Pastor gets waitress fired because she wanted bigger tip than God

[Syt]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/applebees-waitress-fired-pastor-receipt-193820748.html

Applebee's fires waitress who posted receipt from pastor complaining about auto-tip

An Applebee's waitress who posted a receipt with a note from a pastor complaining about the automatic gratuity added to the bill on the Internet was fired on Wednesday after the pastor complained to her manager.

Chelsea Welch, the waitress, wrote in an email to Yahoo News that the pastor (who has since been identified as Alois Bell) told Welch's manager at the St. Louis-area Applebee's that the ensuing firestorm had "ruined" her reputation.

"I give God 10%," Bell wrote on the receipt, scratching out the automatic tip and scribbling in an emphatic "0" where the additional tip would be. "Why do you get 18?" (There were more than eight people in Bell's party, triggering the auto-tip.)

Welch, who snapped a photo of the bill from a fellow server and uploaded to Reddit, defended her right to post the receipt. "I thought the note was insulting, but also comical," she told Consumerist.com. "And I thought other users would find it entertaining."

Bell, a pastor at Truth in the World Deliverance Ministries Church, was not amused, and she called Welch's manager to complain.

"[It was] a lapse in my character and judgment," Bell told the Smoking Gun, adding she did not expect her easily recognizable signature would be, as her friend informed her, "all over Yahoo. You went viral!"

"My heart is really broken," Bell added. "I've brought embarrassment to my church and ministry."

A spokesman for Applebee's said it apologized to Bell for violating her "right to privacy" and confirmed that Welch "is no longer employed by the franchise."

Welch was surprised that Applebee's fired her, "especially because there was nothing specific in the employee handbook admonishing this behavior."

"I had no intention of starting a witch hunt or hurting anyone. I just wanted to share a picture I found interesting," she said. "I come home exhausted, sore, burnt, dirty and blistered on a good day. And after all that, I can be fired for 'embarrassing' someone who directly insults their server on religious grounds."

Welch also isn't buying Bell's embarrassment. "If this person wrote the note, obviously they wanted it seen by someone," she said. "I've been stiffed on tips before, but this is the first time I've seen the Big Man used as reasoning."

[garbon]

They summarized the whole situation oddly. There is an article already that directly counters this in that the handbook does speak specifically to photos taken by employees - though it says disciplinary actions can be taken up to firing.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/applebees-defends-firing-waitress-pastor-receipt-192100973.html

Employees must honor the privacy rights of APPLEBEE's and its employees by seeking permission before writing about or displaying internal APPLEBEE'S happenings that might be considered to be a breach of privacy and confidentiality. This shall include, but not be limited to, posting of photographs, video, or audio of APPLEBEE'S employees or its customers, suppliers, agents or competitors, without first obtaining written approval from the Vice President of Operations. The policy goes on to specify: Employees who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

[Syt]

posting of photographs, video, or audio of APPLEBEE'S employees or its customers, suppliers, agents or competitors

[nitpick]A signed receipt is none of the above int he strict sense.[/nitpick]

[garbon]

I see you cut out the not limited to.

[Faeelin]

Although as some have pointed out, this franchise has had no problem posting receipts in the past on their facebook page without consent.

[DontSayBanana]

A signed receipt is none of the above int he strict sense.[/nitpick]

This is NOT an unusual thing among franchises and chains in the service sector.  Exec summary: taking pictures at work needs to be authorized by someone higher than you, or your ass is on the line.

[Ideologue]

I doubt Missouri law operates to incorporate the handbook into the contract, or whatever that language is.  It (almost certainly) doesn't matter whether it was in the handbook or not.

Sucks for the waitress, as Bell's public shaming was deserved.  At the same time, I understand the mechanical reasoning behind firing Welch (though I question if firing someone who struck back in a largely socially appropriate manner for being belittled by a customer in a really obnoxious way is worse PR for Applebee's than having an employee who 'violates' a made-up 'right to privacy'--I've never noticed any NDA language on my restaurant checks nor am I aware of any statutory provisions that operate to prohibit the sharing of what someone has tipped).

Also, I question her shitty second-hand bon mot.  If Bell is a pastor, isn't Bell actually the temporal recipient of "God's tips"?

[Ed Anger]

Bitch got what she deserved.

[Berkut]

Pastor was a d-bag, waitress is awesome for posting pic, and who gives a shit if you get fired from Applebees anyway?

It's not like that is going to be a tough job to replace.

[Admiral Yi]

Pastor was a d-bag

And innumerate. A tithe is 10% of income, not 10% of a restaurant bill.

[CountDeMoney]

Bitch got what she deserved.

I hope somebody spooges in your next patty melt.  Yes sir, of course it comes with dressing.  Asshole.

[CountDeMoney]

Pastor was a d-bag, waitress is awesome for posting pic, and who gives a shit if you get fired from Applebees anyway?

It's not like that is going to be a tough job to replace.

The manager at the Chili's across the street is already scheming about the PR possibilities.  She's got flair.

[Ed Anger]

Bitch got what she deserved.

I hope somebody spooges in your next patty melt.  Yes sir, of course it comes with dressing.  Asshole.

Patty melt? Yuk.

And I tip handsomely. Ask the cute waitresses.

[The Brain]

Bitch got what she deserved.

I hope somebody spooges in your next patty melt.  Yes sir, of course it comes with dressing.  Asshole.

Patty melt? Yuk.

And I tip handsomely. Ask the cute waitresses.

Uh oh. Now Berkut will rage on you and state that the cute ones don't generate more value than the ugly ones.

[Ed Anger]

Bitch got what she deserved.

I hope somebody spooges in your next patty melt.  Yes sir, of course it comes with dressing.  Asshole.

Patty melt? Yuk.

And I tip handsomely. Ask the cute waitresses.

Uh oh. Now Berkut will rage on you and state that the cute ones don't generate more value than the ugly ones.

And I will laugh at him. I win.