Using a restaurant coupon? Don't be a jerk

Not sure why I see the display name above when I try to leave a comment.   Anyway.

This article is insulting to consumers.   "Some of you are being jerks".   Indeed?

A restaurant give coupons to help it's business.   We consumers get the coupons and use them.   I really don't think it's exactly being a "jerk" to wait until the end of the meal to present the coupon, please.   Maybe the coupon says to present it at the beginning, but that doesn't make you a "jerk" to give it at the end if you don't realize that.

To call people jerks for the way they use restaurant coupons is absolutely ridiculous.     You could post positive tips about the best ways to use them.   

I don't know about the stuff regarding trying to negotiate the coupon to get something else free or discounted instead.    Though that doesn't make a lot of sense to do, a coupon is for what it is, not something else, that hardly makes the person who tries to do that a "Jerk".

Please check your respect for diners, not just for waiters and restaurants.   You have a coupon, you take it to a resto, you eat, you use the coupon, end of story.

The implication that someone who uses a coupon, and people in general who use coupons, need to be instructed on how not to be a "jerk" is just disgusting.   Actually, the author of this article, for using that type of language, is indeed, a JERK.

Tipping is part of a servers wage. Many restaurants will report 8% of a servers sales as income to the federal government. Yes servers must pay tax on 8% of their sales whether they make that in tips or not. So the hourly wage basically covers taxes. Many states only pay part of minimum wage, some states pay all of minimum wage.

When I worked as a server if my bi weekly paycheck was $100.00 I was happy. Believe me the tips were what paid the bills.

And for those who seem to think the restaurant should pay the servers a going wage and eliminate tipping, many people will stop eating in restaurants. The menu items would be too high for many to afford.

I can't believe some of the cheap people here.  First of all, I've never been a waiter and I don't ever want to be a waiter because I know it's hard work...being on your feet all day, running around taking orders from people who, seeing from some of the comments on this board, think they can treat a fellow human being as a lower class citizen just because they are the waiter, carrying a loaded tray, remembering who gets what dish, and the list goes on. 

I was taught as a young child by my parents who are absolutely the most generous and kind people on this earth (also later learned through etiquette articles) that you tipped on the amount of the subtotal (before taxes).  If you use a coupon, you tip on the full amount it would have been without the coupon.  That makes sense because if you received a free dinner, does that mean you don't need to tip anything?  NO!  except for you cheapskates.  The waiter has worked just as hard to bring you your dinner as if it were being charged full price.  Think about it...if you worked in Macy's and didn't get your full hourly pay because a sale was on, you'd complain as loud as you could at how unfair it was.  The whole purpose of the tip is to show gratitude for good customer service (of course, if the service is horrible and the waiter has a bad attitude, you have every right to leave a less than stellar tip and talk to the manager and mention the reason to the server, if you want).  However, that doesn't give you the right to be a nasty customer...one that checks of a list of everything that's going wrong.  My feeling is, if the waiter is really trying and is apologetic if something goes wrong, then she/he deserves a decent tip.  No one is 100% in their jobs 100% of the time.

The other thing I learned at a young age is if you have a coupon, you should present it at the time you order because the waiter can then adjust your bill at the end of dinner.  This is helpful to you because then you'll know if you can use the coupon and what you can use it for if there are any restrictions.  It's also helpful to the waiter because if you give the coupon after dinner, it is more likely that the waiter has already printed out your bill.  He/She will then have to go back and adjust it.

If you have to scrimp on the tip because you can't afford the tip, then you really shouldn't be eating out...considering how small a part of the bill the tip is.

So Horowitz I guess you're of the opinion that "**** job=**** pay" and let the servers get a real job, right?

if you're so cheap you can't tip well even with a coupon you shouldn't be dining out.