Two days ago I posted an article about a Texas Roadhouse receipt that had some fuzzy math on it when it came time to suggest certain tip percentages. I questioned how they thought that 20% of 126.35 was 19.60 and requested that you guys go to their Facebook page and ask them about it the questionable totals. You did not disappoint. Dozens and dozens of you went there to express your concerns and Texas Roadhouse replied. Well, I what I should say is that the person who runs their social media page reached into their asshole and pulled out a response and then cut and pasted it on almost every comment. Eventually, it seems they stopped replying. Here is what they said before control/paste became too much trouble:
Carry-out items are not figured into the tip guide. In this instance, the 8 oz. smothered Dallas Filet was ordered as a carryout item. The total cost of the filet was $21.98. On the pretax amount, $119.98 minus $21.98 is $98. 20% of $98 is $19.60, 18% is $17.64, etc. At Texas Roadhouse, the strength of our brand is our people. We appreciate our server’s efforts in delivering legendary service to each and every guest every day.
Umm, I don’t know if I believe you, Texas Roadhouse. First off, how does the person who came up with this response even know that the 8 oz. smothered Dallas Filet was ordered as a carryout item? It doesn’t say that on the bill anywhere, does it? Am I missing something? (And by the way, who the hell pays an extra 1.99 for gravy?) Did this person happen to be in Elyria, Ohio that night and happen to remember that this particular table? Doubtful.
Second off, plenty of people wrote to tell me that the tip guide may not include alcohol which could reflect in the tip totals. We can see at the very top of the receipt that there appears to be a margarita. I can’t be sure because it looks like it’s a 16 oz. cocktail which is pretty impressive. Maybe it’s a 16 oz. margarita-flavored hamburger or something, I just don’t know. If it is a cocktail, then they do include the alcohol on the tip guide if we can assume that the Dallas Filet is the only thing not covered in the total. I also was told that the tip guide is almost always before tax. I get that. Personally, I always tip on the taxed total, but that’s just me and probably every other server who is reading this.
A few people told me I was “reaching” for a story here and that may or may not be true. (It’s totally true.) My problem with tip guides is that too many people will look at the them and take them to be the gospel of tipping, not paying any mind to the fact that maybe it doesn’t include alcohol or to-go items. If those items go into my sales total at the end of the night, I’m sorry, but I want a freaking tip on them. Why can’t we just let customers do their own math and tip what they want to tip rather than having these tip guides that are full of fine print?
I also heard from several employees of Texas Roadhouse, many of whom told me that their restaurant did not have the tip guide on the receipt which means it varies from location to location. Maybe by sending people to the main Texas Roadhouse Facebook page, I was focused on the wrong target. The Elyria, Ohio location has their own Facebook page so let’s ask them to get to the bottom of this. Go to their page and ask them to explain the totals and let’s see if they come up with the same reply we were already spoon fed from corporate. Go ahead, do it. It’s fun to make a big corporate restaurant try to prove that they think the strength of their brand is their people. Bitch please, we know the number one thing for you is the bottom line and right after that comes the customer. Your employees are on the list somewhere between parking lot cleanliness and food costs for Tater Skins.
Bill
I believe carrying out is a better deal if you live close enough that the food won’t be cold, simply because you don’t have to eat with dirty silverware or in a filthy envirnment such as the Texas Road House in Terre Haute Indiana. Complaining to manageMent is blowing in the wind.
Melanie
Funny thing is this is standard at my restaurant. I can see why someone would be upset but I’ve honestly never had it affect my tip.
Rachel
I used to work at The Roadhouse Grill and it’s to this day the only job I’ve ever been fired from. I was a server at a newly opening a restaurant in Everett, Washington and we were treated like such shit. These people are morons, The management was some of the worst I’ve ever experienced when I used to be a server there. I did all of the training and help opening the new restaurant and was basically fired because I rolled my eyes at the manager when they would tell me bullshit about customer service. This restaurant is a shit show. It’s no surprise that they have a completely fucked up tipping suggestion system.
G.B. Miller
For those people who have a scintilla of math skills, figuring out the tip guide is a relatively easy thing to do. If you see a suggestion of what a 20% tip should look like, to confirm, take 10% of your gross total and double it. Same logic applies for any other amount: 10% of gross, then calculate the remaining percentage based off that 10%, either using your head or the back of the receipt with a pen.
Good Sir
I too have worked for Texas Roadhouse for some time. Togo orders were not included on the tip guide. Servers began to ring in the food to dine-in and then just pack it to go. This became a problem of always sending out food that was really Togo or slowing down the kitchen by getting them to change the order from dine-in to Togo. Therefore, they removed the tip guide all together. It is what it is. No fuzzy math. Carry on.
+1 All the other common sense comments
Good Sir
Also, I love how the check says, “…guide does not reflect to-go…”
Gus
“First off, how does the person who came up with this response even know that the 8 oz. smothered Dallas Filet was ordered as a carryout item? It doesn’t say that on the bill anywhere, does it? Am I missing something? ”
Yes. You are missing common sense. Obviously every god damned modifier is not included on the check. You have no idea if the Filet was cooked rare or well? Right? Of course not. But POS systems record everything and are easy to research. So the person “who came up with response” either 1) Called the location and asked them OR 2) Tapped into order directly. If it is a corporate store and not a franchise, that is easy to do.
