Jenna Simpson, a local resident, had a very unpleasant meal with her parents at the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati. Their trip soon went viral across social media platforms. The family’s dissatisfaction with their meal led to a decision to forgo tipping, igniting discussions surrounding service quality and tipping norms.
On the night of the incident, Simpson and her parents were about to order the $26 chicken fajitas. They balked, afraid that the share would be too big for them to handle. Her father recommended that she share the treat with her mother to avoid any risk of it going uneaten. In the end their decision to order came only after their espresso martinis did — ten minutes later.
She had complained about the large serving size to her waitress. Rather than answer their concerns, she waved them away, saying the menu’s graphic was like “a chip bag where they blow everything up to make it look good.” This comment made the family question their decision and wonder if they’d made the wrong choice. Simpson decided on a steak salad for her entrée, and her parents continued with their fajitas order.
Simpson and her mom would enjoy their delicious meals. Disappointment soon filled them as portion after portion came to their table, souring everyone’s moods as the fajitas proved much smaller than anticipated. Upon reflection on their experience, they opted not to tip the waitress. As always, they complained that this sort of service justified no tip at all.
After the close call, Simpson immediately went on TikTok to record a video about her experience. Her video has gone on to receive more than 2.6 million views. Her family’s experience as chronicled in the video has ignited a national conversation online about tipping practices in the restaurant industry.
“I went to dinner with my parents last night and we did not tip our server,” – Jenna Simpson
Simpson’s boss entered the fray, pouring gas on the fire. During the meetings, they allegedly stacked the table and shouted down Simpson whenever he raised concerns about the food serving sizes. This became the last straw and the family’s increasing displeasure of the average dining experience fueled a national outrage.
But as more conversations began to circulate on social media, most audiences couldn’t help but feel Simpson’s pain. Yep, one commenter said, “That is literally the tiniest fajita I’ve ever seen.” An industry insider commented, “As a former server you’re 100% correct…lmao. This comment is great evidence to argue that consumers have reasonable expectations when it comes to what portion size is appropriate.
After the outcry, a spokesperson for Hard Rock International apologized to Simpson and her family. Most importantly, they invited them back so they could answer their questions and concerns directly. This move is welcome; it shows concessionaires’ preparedness to respond to customer complaints to deliver a good quality of service.
The fallout from the incident has also sparked a larger discussion about the United States’ tipping culture. Just last year, a survey conducted by Bankrate found that 32% of Americans say they’re annoyed by pre-entered tip screens. On top of that, three-in-ten respondents think our tipping culture has gotten out of hand. These figures point to an increasing discomfort among diners with what should be expected in service and what should constitute appropriate tipping etiquette.
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