I had a bar shop where I had to pay in cash. I ordered a $10 drink, but the bartender charged me for a different drink that only cost $7. I tipped $2, 20% based on what the check should have been. I explained this in my report. But my report was dinged for excessive tipping and my reimbursement was reduced by 60 cents since I should have only tipped 15-20% of $7 = $1.05-$1.40.

On the 1 hand, $0.60 is a trivial amount in the scheme of things. On the other hand, it's presumably a demerit on my account. And I do feel that I did the right thing. I was raised to tip on the amount before any discounts, and that tipping with coins was worse than not tipping at all. So my questions for you:

When you are undercharged on a check, do you tip on the amount on the check, the amount the check should have been, or do you request that the employee correct the check to charge you fully (which itself seems like highly suspicious behavior...)?

If you have to tip cash, how do you handle awkward amounts where you are required to tip between $1.05 and $1.40?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/2023 04:56PM by tornado163.

I, too, tip based on the amount before any discounts, but I don't believe tipping with coins (within reason) is worse than not tipping at all.

It is debatable whether you should have tipped based on $10 or $7. Did the change the bartender gave you include coins that would make it possible for you to tip 10 to 15% of $7? If not, how were you supposed to tip how the editor wanted?

While I would not worry about any "demerit" or 60 cents, I would ask the editor (cc'd to the scheduler, if there's one) how I was to tip what the editor wanted when the proper change was unavailable. Did the MSC expect shoppers to carry change to do these shops?

When I did bar shops that required two drink purchases in cash, I sometimes undertipped on one drink and overtipped on the other -- just to make the total tip amount fit a certain percentage range.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

It is debatable whether you should have tipped based on $10 or $7. Did the change the bartender gave you include coins that would make it possible for you to tip 10 to 15% of $7? If not, how were you supposed to tip how the editor wanted?

I was taught that if I don't leave a tip, that could be interpreted that I just forgot or didn't realize. But if I leave a few coins, then I clearly realized I was supposed to tip and I decided to give a deliberately small tip to as a way of complaining about the service.

In this instance, I had no coins, but I had $1 bills. I would have had to ask the bartender to make change for a $1 bill, then give the bartender $1.25. Which would look really petty of me when I could have just given him $2 and said to keep the change.

If you leave just a few coins, that's insulting. I see nothing wrong with leaving a tip that has both coins and paper money. (I don't leave less than a $1 tip at a bar. It doesn't matter if it's happy hour and my drink costs $4.)

In your case, you didn't have any coins. I would definitely not ask the bartender to break a dollar bill just so I could leave a tip to the editor's liking. The only thing I can think of is for you to undertip for one drink and overtip for the other to try to come close to the tip range,'

What a PITA! Was it Coyle?

I would definitely email the editor and cc: the scheduler and ask what I should do next time this scenario comes up during a shop.

@tornado163 wrote:

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

It is debatable whether you should have tipped based on $10 or $7. Did the change the bartender gave you include coins that would make it possible for you to tip 10 to 15% of $7? If not, how were you supposed to tip how the editor wanted?

I was taught that if I don't leave a tip, that could be interpreted that I just forgot or didn't realize. But if I leave a few coins, then I clearly realized I was supposed to tip and I decided to give a deliberately small tip to as a way of complaining about the service.

In this instance, I had no coins, but I had $1 bills. I would have had to ask the bartender to make change for a $1 bill, then give the bartender $1.25. Which would look really petty of me when I could have just given him $2 and said to keep the change.

I know my attitude is unusual but I usually will ask to have my bill corrected if I notice I was charged incorrectly. I have never even thought something like that would lead someone to think I was a mystery shopper as I have done it so often even before knowing there was such a thing as a mystery shopper.
Many many years ago I worked in a tip job and never minded coins. I was grateful for whatever I got in tips.
I personally feel if the server is insulted because I left coins maybe they do not need my money at all. Or maybe they reduced your drink by mistake or reduced your drink in price thinking you will give them a bigger tip by ripping off their employer. If you sense that is the case you are encouraging the bartender to continue cheating their employer. For sure if it was a mystery shop I would gently point out my bill was incorrect so that I did not have an issue with my report.
I have always heard the min tip at a bar would be a dollar for a drink. Has that unofficial amt gone up?
I always tip on the full amt when there is a coupon or something like that and have never had the msc question it when I explained.
Where I live waitstaff get paid $20 and up, usually more for a bartender, per hour. As a mystery shopper I usually earn a whole lot less per hour. In states where waitstaff earn $2.13 an hour or even $7.25 I would probably go for the larger tip percent.

If you weren't mystery shopping and you were undercharged, the proper thing to do would be to bring the error to the server's attention. Because you were mystery shopping, the proper thing to do would be to tip according to the guidelines.

Outside of mystery shopping, when I tip at a bar in cash, I tend to tip $1 to $2 a drink, based more on the difficulty of making the drink and the service and not so much a percentage of the bill.

On a side note, where were you shopping that ANY drink was only $7?

In my experience, after having completed 500+ bar shops, the instructions are never to ask the bartender to fix the check.
Part of the bar shopping integrity is to look for the bartender charging (intentionally) for a lower priced drink in order to get a bigger tip.
I am really surprised that the editor dinged you in this manner, as asking for a complete change and tipping exactly 15% would be an odd behavior at the bar. Every company I complete bar integrity shops for states to round up to the nearest dollar.
Personally, I would ask the scheduler to clarify this or double check the guidelines, since not reimbursing you fully on something like this seems petty.
There are multiple companies conducting bar integrity shops, and there is no reason to waist your time on situations like this one.

It would probably bankrupt the MSC if they reimbursed fully. Tongue in cheek

It's not like it came out of the editor's pocket. And they probably needed a calculator to figure out you over tipped. Not tongue in cheek

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2023 11:35PM by wrosie.

Slightly off topic but if I’m doing a dining shop and the manager comps an item because of some issue I tip on what the original check would have been. Despite clearing explaining this in my reports I’ve had to chase the full reimbursement with mixed success.

@NinS wrote:

Slightly off topic but if I’m doing a dining shop and the manager comps an item because of some issue I tip on what the original check would have been. Despite clearing explaining this in my reports I’ve had to chase the full reimbursement with mixed success.

Ironically, this happened to me too in the very same shop. It was a combined bar + restaurant shop. At the bar, I was undercharged for a beer. And at the table, the manager comped the dessert because it took a very long time to arrive. I tipped on the full/correct amount at both. Weirdly, they were fine with the full dinner tip, but not the full bar tip. Maybe because the dinner receipt says what the original subtotal was and then lists the comp as a discount, while the bar receipt only lists the wrong total?

In any case, I decided it wasn't worth fighting for a few cents, considering that whatever ding on my account I may have gotten could wind up less important than me developing a reputation as someone who argues about reimbursement.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2023 11:28PM by tornado163.