Restaurant manager takes church to task for fake tips

[47of74]

A North Carolina restaurant manager finally had enough of people leaving those tacky little notes instead of tips;

kgw.com/life/restaurant-manager-fed-up-with-religious-pamphlets-as-tips/19953489

Quote

HARLOTTE, N.C. -- The general manager of a local restaurant is standing behind an employee who she says was shorted on a tip and left a religious pamphlet from a local church.

Penny Craver, general manager of Dish in Plaza Midwood, says one of her employees, who's also a student, was really upset on Saturday after receiving a religious pamphlet from her guests and a less-than-8-percent tip.

Craver, who felt bad for her employee, did something most people in the service industry only dream of; Craver looked up the church listed on the pamphlet, Harbor Baptist Church in Charlotte, and wrote an email to the church's pastor.

This is what she said;

Quote

I am the general manager of Dish (restaurant) in Plaza Midwood. Imagine one of my server's surprise when she received a small pamphlet (Every one of us will face eternity one day) instead of a tip when she served what I assume was one of your congregation. H er particular religious beliefs are not discussed at work; however, I do know that this pamphlet can not pay her mortgage or her electric bill. It concerns me that someone would consider a pamphlet fair monetary exchange. Suppose your congregation felt it was sufficient to tithe their personal writings instead of 10% of their income. Your church wouldn't be paying their bills for very long. I think it would be great if you used this in a sermon. Pride, one of the 7 Deadly Sins, is considered, on almost every list, the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins: the source of the others. It is identified as believing that one is essentially better than others, failing to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, and excessive admiration of the personal self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God). I think it could be educational for at least one member of your congregation. Thank you very much for your time.

 

 

[AmazonGrace]

Wouldn't people be more likely to react favorably to the tracts if they came accompanied with a generous tip? 

[SpoonfulOSugar]

The culprit was interviewed:

http://www.fox46charlotte.com/news/local-news/78013375-story

Quote

 

 “I honestly had no recollection of leaving the tip,” said Goodson.  When my wife asked, I was like ‘20%, that’s what we always leave.’ And we looked it up and I didn’t give but 8%.”

As for the pamphlet, he says the intention was not to force religious beliefs but to leave her with a positive message, something he does to people everywhere.

“I know the good news of the gospel and what it’s done for my life and it’s wonderful.  I want people to know it,” he said.

But others weren’t so enthused.

“I mean I’m sorry,” Goodson said.  ‘In no way was it an affront towards her in any way, shape or form, or anything against the restaurant.”

 

*cough cough*  Bullshit.  And busted. *cough*

[blessalessi]

I never feel positive about being handed a tract.  A large sum of money would still not make a tract seem attractive. I'd be especially pissed off if someone put one in with my pay slip to tell me the wages of 4 weeks work is £xx, and the wages of sin is death!

Tips are in addition to minimum wage in the UK , they are given to show appreciation rather than to pay core wages.  In a country where they form a part of someone's pay, I think it is outrageous that people shove them into workers' faces.

Even when I identified as a Christian, tracts always seemed like a piss poor answer to what the bible actually instructs Christians to do wrt sharing their faith.

[bashfulpixie]

I loathe tracts.  I worked at Barnes & Noble in college and distinctly remember spending a good two hours one afternoon flipping through every single book in the New Age section (which was tucked back into a little used corner) because someone from the local baptist church took it  upon themselves to stuff those stupid pieces of paper in at least 2 out of every 3 books there.  Seriously? Get a freaking hobby that doesn't include directly or indirectly harassing people.

If I were a server and got one instead of a tip?  There's no way I'd be able to control my temper

[Mrsaztx]

*mic drop!* that is such a spectacular email the owner wrote. And bullshit he usually leaves 20%, if you usually leave 20% you know, more or less, what the tip is expected to be on a bill. If I go to a casual dining place I expect to get $15-$20 worth of food, I would pause if I accidentally left a $2 tip, that's coffee shop money. 

[47of74]

1 hour ago, SpoonfulOSugar said:

The culprit was interviewed:

http://www.fox46charlotte.com/news/local-news/78013375-story

*cough cough*  Bullshit.  And busted. *cough*

LOL, not only is he in trouble with his pastor but I imagine his headship is none too pleased with him either right about now.  

I thought for sure it'd be some 60+ year old guy.  Kind of surprised when I saw the video and the guy turned out to be a bit younger.

 

[Eternalbluepearl]

I just don't get it. Lost is one of my favorite show of all time. I don't leave pamphlets for people asking them if they've ever seen it because I like it so much and want to spread the word. Who cares what religion you enjoy. Keep it to yourself. The arrogance of thinking other people need to know and like the exact same things you do is beyond me. It is one facet of religion I can't take and seriously? What adult, in America, hasn't heard "the good news." Are you kidding me? This smugness needs to stop. It's not caring and kind. It's vomit-worthy. 

