Reaching The Tipping Point
Had dinner with my family at a restaurant near me when I was a teenager. I think this was the third location of a local place. First location was decent, second was trying to be a little fancier, and the third fancier still. The prices at each location were higher than the location before, but without too much improvement in quality.
The service was mediocre, and the food not much better — especially for the price. We got the bill, and my mother tipped about 15% (which is low for her, but still a standard/typical amount in the US).
The manager of the place brought the bill back and told my mother she didn’t leave enough of a tip. That’s when my dear sweet mother zeroed out the tip line. I’d never seen her do that before, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she never does it again.
We haven’t been back in over 15 years, and I honestly don’t understand how the place is still in business.