Have any other servers experienced this?

All too common, especially seniors and Canadians (Sorry, but in five years as a server, it's more often than not true). Our restaurant decided to start putting on 18% grat on bus groups because the servers wouldn't want to take bus groups because we were essentially paying them to wait their tables (we need to claim at least 12% of our total sales or risk an audit).

Large bus trips are sometimes sold as the trip includes all fees, including tips. They may not realize it doesn't include lunch counters.

My mother used to go on bus tours with the seniors and she was always a bit angry that the all inclusive fee didn't include tipping the tour guide. She felt it was deceptively sold. Instead of taking it out on the tour company who sold it and asking for a refund of her tips, invariable she handled it by refusing to tip. After all, she wasn't going to see these people again.

If you get the same tour buses on a regular basis, have your manager write a nice note to the company explaining the situation. Maybe it will result in a "Tour bus special" of coffee/snack and tip that will benefit everyone.

Never count on old people leaving a tip. I don't know why they don't but they don't. I've been in the industry for 11 years and try to pass on old people to other waiters. They always complain, i want this, I want that, I don't like this, I want a seniors discount, blah blah blah. Young couples with not kids leave the best tips.

I think that a lot of older people do not tip as much because they are from a different time. I've had older people walk all the way up to me with there 50 cent tip and be very excited to give it to me. I think that maybe they are on a more limited income as well and can not tip as much. Who knows. Still sucks either way.

Maybe some of these customers will later grow up, get a great job and leave very large tips for some other server because you were so nice to them at this stop. Ever think of that? Both my sons are servers. I almost always leave reasonable to large tips. They do talk about certain types of customers that no servers want to serve, because these types of customers are usually a lot of trouble and rarely leave a decent tip.

You should talk about these types of customers on Y/A and see what kind of out rage you can generate. It would be a good laugh for a lot of us who know about this unmentioned phenomenon.

It is common for seniors to leave small/no tips especially on small checks. I work at Denny's and serve seniors all the time. They'll order a grand slam, split it with their husband/friend, drink a pot of coffee, spend an hour eating and taking up your table and tell you how sweet you are and what a great smile you have and tell you this is for you...and press a shiny new quarter in your hand. Luckily, most of them are regulars. :)

We would charge an automatic gratuity for parties of 10 or more and even if they wanted split tickets the gratuity would automatically be divided among all the tickets. Some would complain but most would pay it because the amount was small, or they didn't have the time.

Yes, bus tours, especially foriegners of any kind are usually a stiff or very poor tippers.

They really have no excuse because if they can afford the vacation they are on,

they have enough to tip properly !!

They are just cheap.

sorry about that some people are cheap