[47of74]

4 hours ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

I just don't get it. Lost is one of my favorite show of all time. I don't leave pamphlets for people asking them if they've ever seen it because I like it so much and want to spread the word. Who cares what religion you enjoy. Keep it to yourself. The arrogance of thinking other people need to know and like the exact same things you do is beyond me. It is one facet of religion I can't take and seriously? What adult, in America, hasn't heard "the good news." Are you kidding me? This smugness needs to stop. It's not caring and kind. It's vomit-worthy. 

To the mind of the reich wing Christian people haven't heard their vision of "the good news" in which Jesus is a Republican who shares their hatred of non-whites, the poor, and teh gays.

[AmazonGrace]

20 hours ago, blessalessi said:

I never feel positive about being handed a tract.  A large sum of money would still not make a tract seem attractive. I'd be especially pissed off if someone put one in with my pay slip to tell me the wages of 4 weeks work is £xx, and the wages of sin is death!

Tips are in addition to minimum wage in the UK , they are given to show appreciation rather than to pay core wages.  In a country where they form a part of someone's pay, I think it is outrageous that people shove them into workers' faces.

Even when I identified as a Christian, tracts always seemed like a piss poor answer to what the bible actually instructs Christians to do wrt sharing their faith.

Yeah but I think sometimes *if * someone is receptive to the message in tracts, it might make a difference whether they get the tract from a nice, generous, pleasant sort of person in addition to a regular tip, or an annoying, stingy customer who appears to have given the gospel as a way to save money. I wouldn't take the religious message as seriously, coming from a nasty person. 

[47of74]

2 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Yeah but I think sometimes *if * someone is receptive to the message in tracts, it might make a difference whether they get the tract from a nice, generous, pleasant sort of person in addition to a regular tip, or an annoying, stingy customer who appears to have given the gospel as a way to save money. I wouldn't take the religious message as seriously, coming from a nasty person. 

Exactly.  If someone is being a prick about Jesus I'm not as likely to listen to them as someone who is friendly and generous.

[Grimalkin]

        I like that the pastor took the email seriously and addressed it. 

I would t want it in place of a tip, but I would be extremely excited if somebody gave me a Chick Tract. I have heard of them, even looked at their website, but never seen one IRL. I would like to know where these get handed out so I can perhaps visit the area next road trip I take. Maybe even make a game out of it. What I have to do to get handed a tract. I think I will put that on my bucket list. My bucket list is full of odd random things.

[Catey]

I think you are all a bit wrong on this topic.

I see nothing wrong with leaving tracts for a tip.

As long as the meal looked like this:

 

[blessalessi]

 

4 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Yeah but I think sometimes *if * someone is receptive to the message in tracts, it might make a difference whether they get the tract from a nice, generous, pleasant sort of person in addition to a regular tip, or an annoying, stingy customer who appears to have given the gospel as a way to save money. I wouldn't take the religious message as seriously, coming from a nasty person. 

I just don't see the two things as related.  Tipping is a response to good service, imo.  It has nothing to do with religion, it is simply a reflection of a person's basic decency or otherwise.

Religious conviction is a matter of faith, and/or belief and/or reason, imo. I don't personally have any way of inserting "how big a tip was left to the waitress" into that equation. Faith  just isn't a thing that can be manipulated by money, in my experience.  YMMV of course but I always find it strange that so many fundie people who hold to the "faith not works" doctrine in relation to theitlr own salvation somehow manage to believe that works can manipulate others' faith when it comes to proselytizing.  Just... no.

 

[ofDany]

What a cool manager - I wish our manager would have stuck up for us when we got tipped in tracts instead of cash.  I actually had a guy tell me once that he had a tip for me as I was cleaning his table.  I looked up at him and he continued, "Plant corn early," got up from the table and left.  One of the reasons I was so determined to get my degree was because I hated being at the mercy of people who budgeted just enough for the meal but not for a tip.  This especially sucked after three full courses with drinks, and plenty of extra requests and refills.  Anyhow, it has always made me extra sensitive to the tip I leave for others - whether at a coffee shop or a fancy restaurant. 

[CTRLZero]

2 hours ago, Grimalkin said:

I would be extremely excited if somebody gave me a Chick Tract. I have heard of them, even looked at their website, but never seen one IRL

Before I found Free Jinger, I avoided tracts like the plague.  Now I will probably be on the look out for Chick tracts and trying to figure out who printed any other tracts that come my way.  A couple months ago I was exiting a football game and one person handed me a gospel tract, the next person handed me a Scientology tract.  I suppose they canceled each other out.  In any event, most people just tossed them, but from now on I am going to try to determine who the printer might be.  I may end up with a David Rodrigues collector's edition.

