5 reasons why I won’t tip you if you’re a waiter

It never fails to shock me how a tip is demanded in the US. People simply refuse to listen to reason when we (yes, there are others!) tell them that leaving a tip isn’t necessary. Well, I’m hoping for too much here, but if you’re a waiter, here are 5 reasons why I will try my best not to give any money to you and why the reasons for tipping are crappy.

1. You act as if you’re my best friend

Just leave me alone ok? I don’t want to bloody chit chat with you. I want food. FOOD! Get it? It’s a restaurant. I go there to eat. I go because I want either Italian food, Chinese Food or something else which I can’t get in a McDonald’s. So I come to a restaurant to fulfill my cravings for it. I will pay for what I value – food. Not you.

Christ, you offend me – kneeling down next to my table, pretending to like me and chatting as if you’re my best friend when it’s obvious that all you’re after is the tip! I’m not a bloody money bag you know. I will pay the bill which includes the cost of the food, the environment and the salaries of the people involved – nothing more.

The only way to get money out of me that I don’t have to legally pay is by prying it out of my cold dead hands…

Bottom line: I don’t want to know your name, or interact with you for any longer than I have to in order to place my order. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the equivalent of a conveyor belt that brings me my food and a computer into which I input my order. Of course, I won’t be rude. But don’t expect me to interact with you any more than I would with some stranger.

Image Credit: cafemama

 

Did you earn this tip?

 

2. You don’t get paid enough

And this is my problem how exactly? It’s astonishing that customers are expected to make up for your employer’s cheapness in not paying you a decent wage. Please include the full cost in everyone’s bill thank you very much. I’ll pay it because I have to and the charge is there for me to see.

What’s really funny here is that no one seems to criticize the employers! All criticism is reserved for non tipping customers instead of the owners of the restaurant for not paying a decent wage. Wtf! Could it possibly be because you guys know you can make much more by tips and under report your income to the IRS?

3. You’ll spit in my food if I don’t tip you?

And I’ll shoot your kid if you don’t give me a million dollars. Seriously, am I even hearing this right? You’re actually using the threat of blackmail to make me pay you? Well as long as you’re openly claiming to be a criminal it’s all right I guess.

Fortunately that’s why I prefer buffets. Listen apart from it being illegal, this shows your poor integrity. But if you spit in someone’s food because they didn’t give you money you didn’t earn, then you’re a loser and deserve to be a waiter for the rest of your life.

4. Bringing me my food isn’t worthy of being paid extra

Did you cook it? Did you invent it? No. You picked it up and brought it to me. While it might not be easy, there are plenty of jobs which are much worse – shop floor workers for example. And I’ve been a shop floor manager, so I know. Face it – compared to other jobs, being a waiter is unskilled. You get paid what the market will think your services are worth. You don’t deserve more for your work over and above what your employer should pay you.

5. Money doesn’t grow on trees

I expect you to be grateful and pray for me at night if I tip you 10%. Be happy I gave you anything at all. I worked for the money in my wallet and by giving you some I didn’t have to, I’m doing you a favor. Learn to remember that when people give you something they don’t need to, it’s a favor. You don’t complain that they didn’t give you more!

By the way, the same thing above applies to all professions that demand tips including those on cruise liners.

So now that you understand why I won’t give you money you don’t deserve, stop with the “oh how could you?” attitude. I can. And I will.

Update: Here’s a rebuttal of the many silly justifications for tipping that people have given in the comments section.

What do you think of this post?
  • You're an asshole (5186)
  • Agree (1938)
  • Don't Agree but Interesting (1007)

12,129 thoughts on “5 reasons why I won’t tip you if you’re a waiter”

  1. Serving food may be listed as an unskilled job, but that hardly means those that do it are unskilled in anything. I’m a Navy veteran trained in one of the highest intelligence jobs the Navy has, expert level shooter in 9mm & rifle, and I’ve been to over 6 countries. I’m also 25 & in college 14 hours a week for pre-law. My school, books and housing are fully paid for. I have free medical insurance through the VA. I wait tables for some extra spending money, because I like it, and because it doesn’t require me to think hard after hours of homework & classes on law or statistics as well as studying for my LSATS. It’s only funny & somewhat sad to me the low opinion of your servers when some of them served your country, ya know the one that was fought hard for so you can have the option to tip us an extra $5 just for keeping up with your food order. How embarrassing for you.