“A few people told me I was “reaching” for a story here”
Yes, you are. What would the REMOTELY possible motivation be for a restaurant purposely calculating a cheaper gratuity. It makes zero sense.
“My problem with tip guides is that too many people will look at the them and take them to be the gospel of tipping”
That’s just you. Lots of servers BEG their restaurants to include tip guides as many guests simply can’t do the math not know what math they ought to be doing.
“And by the way, who the hell pays an extra 1.99 for gravy?”
Nobody. Gravy is usually free at most restaurant. But SMOTHERED which in Texas Roadhouse’s case is sauteed mushrooms and onions and cheese (if wanted) cost extra.
End the witch hunt, there is no story here.
Michelle Arndt
Someone has to put that to-go order together and I’m assuming they want to get tipped too. How are you supposed to tip them out when you received no tip? I don’t like being screwed and have zero desire to tip out on something I didn’t get tipped on. I got stuck going to a Texas Roadhouse travelling through Oklahoma and it was the most awful experience. Would have rathered gas station snacks. And yeah..their math seems like not proper math. Whoever put that tip calculator in place needs a better education..maybe a class in non-fucktardery.
Allison
First, I would like to say that I love the Bitchy Waiter. As a server, this blog has given me much needed humor and relief for a very strenuous job. However, I have worked for Texas Roadhouse for over four years. After all that time I have come to absolutely love and believe in the company unlike any other restaurant job I’ve had (and I’ve had many). I can’t speak for this specific restaurant, I’ve never even eaten there. But I do know the core values of the company and understand how their corporate works. As for pulling the excuse for the Togo order out of their ass, corporate keeps meticulous details from every table in their database. It would be very easy to pull up additional details on this ticket. Also, the 1.99 is for sautéed mushrooms and/or onions (a high price-point option and also a complicated recipe). You can include gravy in that, but gravy is always free regardless. Now as for the suggested tips, I disagree entirely with not including Togo orders. At least at my store, putting together a Togo order for a table is far more time consuming and comolicated than the guest ordering food for there. I would always hope people tip on Togo orders and also alcohol since we are expected to tip the bartender for it as well. All of that being said though, Texas Roadhouse is one of the few companies out there that (overall) takes excellent care of their employees. I don’t think it’s right to take a Togo order off of the tip suggestions, but perhaps at that store servers don’t have to put them together themselves. Maybe you should spend more time attacking companies that actually treat their employees like shit, and let Roadhouse keep their hard-earned good reputation intact. As you said yourself, you were reaching for the story here.
dead_elvis
Found the corporate shill! How does that corporate cock taste?
#1 ROADIE
Thank you!
Shelia
Amen to that! I have worked for texas roadhouse as well for a little over two years, almost 3. I have been in the industry for 16 year, and I have never worked for a company that took care of their employees better than this one. They really are in the people business first. From the bottom to the top, people are friendly and treat each other like family. No restaurant in the industry compares to this corporation!!
Rachel
I briefly worked for The Roadhouse Grill as a waitress but I filled in a few times for hostesses and it was our job to do all to-go orders including to-go item add-ons that people eating in the restaurant ordered. We would get all tips for to go orders we completed and I think occasionally we to get tips for to go orders that we delivered to customers that were dining in. I think they got a separate receipt to do the tipping for to-go orders but we usually wouldn’t get any tips if it was an add-on for someone dining in. I know I’m posting this way after the blog post was written but maybe this is helpful.
Pixie
At the Somerset,KY location, we NEVER order carry out, and seldom order alcohol. The tip guide was still wrong. Thankfully for our server, I am ALSO a server, so I didn’t follow the tip guide, but I did point it out (with no response).
Beth
I would personally be mad if it didn’t include alcohol because I have to tip out on my alcohol sales (and many other servers at different places that I know also have to do so). So I’m not going to get tipped on that alcohol, but I have to tip out for it? NOPE.
CincyDrunk
So I’m unemployed therefore bored with too much time on my hand so I’m going to analyze this receipt.
As I see it, it appears to be a couple of parents with their two kids. I base this on one Margarita (I’m gonna say mom), one coffee (dad). There’s two steaks and two kids meals. Seems logical for a party of mom, dad, and two kids.
NOW. The only way I can rationalize that the filet was to go is as such: Mom or dad takes kiddos out. Parent has a margarita with dinner and a coffee as an after dinner beverage. Parental unit is taking the filet home for other parental unit. The only reason I have a hard time with this is that kids get antsy being in a restaurant for too long, especially younger ones. I’d wager the kids are on the younger side based on their meals being a hot dog and mac and cheese. So sitting after a meal and sipping a coffee as a sole parent with two little ones makes little sense to me. Unless the parent waited until the end of the meal to order their togo filet and wanted a coffee while they waited (I still think that’s a dillehole move if they had little kids with them), I don’t think it holds up.
MY CONCLUSION: Texas Roadhouse is full of it and I would advise any server that has a calculated tip at the bottom of the receipt is to neatly rip it off. It’s basic math and if someone can’t figure it out, most people have these handy devices that have a calculator on them.
Ps. Am out of booze money send cash and a new job.
Patricia
I am not standing up for Texas Roadhouse by I do know that you can’t see everything that was ordered. The bill would only be between$50-$60 if that was everything.
CincyDrunk
Ah I did miss the math. Well I have no idea then. I tried. 🙁