tip for understaffed pizza express staff?

[SomeGuy]

the pizza express is understaffed and as a result when I say "give me a minute" to order it turns out to be 10 as I sit looking around watching as they rush around serving other people. Similarly I'm waiting ages for plates to be cleared away. Staff are generic eastern european, fine but too busy

not great with two children in tow and not very express. WWYD?

I gave him a bigger tip than usual (2 waiters for one resturant at luch time is CRAZY)

But then I emailed Pizza Express to complain about staffing issues.

why does it matter where the staff are from?

it isn't the staff's fault if they are understaffed and thus rushed off their feet.

i wouldn't tip if they were just being lazy, but if they were doing their best, and i received adequate service despite how busy they were then i would tip.

if i had 2 kids in tow and i could see they were ridiculously short-staffed and busy i'd have gone somewhere else

if i had 2 kids in tow and i could see they were ridiculously short-staffed and busy i'd have gone somewhere else

I don't see how you could tell. They had about 8 waiters/waitresses, but it wasn't enough.

I was thinking about leaving a meagre tip, but we were sat for about 20 minutes after we'd finished our desserts waiting for bill (they didn't clear the dirty dishes away before we left) and my 2-year-old was getting grumpy and my son was supposed to be at home going to bed, etc., it was getting too much, so I left nothing.

Ultimately it's the management's fault, so I should probably email them to complain.

I think Pizza Express often have this trouble.
We experienced something similar on Sunday - things not brought out, stuff on the kids menu I assumed was included (as it said 'served with') not brought out, and yes, waiting for the bill.etc.

It was the same years ago when DH and I used to frequent the P.E. on The Strand meeting mates after work.

Pizza Express add a tip on to your bill! So don't worry about it.

Pizza Express add a tip on to your bill! So don't worry about it.

Nope.

It said "service charge not included"

I'm quite particular about noticing as well...

you could have gone to the till and asked to pay

i fail to see how it is the waiting staff's fault tbh!
it sucks working for somewhere like PE. it sucks even more when theydon't ensure there is enough stuffl
it sucks BIG TIME when impatient, unsympathetic customers don't even leave a tip just because you didn't serve them fast enough

We went the other week and our bill said 'servce charged included'. We were a bit annoyed.

I would tip the waitstaff but speak to the manager about staffing levels

ALWAYS give the cash to the waiter/ess. Never put it on the bill. That way you know they really got the money.

Been going to Pizza Express for 25 years and never had a bad meal yet but noticed the staff are very overstretched recently. That is not a good sign.

you could have gone to the till and asked to pay

I'd asked for the bill already. If I have to go to the till because it takes so long then I'm not going to give a tip either.

Tips are for service. If you don't get it, they don't get a tip. Whatever the reason.

it sucks BIG TIME when impatient, unsympathetic customers don't even leave a tip just because you didn't serve them fast enough

If it takes 20 minutes to pay when it's transparently obvious that I want to leave, and the plates are still on the table when I leave, then no, I'm not going to be sympathetic.