    Reply

    • In reply to Katherine

      You did the USA no favor by serving in the military. It is a job and you were paid to do it. So don’t lay this crap on us that you think you were something special you’re not. You served in the military, so what you were paid for it. I still won’t tip because they are paid $2.13 an hour which is more than that job is worth anyways. It is an unskilled job with unskilled pay. Just because they make squat does not mean I am supposed to pay them more money out of guilt. They screw their lives up not my problem. Or they were too lazy or stupid to do anything meaningful with their life again not my problem.

      Reply

      • In reply to Wendy

        Technically, all USA Service members are special. Why? Well, approximately only 1% of the USA population is qualified to be a military member. Even less of that qualified population even volunteer. That makes the remaining volunteers special. More so than you.

        Reply

      • In reply to Jake

        Nobody volunteers for the military stupid. You are paid to join therefore it is a job that you voluntarily took. No different than any other job in civilian life. Military or not you still pay taxes therefore it is a job that you’re compensated for so technically nobody volunteers.

        Reply

      • In reply to Wendy

        If it isn’t mandatory, it’s volunteering. You keep calling me names while demonstrating exactly how a person deserving of those names acts. Don’t make me laugh, Wendy. You are technically and theoretically stupid.

        Reply

      • In reply to Wendy

        The U.S. Military is a volunteer military, Wendy. That doesn’t mean that members of the military are volunteering their time without pay, it simply means that they’re serving of their own accord and not because they were forced to do so by law.

        Reply

      • In reply to Jake

        There is either MANDATORY or VOLUNTEER. A MANDATORY military is one in which citizens are REQUIRED to serve the military:

        Korea, Israel and other Eurpean countries have a MANDATORY military in which ALL CITIZENS must perform military activities for a few years.

        THe uS has a VOLUNTEER military service in that nobody is requried to join the military.

        Of course you are paid.

        The technical term is VOLUNTARY service.

        C’mon Wendy give me a break kid.

        Reply

      • In reply to Wendy

        Clearly you need a man to beat some sense into your ass. I’ve NEVER heard a woman disrespect the armed services in public and that’s for good reason. Come on down to Texas and I’ll introduce you to some friends who lost loved ones in wars fighting so you can have democracy, freedoms, and rights, then I’ll explain your comment to them and sit back and smile as they stomp the dog shit out of you and leave you in a ditch somewhere. Oh and if you think the police would cover your ignorant ass you’re even more retarded than your post let on.

        Respect the US and its armed forces or fucking leave. End of discussion. Oh and Wendy, keep your bitch ass quiet and in the kitchen. Clearly you’re too fucking ignorant to be allowed online or to speak at all.

        Reply

      • In reply to Chris Brown

        I am very wealthy thanks to the stupidity of the American military. I do payday loans for very stupid people. Military members are so stupid they can’t manage their money to have enough left over just to buy groceries. I charge them extremely high interest rates and they are dumb enough to go for it. I made over $600,000 take-home after expenses. It seems that the stupid American military members are good for something after all.

        Reply

      • In reply to Wendy

        Just a quick question “Wendy” you say you make soooo much money off stupid military members who get payday loans from you. So if the stupid military kids are making you rich, why is it that you hate them so much? Without their stupidity and mismanaged funds, you wouldn’t be so “wealthy.” All arguments aside, you seem to be the stupid one.

        Reply

  2. Common Sense, your argument is akin to a 15 year old saying that he can say fuck in public because of freedom of speech. Yeah you can, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Just because you’re not obligated to tip doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. It really just makes you look like a slimy, self-righteous douchebag. You are what is wrong with capitalism. You are why there are poor people.