 

[smittykins]

On January 26, 2016 at 4:55 PM, Catey said:

I think you are all a bit wrong on this topic.

I see nothing wrong with leaving tracts for a tip.

As long as the meal looked like this:

 

OK, how sad is it that I misread it as college salad?

[Gimme a Free RV]

On ‎1‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 11:02 PM, 47of74 said:

To the mind of the reich wing Christian people haven't heard their vision of "the good news" in which Jesus is a Republican who shares their hatred of non-whites, the poor, and teh gays.

That's generalizing,  don't you think?  I consider myself right wing Christian and I vote Republican...and amazingly, I'm not racist nor am I a hater of people. 

I and my Christian friends that I associate with do NOT think Jesus is a Republican who is racist or hateful of anyone.  My friends and I also don't leave tracts at restaurants (or anywhere, for that matter) and we tip at least 15%, if not more.

The people you mean to refer to are compassionless cowards who would rather leave a printed message and run rather than strike up a casual conversation and, if the opportunity presents itself, identify their faith and why it is important to them. 

FWIW, one of my former pastors took the congregation to task on how we behaved in restaurants, specifically teaching that we should leave a very generous tip for those who serve us and work hard for their living.  

[AmazonGrace]

On 26.1.2016 at 0:36 AM, blessalessi said:

 

I just don't see the two things as related.  Tipping is a response to good service, imo.  It has nothing to do with religion, it is simply a reflection of a person's basic decency or otherwise.

Religious conviction is a matter of faith, and/or belief and/or reason, imo. I don't personally have any way of inserting "how big a tip was left to the waitress" into that equation. Faith  just isn't a thing that can be manipulated by money, in my experience.  YMMV of course but I always find it strange that so many fundie people who hold to the "faith not works" doctrine in relation to theitlr own salvation somehow manage to believe that works can manipulate others' faith when it comes to proselytizing.  Just... no.

 

I think that it's far less likely that people will take you for your word that your new and improved religion makes you a better person if they perceive your behavior as rude and  lacking in the basic decency department, that's all. It doesn't have to do with money necessarily, but if you are being an a-hole about money it may make a bigger difference in your waiter's personal life than if you're an a-hole about something else.  If you neglect to say hello and thank you  or complain about the salad rudely it doesn't affect his or her ablitity  to buy basic necessities.

 

It has to do with the bit where the religion tells you to treat others well, be kind, do unto them like you'd want to have done unto you or words to that effect. If you're acting like a prick and practically stealing from your waitress it seems you don't even believe the shit you say yourself so why should the waitress you're giving a tract?

You get more bees with honey and more friends with friendliness.

JMO.

[Coconut Flan]

Yes, basically being a jerk negates any impact the person might make otherwise.

[clueliss]

Tracks as tips - because Jesus is going to love you SO much more because you left them a paper about him to convert them instead of demonstrating his love by paying and showing proper appreciation.  

[purple_summer]

On 1/26/2016 at 4:38 PM, Grimalkin said:

        I like that the pastor took the email seriously and addressed it. 

I would t want it in place of a tip, but I would be extremely excited if somebody gave me a Chick Tract. I have heard of them, even looked at their website, but never seen one IRL. I would like to know where these get handed out so I can perhaps visit the area next road trip I take. Maybe even make a game out of it. What I have to do to get handed a tract. I think I will put that on my bucket list. My bucket list is full of odd random things.

If I knew people were so intrigued by them I would have sent them out lol. I've probably read at least 30 different chick tracts, we used to have a box with all of them in the church office. I ran across one about a year ago, if I find another one I'll do a giveaway or something haha.

[turquoise]

I worked as a waitress 30 years ago and earned the minimum for a server, which was $2.13/hr plus tips. I was stunned to learn recently that is STILL minimum wage for a server in my state. 

I think it would be better if restaurants paid their own employees a decent wage instead of leaving them at the mercy of the customer. But given that's how the system works in the US, I will always tip. How "Christian" is it to leave a tract and withhold pay from someone who likely needs it?

[PennySycamore]

@turquoise, there are a few upscale restaurants such as Tom Colicchio's restaurants that are experimenting with no tipping and just paying the workers a living wage.

[ShepherdontheRock]

So, I think the tipping culture in US has really gotten out of control- I'd rather pay slightly more for my food and be ensured that my server made a living wage than feel obligated to tip 15- 20% for shitty service.

That said, I will respect this element of the culture in which I live, and expect to tip when I have someone waiter/waitress me. If the waiter/waitress sucked, it's one thing. Leaving fake money that preaches is just assholish.

And if you have a Duggar sized party, do not be like JB and ask for the auto-grat to be left off your bill. Especially if you're rude to waitresses.

I'm glad that manager stood by the waitress. I hope this encourages more management to be like that.