Douchebag Custy Reaches Into Tip Jar To Pay Balance of Bill

From Waterpark Slave:

Hello, RHU. This is my first submission. I've been reading this site for a while (well over a year) and hitherto, never had anything that seemed postable. Until today.

I work at a waterpark foodstand in a resort area. It's a local place, not all that well known unless you've actually had the pleasure of staying there. I normally work the cash register or 'push out' food, or, if there's no one on the grill, work that.

On this beautiful day, a coworker was working the cash register, ringing up a man. He was buying a bottle of water which costs a dollar and six cents (due to taxes). The man pulled a one out of his pocket (along with some other bills) and puts it on the counter. He then reaches into the clearly marked tip jar, pulls out a quarter, and hands it to my coworker!

She stares at him stonily for a moment before beginning to count out the change. The entire time she's counting the change, the gentleman is pointing to the tip jar (a common way of saying put the change in there).

I have never seen anything like it! He was completely casual the whole time- never apologized, never asked if it was OK, never even said thanks for the water! I know it was a whopping six cents that he took, and, really, in the general scheme of things, is not all that important. Still. It was shocking.

Has anything like this ever happened to you?

How do you handle such situations?

--Waterpark Slave

Comments

[CharlieWhiskyMike]

If sometimes customers put tips in the tipjar and If it is possible empty the tip a few times a day and leave only a few coins in it. If you put the tips always yourself in the tipjar put the tipjar Out of reach for the customers.

The behaviour of the douchebag? Me jawdrop and unable the find the right english words (i'm from germany) to discribe that.

[The Last Archimedean]

Let me help you, CWM. The words you're looking for are "low-down dirty slimeball."

[CharlieWhiskyMike]

Thank you!;.)

[Skittles]

Wow isn't that theft? Would your co-worker have gotten in trouble for refusing to sell to the customer? I'm not entirely sure but there is no way I would allow that myself. Points definitely go to your co-worker though, there is no way I could have kept my cool in that situation.

[Fortune Cookie]

Call the cops, have the douchebag arrested for petty theft.

[photoslave]

And that is why you put a lid on the jar with a slot.

[Miss Red]

I think I would have put the biggest smile on my face that I could muster, grabbed the quarter, dropped it back into the tip jar, moved the tip jar off of the counter and as sweetly as possible, say, "That'll be 6 cents more, please."

[Bagel Bat]

Wow, what a jackass :( I do sincerely believe that a few people seem to think the tip jar, even though ours is labeled in bold "gratuities for exceptional service" is the old take a penny-leave a penny thing because I had some teenager try the same thing with a dime until I told him politely that was stealing and he'd need to find the other ten cents before he could buy his bagel :D

[Little Slave in the Big Northwoods]

There's a saying on the penny tray at my local gas station. It says, "Need a penny take one - need 2 GET A JOB!!!" What a douche! at least he didn't say "You can cover that right?" (True story, except I was behind him and gave the cashier all my pennies in my purse - after I picked my jaw up off the ground.)

[CharlieWhiskyMike]

If a lid with a slot as is no solution put a strong Magnet under the jar. It will give you more Time to think and to react.

[Mari]

I'm very confused as to why the co worker allowed the customer to do that.

[Dianne]

I'd pick up the quarter and put it back in the tip jar and repeat the price, moving the tip jar out of range.

[NC Tony]

Miss Red took the words right out of my mouth. I would have put the quarter back, moved the tip jar and asked him for the six cents he still owed.

[Silver]

As has been said, put the quarter back into the tip jar, repeat price.
I wouldn't have moved the jar away though, if he reached for it again, I would have called whatever equals to security in your place, or the police. Stealing is stealing, and doing it after being given a second chance is stupid enough to earn punishment just for stupidity alone.

[Su Chan]

Well at least he didn't tip it all out and count out $1.06... what a douche.

[Larry Berry]

Yep that's stealing. Tips are given by the customers to the employees. They aren't 'need a penny take a penny' cups. He took money that belonged to someone else. Imagine if I reached into his pocket to take money to make up the rest of my order. Same thing.

[Queer Geek]

This is wrong on so many levels. Tips are for the slaves. Anyone reaching into the jar to remove any change is stealing. I equate it as the same as a slave reaching into someone's purse and pulling out money to pay for their item. It shouldn't be done! This tightwad shouldn't go in a store if he doesn't have the money to pay for anything.

[LaughingBarista]

This happened more times than I wish it had at Dunkin. My response was always to take the change, put it back in the tip cup, take their merchandise back and tell them that they are not allowed to have their items until they come up with the money. My tips, regardless of how much or little they steal, are not going to be used to pay for their crap. I work hard for my money and I'll be damned if they use it for their shit. I don't go to their jobs and demand that they help me pay for the products that they're shoveling.

The owners of our DD actually told us that if anyone does that, to let them know if there's an issue. It was probably the only thing they did well.

Theft is theft and if someone doesn't have the common decency to respect you and your job, you need to show them what they're doing wrong and how they can fix it.

[Burger Bitch]

We keep our tip jar behind the counter, thank Moses. Though, I have had customers try to take the tips off the counter.

I was serving a line of customers a few weeks back, by myself. A really adorable guy left me $2, I moved it to the side, then asked the woman behind him what I could get started for her. She grabbed the money and went to put it in her pocket. I told her "That's mine, you can put it back on the counter."

She looked like a hurt puppy dog and told me that she was really hard up for money. Bitch, so am I.

[cashiergirl]

I agree with everyone else, put the change back in the tip jar and tell them the total again.
I work in a non-tip job (cashier) and it amazes me how often people expect me to cover the change in their order. I had one two days ago, a guy was buying two big cans of beer and didn't have $0.23 cents, and asked me what he should do. Umm...either go find the change in your car or only buy one. We have to count down our tills at the end of the night, and I'm not going to be off because you couldn't be bothered to get $0.23 cents. And he comes in and buys the same thing everyday, he knows exactly how much it costs.

[Themiscyra]

Man, I feel bad enough when someone spots me the penny. I don't like carrying change anyway and I'll usually drop whatever I get in the karma cup or the tip jar (with some extra when the change comes out to a shitty tip)...the idea of just fishing around in there for change is absolutely flabbergasting.

I suppose the 'proper' response is to smile sweetly and say, "I'm sorry, sir. I think you've mistaken our tip jar for a karma cup. That will be six cents more, please." Can't say I'd blame anyone for saying anything a hell of a lot sharper, though.

[RoXas]

Well, I didn't even think we'd be getting tips at a store where all you do is put stuff on a sandwich without actual 'service', so occasionally me and my coworkers will reach in ourselves for a penny or two in order to give back even change to nice customers (it's easier to spot them a penny then give them four since we run out of change so often).

But if anyone actually took it out of the tip jar on their own, I'd put it back and say, "Sorry, sir, that's our tip jar." And repeat the price.

[20% Foam]

I can believe that. We have a cup charity donations go into rather than tips, as well as a thing where people can pay a quid donation to the charity we support, take a stick and if its red, they win a free drink. I've caught people rooting through the tip cup before, and people have a go at pulling loads of sticks out of the jug and refusing to donate anything for them if they dont win. I just don't let them claim the prize unless they pay first.

People just suck!