    Have fun with that extra $7 you saved by stiffing the server who just subsidized your food for you. By stiffing them, they actually have to pay for some of your food because they’re taxed on their sales (at least where I work).

    Who do you think you are, anyways? Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant tips very well. You are obviously ignorant of the work these people do.

    Reply

    • In reply to bdog

      Flawed analogy. One gains no benefit from fucking in public, whereas one gains a 20% benefit from not tipping. I assure you, if you were to put a financial incentive on fucking in public, you’d see it being done all over.

      Reply

    • In reply to bdog

      Freedom of Speech is not inclusive of what is considered vulgar by the overall and current moral standards–having sex in public falls under the “vulgar” rules.

      And as Bhagwad said–one gains 20% from NOT tipping.

      “By stiffing them, they actually have to pay for some of your food because they’re taxed on their sales (at least where I work).”

      Then why don’t you find another job?

      Compeltely flawed argument.

      Poor people WILL ALWAYS exist. YOu cannot gurantee everyone be rich.

      Reply

      • In reply to Common Sense

        Seeing someone as poor class.d on how much money you have. Same the other direction. A homeless man may see me rich in money. A millionaire may see me poor with money, When really I’m lower-middle class.

        Reply

      • In reply to Common Sense

        Common there’s really no point in arguing with Fagwad, in his eyes his superiority complex has completely enveloped his personality to a point where he actually believes he’s superior to the people who have already achieved significantly more than he has. But then again every slumdog’s gotta dream right Fagwad? My only regret is that Fagwad wasn’t the one who had his eyes burned out to be a blind singer on a street corner. Would definitely have saved the internet from dealing with one more ignorant fuckstain that signed up for internet services. Luckily for old Fagwad, they don’t require any type of morals, decency, or real level of intelligence to sign up for internet otherwise he’d really be fucked. It’s ok though, I smile knowing that every server that sees him come in most likely stirs his water with no ice and 3 lemons with his dick first and drops his silverware on the ground before bringing it out.

        Simple truth here for ya Fagwad, the people you insult here on this post have already fucked with you, tainted your food, and probably other things to your meal that you still haven’t realized you’ve ingested because you’re too busy worrying about losing $3 over a tip. Stop being such a broke-ass prick who talks big on the internet and try actually making some money instead of crying about tipping on the internet you sad pussy. Jealousy over a server making more than you is no reason not to tip. It’s not their fault you hate your life as a DELL tech support call center worker.

        Reply

      • In reply to Cheezus Crust

        People like you that swear and spew such terrible insults clearly do not have enough education to make it in life. You are extremely mad because you did nothing with your life and you expect people like us to supplement your pathetic income. Newsflash I paid for the food, I don’t need to supplement your paycheck. You may only make two dollars an hour. You chose a job but does not require education or skills. I do not feel bad for you and I do not intend to tip you for doing your job.

        Reply

      • In reply to Ryan

        It’s actually a mystery to me how you can still think that you paid for the food. So many people have pointed out that the reason your food was the price it was, was because you’re supposed to tip. If restaurants paid employees even minimum wage, your food price would skyrocket and then you would complain about other things. Just stay home if you can’t even comprehend the tip system. (speaking to all of the non-tippers now) You criticize that which you don’t understand (or refuse to acknowledge). You probably shouldn’t be in public anyways, you’ll most likely end up embarrassing yourself.

        Reply

      • In reply to bdog

        The price of the food is listed on the menu. That is how I can say I paid for the food. The menu doesn’t say I need to pay a waitress 20% for walking 20 feet and putting my food on the table. It has already been proven that the menu prices would not need to change if the waiters were paid minimum wage. They are not paid this because they are not worth that. I would really like to be able to get the food myself and not even need to be bothered by a waitress. Tipping has got to be the dumbest old-fashioned thing that we still do today. Tips used to be given to poor people to show them how much more superior rich people are. Sort of like chump change. However chump change is a big deal to a waiter who is not even worth minimum-wage.

