Okay is something wrong with this picture, a couple being arrested for not leaving a tip at the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, PA? A tip is a tip and being forced to leave one is wrong. John Wagner and Leslie Pope were hauled away by police after refusing to pay a tip for poor service. John and Leslie paid for their food, drinks and taxes but did not leave a ” Mandatory Gratuity “. Yes that’s right a ” Mandatory Gratuity .” Isn’t that a contradiction in itself. Lets look this up and see.
Mandatory
- Required or commanded by authority; obligatory
Gratuity
- (Business / Commerce) a gift or reward, usually of money, for services rendered; tip
- something given without claim or obligation
- a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter)
Now that we have that cleared up this Mandatory Gratuity or Tip that the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem PA wants is just wrong. A tip is a tip and not required by anyone to do so especially after getting such poor service. To pay a tip of 18% for not getting exceptional service is not ethical. John Wagner and Leslie Pope paid for what they were suppose to and correct me if I am wrong but isn’t it their choice to leave a tip or not? This story is ridiculous! They paid their $73 bill and the restaurant manager should have intervened and made this go away. Instead the waiter took their money and called the police and charged them for theft.
Watch this YouTube Video of Couple Arrested For Not Leaving a Tip!
I’ve wrote a few articles about tipping restaurants lately and this one just blows me away. The consumer is yet again being used to pay for the businesses employees wages. I say eliminate the tips all together now, pay your employee an appropriate wage or why not just charge the 18% gratuity in the price of the food already. This pub is demanding it anyways! I think after hearing of this story of John Wagner and Leslie Pope being being arrested for not leaving a tip is going to send strong messages to consumers looking to dine out. I for one have a bad taste in my mouth over this unfortunate incident and will not look at tipping the same way anymore at all. We are being taken for granted. I think John Wagner and Leslie Pope did the right thing as I think restaurants, pubs and other establishments need to go look up the definition for gratuity or tip. No one and I repeat no one should be forced to leave a tip!
Way to go John and Leslie and I commend you for standing up for yourselves even though it resulted in this long drawn out escapade and being handcuffed and put in the back of the police car. You may be going to court in December but no judge will give jail time for this. The police officer in this video even said nothing will come from it in court. This was a total waste of police time that should have been handled at the pub. No one is required to leave a tip, period.
Here is a quote that I pulled off YouTube concerning this couple being arrested for not leaving a tip:
“Sorry but as a Lawyer, no where is a tip mandatory. You pay for the food, & pay the taxes for it & that’s it. Nothing else. If you choose to give a tip or not that’s your business weather the service was good or not. Mandatory Gratuity or forcing someone to give or take more money out of their pockets would be considered ‘being hustled’. People should know that no one but no one is obligated to pay any tips if they don’t want to.”
There you have it! Next time you go to a restaurant, pub or anywheres in fact, you do not have to leave a tip as it is not mandatory. John Wagner and Leslie Pope you have nothing to worry about. The only one that should be worrying about anything is the Lehigh Pub – Irish Pub & Grille as I would expect their business to drop. I would not go to any restaurant that expected and demanded me to leave a tip. A tip is out of generosity and is ethical but no where is is required or mandatory. For something that could have been easily resolved, instead Lehigh Pub just hurt their bottom line. A couple being arrested for not leaving a tip, what next?
What do you think of this couple being arrested for not leaving a tip? Should John Wagner and Leslie Pope have paid for the tip regardless? Isn’t a tip a goodwill gesture of appreciation towards the service someone receives? What would you have done and do you think tipping has got out of control? How do you feel going into a restaurant knowing that you are expected to leave a tip regardless and that the business owners are paying their staff minimum wage because you the customers are expected to be paying their wages too? I know if I went somewhere and this happened to me I would be calling the police myself and get arrested too for not leaving a tip as no one will force me into paying a tip as it’s not required to do so. No one needs to leave a tip if they don’t want to and I hope that you all know that and don’t be pressured into doing so. If you want to then go ahead but don’t be forced if the service was not there. What do you think and would you have refused too knowing that you may be arrested for not leaving a tip?
Basically, what you’re saying here is that no matter what may be written in the menu regarding the restaurant’s policy on large party gratuity, you’re better than the rules?
This whole situation might be different were the auto-grat not shown, but like most restaurants that add a party gratuity, it was.
Let me ask you something: Do you know how much servers are actually paid hourly? Before you answer, I’ll let you know that we don’t make the 7.25 hourly wage of other professions. Regardless of your beliefs on how we should be paid, we do in fact rely on those tips.
That’s part of the reason restaurants add the gratuity to larger groups. The other part has to do with making sure the server is properly compensated for the work done as large groups can be stressful and demanding – especially when that same server has other guests they’re serving at the same time.
One final thought – the service is NEVER as bad as it’s made out to be – the exaggeration happens due to anger at the smallest of issues. Suddenly, everything minor becomes a major ordeal, and the server is suddenly the worst person in the world, deserving of termination but never a tip for the work he/she did. Yes, there are servers who are “less than”, and I’m not defending them. I’m saying you need to take into account that sometimes large groups that have to possibly.. wait on something get a little pissy sometimes.
I appreciate your comment but no restaurant policy should state that people have to leave a tip! A tip is a tip and is not required, however it’s ethical to do so but under no circumstance should one be obligated.
I think people who diagree with this should go look up the definition for tip. How can a restaurant put that in their policy? I’d like to know what other people have to say concerning this couple being arrested for not leaving a tip. Lets hear others thoughts!