Teenagers...

[SnarkyPie]

The woman I work with on Saturdays had two tables fairly close together tonight, both teenagers, both leaving no tip. She was irritated (with good reason), and launched into a rant about how teenagers never leave a decent tip, if any at all. Being a teenager myself still, I couldn't help but be disappointed in those kids for giving our age group such a bad name.

I'm 18 now, and since I was old enough to eat out without my parents I have always been a good tipper. Heck, I give 15% even for subpar service. Even before I had experience in that line of work, I was smart enough to know that tips were pretty much servers' livelihood. Yet I know that, whenever I walk into a restaurant with my boyfriend or other friends, the staff all cringe inwardly at the prospect of waiting on another couple of teens. I honestly wish they didn't have reason to expect us to be crappy, cheap customers.

How about the rest of you? Any experience with teens, good or bad, that stands out?

[RetailWorkhorse]

I look like a kid (I can prove it too) and most the time when I go out by myself I have no problems getting service. I don't know whether or not the waitstaff will discuss things such as this in the kitchen away from the customers, but I always leave a pretty good tip (Especially since I'm eating alone, I'm not going to order much more than 11-12$).

If I'm with the Gamerz (group of 6-9 depending on who worked that day), then the tip tends to be upwards of 20$ or more all together even though we tend to pay seperately. But then we stay in the Diners rather than bother nice sit-down places.

[friendofjimmyk]

Oh. My. God. Teenagers suck as customers in restaurants. Sorry.

When I worked at Chili's - Friday nights were the ABSOLUTE worse!!!! It would be close to closing time - 11pm. We're fairly dead, just a few tables, most of the closing side work would be completed...sections that were closed are clean and ready for the next day, the front waiting area all nice and swept, the bathrooms nearly done for the evening...then it would happen. The local high school football game would end and dozens of teens would bless terrorize us with their presence.

They would demand to sit all together - this would usually take place in a section that had already been closed for the evening. Their parents, well, it was usually only one set of parents for the gaggle of 20 - 30 teens - would sit in another area away from them. I didn't blame them - however, this left the little demon spawn to their own devices.

We gave out chips and salsa to each table. The second this item would hit the table, there'd be a crush of grubby teeny bopper hands destroying the chips in pursuit of munching and spilling salsa ALL over the place. They would order sodas and they knew we offered free refills. I swear to all things holy, the second you put down one tables drinks and stepped over to the other table to disperse the ones left on the tray, drink glasses from the table you JUST stepped away from would be THRUST into your face with a DEMAND for more soda. The little teeny bopper chickies in their quest to be the tiniest things on the planet would order one order of kid's chicken strips that would be split between the 6 little girlies at the table (there were only two large strips to the basket) this would not be an issue, but they EACH wanted their own little side plate to put their morsel of chicken, dab of sauce and half a french fry on.

OH - and the LANGUAGE these kids used. I mean, I'm by NO MEANS am perfect, but in public - I am ever so mindful of the language I use. F-this and S-that and Mofo-this and C-bomb that.

The thing about most Fridays is that I had been working a double that day. I was usually an early arrival lunch server and a closer on Friday nights. I hated it - but no amount of protesting ever changed it. One night, I had had enough of their shennanigans. This particular night, they added using our coasters as frisbees and having a "who can throw one the longest" contest. I stood in the center of their section and very loudly stated (this is awhile ago - so to the best of my memory) "KNOCK IT OFF!!!! You're mother does not work here. Do you behave this way at home? I'd really like to know if your parents put up with this level of disrespect for others property! You will STOP throwing coasters, you WILL ask please and thank you when ordering your multiple sodas, you WILL NOT thrust any more drink glasses in my face, you WILL have patience with the pace of service, and you WILL STOP using that language in this restuarant. This is a family establishment and that will NOT be tolerated ANYMORE!!"

The looks on their faces was priceless. Add to that, the few people in the restaurant who were NOT with the teens started to cheer loudly! They were on their best behavior the rest of the evening and if the same ones came in the next time and I was waiting on them - there was quite the change in their behavior then too.