        Reply

      • In reply to Donald

        Lol it has not been proven. If it has, it is news to me (and the rest of the world). You pay $200 for a cell phone. Have you really paid for the phone? No. You paid for a subsidized product. Much like you are in a restaurant. With cell phones, there is more cost after you buy the phone: the contract. In restaurants, it’s the tip. No, you’re not contractually obligated to tip. But that doesn’t make you any less wrong, or any less of a cheap bastard.

        Refer here: http://ifyoucantaffordtotip.com/i-dont-tip/

        Reply

      • In reply to bdog

        I own an upscale restaurant in New York. The truth is if I did pay the waitstaff minimum-wage menu prices would not need to change. Being able to pay waitstaff subminimum wage does allow me to live a more affluent life.
        As a restaurant owner we like to perpetuate the myth to our waiters how important they are because they’re able to keep menu prices down by paying them so little. In reality it’s more money in my pocket. I don’t feel bad about this because the turnover rate is very high and it is not a skilled job.
        Owning a restaurant is very stressful, I do deserve every penny I make. I also think it is unfair for customers to feel obligated to tip. Sometimes I am up at night wondering how many people refuse to come to my restaurant because they don’t want to tip. I honestly can’t blame them. Paying a person 20% just to carry food to your table does not seem fair. Well during the downtime the waiters do wrap silverware into linen napkins. Eating out can be very expensive. Paying 20% tip on a $200 bill is money I would rather have customers spend on my menu.

        Reply

      • In reply to I own NYC

        I call Bullshit on this..living in NYC I know how busy rest owners are and i find it hard to believe with their 100 hour work weeks they find time to post on internet discussion sites.

        Reply

      • In reply to I own NYC

        McDonald’s has a dollar menu and pays its employees more than minimum wage. If a restaurant paid minimum wage the prices would not have to change. Makes perfect sense to me.

        Reply

      • In reply to Donald

        As for what you said about servers not deserving 20% for walking 20 feet, you have just displayed your ignorance of the job. Please, work ONE DAY as a server and you’ll see that’s not what happens. On average if the server has three four to six person tables, that’s about 16 people that the server has to take orders from and make sure everything gets there in a timely manner and in the correct way. All of the gluten free things, side orders, substitutions, refills, etc. (as well as responsibilities such as assembling some of the food items in the kitchen like soup, salad, etc.) are difficult to remember. You have no idea of what you are trying to argue about. Please get some experience before spouting ignorance, lest some malleable young person actually believes your bullshit.

        Reply

      • In reply to Scott

        How are you listening to this person? It’s text. If you’re using text to speech, then I understand. It doesn’t work very well.

        Reply

      • In reply to Common Sense

        If you had basic reading comprehension skills, you’d know that I didn’t actually say anything about having sex in public. Maybe you should use some of that money you save by not tipping and go back to school.

        Reply

  3. I am a waiter my job is so complicated. I had to put whip cream on your dessert the other day. And then I had to take your order and everybody ordered something different. Then I had to refill your glasses. Everybody had something different in their glass. Then I had to walk like 20 feet to your table. Good thing it wasn’t any further I would’ve got lost. I was too stupid and lazy to do anything useful with my life so now I am a waiter. I don’t even make minimum wage because my job is a joke. The 20% tip not because I deserve it but because it subsidizes me like welfare. I have to rely on the kindness of others because I have no skills. My job is so hard I didn’t have to study for it earn a degree or go to a specialized training program. Waiters are just super simple people so everything is so hard for us.

    Reply

      • In reply to Jake

        Sounds like a perfect job description of waiter. I do think it’s hilarious when waiters try to make their jobs sound so difficult when they are mindless and simple. I had dinner the other day at Ruth Chris. I actually told the manager that I don’t believe in tipping. He waited on us just fine. At the end of the meal he asked us why we don’t believe in tipping. We told him the waiter didn’t cook or prepare the food and simply placed it on our table. We see no reason the tip for that. He said thank you and come again. We will dinner was very enjoyable. Meal cost around $150. What a waste of money a 20% tip would be for that.

