is 15 baht, since he was already planning on leaving 20 baht. But, I get your point. Unless stated, one cannot assume it is a tip. At least not here. In the US you get attitude for giving less than 20%. A $100 meal, and attitude for a 500 baht tip! 

The waitress was in the wrong, no doubt about it.

You should have been given your change and then up to you what you do with it.

 

It does happen here, you will not be the only one.

That's almost 1GBP. Shoot the bitch.

2 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

I know I can expect a few flames but this is more a question of right and wrong in my book, as far as I am concerned the customer decides if he or she wants to tip and by how much, not for the staff to automatically assume ownership of your change ?  

I was in 'Foxy Lady' a few weeks back (gogo bar), drinks were 160bht, my pals and I only had 100bht notes, they tried to keep the change but my pal went to the cashier and got us all our 40bht change.

 

It isn't a problem just say 'Where is my change?"

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

No, it is 15 baht, since he was already planning on leaving 20 baht. But, I get your point. Unless stated, one cannot assume it is a tip. At least not here. In the US you get attitude for giving less than 20%. A $100 meal, and attitude for a 500 baht tip! 

U.S waitresses dont get paid a salary though , their income solely comes from tips and a tip is expected/required 

Happens all the time, cheeky tarts.

Wrong in our minds, but she's thinking- you complete and utter load of garbage. I work this crappy job for $1.30 an hour and all you leave me with is $1.50. My life is so crappy and I have not been afforded the opportunity as you and Im not sure what my future holds. I'm so afraid. 

 

Anyway, quite a normal action from a human in dispair.

Did you mention it to the owner?

 

1 minute ago, scorecard said:

Did you mention it to the owner?

 

The owner that pays her $1.36 an hour. Yes I believe the OP stated he did.

 

I'm not quibbling about the amount, it is the principal that the waitress automatically decided that she would keep the 35 baht, and yes I know that waitresses don't get paid a fortune, that's her problem for failing in her education or life in general not mine, if she were an intelligent sort of person she wouldn't be waiting tables would she ? It is the assumption that she is entitled to keep the change, nothing more nothing less.

1 minute ago, Golden Triangle said:

if she were an intelligent sort of person she wouldn't be waiting tables would she ?

i cant imagine her doing that too a Thai

Ye Gods! had it been my Mrs who had handed over 450THB and no change she would be lucky to walk again let alone wait tables.... 

58 minutes ago, sanemax said:

U.S waitresses dont get paid a salary though , their income solely comes from tips and a tip is expected/required 

utter nonsense, a salary is paid, but rarely a good one

14 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

I'm not quibbling about the amount, it is the principal that the waitress automatically decided that she would keep the 35 baht, and yes I know that waitresses don't get paid a fortune, that's her problem for failing in her education or life in general not mine, if she were an intelligent sort of person she wouldn't be waiting tables would she ? It is the assumption that she is entitled to keep the change, nothing more nothing less.

Well you don't know her family circumstances, maybe she wanted education but family resources / rules didn't allow that to happen.

 

And maybe her exposure to life overall is very limited by her circumstances and she just doesn't know what other things she could do.

 

Maybe she's under strict control and not allowed to gain knowledge an/or exposure to the big picture.

 

 

7 minutes ago, metempsychotic said:

utter nonsense, a salary is paid, but rarely a good one

And this is NOT the USA!

3 minutes ago, Kim J said:

Or maybe she comes from a rural community and her parents couldn't afford to send her to a decent school?. But that doesn't excuse her behaviour. Under such circumstances I would have asked for the change and not left any tip.

What did the owner say when you raised it?

The owner is a really nice guy, he said he would have a word, I only usually use the place when the Mrs is visiting her family as it's within easy walking distance from where I live.

 

I take your point about the education, perhaps a tad snide from me, but I was trying to reinforce my point because some on here seem to think that poor wages equates to keeping whatever they deem reasonable without considering how the customer feels, her actions could be costing her boss money through lost custom, as I stated in my OP I'm not a CC so the amount doesn't come into it. ????

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

U.S waitresses dont get paid a salary though , their income solely comes from tips and a tip is expected/required 

They should take it up with their employer, not take it out on the customer. Would be against the labour laws in most civilised countries.

I often think that if I had to live the life of a poorer Thai that I'd just kill myself.

But of course that doesn't happen often because the poor Thai grew up poor. It's normalised for them.

I'm hoping the owner doesn't give her too much of a hard time.

May I suggest a pay rise in exchange for promise of returning change promptly.

 

 

In this situation I would have told her I am waiting for my 35 baht change.

 

Then, upon receiving the change given the usual 20B tip...  just to place the message that this does not happen again to me.

 

The waitress was taking the p!ss.. she knew what she was doing and she was taking liberties with your money.

 

Regardless of the financial differences, we are in Thailand’s, she doesn’t get paid much, hard life, what is 35 baht to you? etc etc comments which some posters are bound to post.. this was not her money to decide what to do with.

 

 

That said: On handing over the 450 baht I would normally tell the waitress to keep the change. 

3 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Suspect the odd amount given indicated it was tip.  Wrong for her to assume and you mention happening before so perhaps not - but believe if you provided 1k or 500 baht change would have appeared.  

Agree.  OP shouldn't be so hard on the girl.  If I leave an odd amount (like 450 for a 415 bill), then it is for a tip.  It's like if the bill was 995 bt and I leave 1,100 bt, surely it's obvious that it's a tip. 

You hardly got  Ferangs who would bring this crap up 30 years ago.

Should have made it 36 baht by leaving the extra tip next to the tip jar. 

Just now, HAKAPALITA said:

You hardly got  Ferangs who would bring this crap up 30 years ago.

Thai visa forums werent around 30 years ago 

Gonna get some hock toooey or booger glue in your food next time. Should have handled it a bit better by being cool and direct like Richard_Smith said would do.

4 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Suspect the odd amount given indicated it was tip.  Wrong for her to assume and you mention happening before so perhaps not - but believe if you provided 1k or 500 baht change would have appeared.  

If he would have provided a 1000 baht note, change for a 500 baht note would probably have appeared. It is a situation I try to avoid here in Thailand, happened a few times to me. Had to REALLY show my 200 cm, 150 kilo angry farang face and voice to get the remainder back out of the stealing little thai paws.

always load up with change on 7/11 before doing anything else,

cause you will never get change back whatever it is you buy

lest its on 7/11 or big c