[karath]

fojk, that was AWESOME! As a recently converted teenager and member of the food service industry, let me say that was among the greatest pwnages of those little brats I've ever seen. Carry on, sir!

[crazylegs]

I look like a kid (I can prove it too)

Bloody hell, you look about 16!

Personally I tend to wait until I've at least spoken to kids and gauged their attitude before I decide to deal with them (and how I will deal with them). Basing your judgement on a person on one visible aspect on their personality is dangerous (as well as, in this case, illegal).

[Gabrielle Proctor]

Wow, friendofjimmk, SNAP! Crack that whip! Smack the shit out of those chilluns! I love stories like that.

[friendofjimmyk]

fojk, that was AWESOME! As a recently converted teenager and member of the food service industry, let me say that was among the greatest pwnages of those little brats I've ever seen. Carry on, sir!

That would be carry on ma'am.

Thank you! I didn't even care if I got fired for that...the cool thing is that my manager completely backed me up on the situation. Had it been earlier in the evening with more people in the restaurant, I probably wouldn't have had management approval and praise.

[Evil Queen]

Bloody hell, you look about 16!

Add five more years to that and you're good.

Look, RW! You're no longer 12!

[Sliceanddice]

i thought he looked 15 for a guy 16 for a girl

[Pagan]

Add five more years to that and you're good.

Look, RW! You're no longer 12!

I hate to break it to him, but I was thinking 12! (And I say that as being the one who is 38 and still gets carded on a regular basis!)

[Zell]

Teens as in 16-19? They rock! Mainly cause they're my peers and they know that grocery store jobs suck ass. 10-15? Ridiculously annoying. Usually they come in pairs with friends and think they're funny until I shoot them down.

[lupo pazzesco]

Am I the only one who got the My Chemical Romance song stuck in my head when reading this thread title? Yes? mk, just checking.

I don't care much for teenagers either, but that's mostly stemming from experiences with freshmen buying their books for the first time.
They whine. The moan. They complain. They haggle. They threaten to sic their parents on me.

I grin, and just keep repeating the total until they pay and get out of my store...

It wasn't too long ago that I was a teenager, and I just pray I was NEVER as bad as some of the stories I've heard.

[Sharsarannon]

I look like a kid (I can prove it too)

Awwwwwwwwww so cute! That's adorable, RW. Yeah you do look like 13. Then again, I can pass myself off as much older than I am, but not younger, so enjoy it while you got it.

[SpyOne]

I still remember the very first time I ate at a resturaunt by myself. I must have been about 8.

My dad had taken a second job at a store near his office, and had taken me to work with him, and sent me down to the Friendly's to get some lunch.
I remember looking at the menu and the money he had given me, and working out exactly how much I could afford to spend on lunch and still be able to leave a 15% tip.


I think the problem is fast food. Most kids never get taken by their parents to any resturaunt nice enough to have waiters (or waitresses, .. waitpersons?), they only eat at fast food. And you don't tip at fast food.
So the kids don't realize that you tip at resturaunts that have waiters. and even some that don't. They think that's only for the really swanky places.
Or if you think there's a chance your waitress will sleep with you. I mean, that's why they tip in bars: it's not because they appreciate the work you do. Just ask the bartender if he gets tips from guys under 30 who aren't gay, and I'll bet he says no.

Anyway, I blame fast food. Because fast food is, ya' know, ... evil.

[Titchyboy]

Any experience with teens, good or bad, that stands out?

Think the one thing that stand out in my mind is something that happend to me when i was 17.
Was walking into a shop one morning before collage and i saw this little old lady with arms full of bags struggleing for the door. SO i did what i was taught to do, i held open the door for her and said someting like "here let me get that for you" and the utter look of fear that crossed her face as she tried to hug her purse to her kinda stung.
It's the generalizeation of teens that bugs me. Just cos we wear hoodies or have long hair doesnt mean we want your money