        Reply

      • In reply to Jake

        I don’t want to leave a 20% tip for anybody. The chef is skilled he makes a good enough living. The waiter just put it on my table so what big deal. I paid for the food should not have to pay anything extra. I really wish they just had a no tipping section I would sit there. Get my own food get my own drinks better than having to deal with a money grubbing waiter.

        Reply

      • In reply to Dale

        It’s funny you should say that serving isn’t difficult Dale. I’m a server who basically runs my restaurant. I prepare majority of the food that I serve to those tables twenty feet over. Also I tend to work anywhere between 8 and 12 hour shifts, 5 days a week; due to the fact that there are only three servers at my restaurant. In addition I clean, bus my own tables, do my own dishes, cook majority of the food, answer phones, manage at least one register at all times, handle customer complaints (including the customers who were not mine) and run an entire dining room which consists of more than twenty tables( not the five that most servers have because despite how busy it gets the boss assumes we only need one per shift.) Despite everything i just said everyone on here is absolutely right, its an option to tip. Just like servers are allowed to refuse service if their customers are disrespectful or nasty (which I’ve done many tines without questioning of my supervisor). I’ve been a server for six or so months; I just turned twenty and what I do puts the average manual labor-free job to shame. So I insist; do tell how difficult your job is before you assume another job is simple.

        Reply

  4. I strongly believe that tipping is a very important part about the service industry. In the scheme of things, if a restaurant charged the customer extra so that the restaurant can afford to pay the employee a decent wage, the customer would spend more money that way than just simply tipping their server. All the people that are arrogant enough to say that they won’t tip because they are not forced to are mooching off a system that allows for food to be at reasonable prices. The fact that tip is a common thing is what gets you decent service in the first place. I would love to see any of you big talkers put your money where your mouth is and let the server know that you will not tip them because you’re not forced to before they serve you. We’ll see how happy you are when that server gives two shits about your food and brings it back an hour later and doesn’t bother to refill your drinks. Most of you people acting all bad saying how you don’t tip probably won’t do that because you want the good service you just don’t want to pay for it. It’s not the restaurant being cheap, it’s you!!!

    Reply

    • In reply to Gaspar

      I work for an organization that helps mentally disabled young adults get jobs. They would do your simple job without any bitching and moaning. They would be very happy to make two dollars an hour. Plus you would not have to worry about them bringing your food out an hour later. They would serve you well and could care less if they got tipped because they take pride in what they do.

      Gaspar the simple job of waiter should be reserved for the mentally retarded I don’t know what you are complaining about.

      Reply

  5. Gaspar, if you want to make a decent wage don’t pick a job that is unskilled and simple.
    Go to college get a degree, or go to trade school and learn a skill. Fetching drink orders and putting food on a person’s table is not a skill or a job worth minimum wage. Easystreet never led anywhere, looks like you’re finding this out now.

    Reply

  6. I always tip at least 20% regardless. Sometimes I tip the pizza delivery person 40%+ because they not only have to put gas in their cars, but will need tires and oil changes more frequently than the general public.

    The main article appears to be rants from a sociopath.

    Have a heart, you’d want to be treated well if you somehow had to become a server.

    Reply

  7. Funny how no matter how many posts I read trying to justify this article, all I continue to read is “I’m too fucking poor to tip.”

    As someone stated earlier, the service industry boils down to the ignorance of the customer towards the menu. You don’t know dick about what goes into the entree, whether you’re allergic or not to the TINY bit of shrimp added to the sauce, or that the chef really doesn’t give a shit about you and wouldn’t beat the dog shit out of you for trying to come into the kitchen and demanding food be made a certain way.

    Reply

  8. I eat at upscale restaurants several times a week. I refuse to tip because the brain dead waiter is just a conveyor belt. I am not his employer, nor care he makes $2.00 an hour. Sometimes we order a bottle of Dom at $175.00 a bottle. Tipping based on money spent is stupid. Same meal $50 two glasses of wine. Why should the waiter be tipped more because of the champagne? Carrying the meal to the table is a stupid simple unskilled job not worthy of tipping on top of the overpaid $2.00 hour already paid.

    You say I will get poor service if I don’t tip. I say you will be terminated because the restaurant does not want to lose a wealthy customer.

    Reply

    • In reply to Lily

      Lily, you are a bitch and the people that are hated at “upscale restaurants.” If you’re gonna drop 150 on a bottle of wine why are you going to be a giant prude and not tip? How do you know the waiter is brain-dead? (funny grammar note, there should be a – in between brain, and dead, bet you didn’t know that ;) ) Lots of waiters are working to save money for an education of some sort. Waiters do so much more than just bring your food out and make idle chit chat, and the fact you think that is all they do shows just how selfish and shitty of a human being you are. Do us all a favor, go eat at McDonalds, get cancer and die.

      Reply

      • In reply to Jimmy

        You are just the thing that brings me my food and wine. Your small hourly wage or hopes and dreams in life is not my concern.
        A little advice, do not speak unless spoken to because you are beneath me socially and financially. Nobody cares what your name is, just explain the evening menu. When I am ready we will summon you.

        Reply

      • In reply to Lily

        These are some of the nastiest, most disrespectful, and unnecessary words I have ever had the displeasure of reading. Beneath you socially and financially? Who the fuck do you think you are? You have NO idea the social or financial situation of the person “just bringing you your wine”. I hope you choke on that wine.

        Reply

      • In reply to Lily

        Lily, you are so awesome! keep going on tell them servers who is boss! YOU GO GIRL, FUCK SERVERS! Thats so cool that your CEO husband takes you to the same fancy restaurant a lot and DOESNT TIP, how do you feel about him cheating on you with the secretary all the time, or i bet the waitress herself, WOULDN’T THAT BE CRAZY, did you ever think that maybe he goes there a lot without you and you look like a joke when you come in without him?! he sees how much of a superfical bitch you are, and coming from your attitude you are completely dick deprived and think you are hot shit, bitch your named after a fucking flower, you have a “started from the bottom now we here” type of name, you are nothing, never forget that, I can’t wait till your man leaves you and you have to wait tables

        Reply

    • In reply to Lily

      Dearest Lily,
      I really don’t like you. You are lower than the scum in the bottle of your 175.00 bottle of Dom. May your partner in life fuck you over and leave you penniless you fat snit.

      Reply

  9. If you don’t wish to tip your waiter or waitress that’s fine don’t but then don’t come to an expensive restaurant. Look at prices before you go somewhere and decide if you are willing to pay that amount plus a tip of at least 10% and that’s for a bad job. What some ignorant people are unaware of is how much a server actually does so let me inform you: we prepare the salad i.e. I wash it, I cut it up, I premake them and I prepare all of the other topping that go on your salad. Those sauces(ranch, cocktail sauce, tarter sauce) everyone wants to special order guess who makes them (it’s not a company) and then I get to pour it into a little cup for your convience. Including preparing your salad and or soup I also (if decided) prepare your dessert. Not difficult at all until you have 5-7 other tables you need to be catering to as well. I run my own food unless I absolutly cannot and majority of the time I also bustm tables. So if you think a waiter/waitress is only a conveyer bell you are hardley mistaken. If you don’t want to tip thats fine don’t ask me for a refill than. Oh and to the comment of we get paid 2.13 an hour yes we do get that small hope of 0.00 paychecks every other week because it gets taken in TAXES. Who would have thought. So the money we earn for tips is the money we earn.

    Reply

      • In reply to Samuel

        Alecia, you have the perfect job for a retarded person. Very simple mindless unsatisfying job.

        Duh food go on table. Drinks go in glass.

        Reply

      • In reply to Beth

        Beth, why do you have to resort to using the word, “retard”? That’s very offensive to real people who ARE mentally handicapped, like me. Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me that you aren’t a high priced piece of trash, yourself. You sure are acting like it.

        Besides, some mentally handicapped people have more common sense and intelligence than the majority of “normal” people.

        Reply

      • In reply to Sergio

        What is wrong with you people?! You’re insulting an entire occupation for NO reason. Have you ever tried this “brain dead” job? Until you do, shut the fuck up.

        Reply

Leave a Comment