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
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.
Flat out truth time here:
US “service” is horrible. Hovering horrible waitstaff who are annoying and do not just leave. I don’t want to know your name, I don’t care. You chose to work at a job and that’s it. In fact, give me an order pad or app or tablet and i’ll order for myself. Give me a number and I’ll go get my food when it’s ready. There, that’s the entirety of the job description and it has zero value add. I tip 0%. That’s the rule, plain and simple. Go ahead and do the math. The food itself is dirt cheap to begin with. Add on another share for spoilage, another share for upkeep and rent, another share for labor, another share for profit. There ya go, I’m already shelling out 5x the cost of the damn food to begin with. A nicer place, call it 6x. That’s the limit of “reasonable”, and it’s all deception to start with as for seafood, you’re around 90% likely to get something fake or subpar anyways albeit paying premium.
Boohoohoo, the 2.30 or whatever isn’t a real number, the boss makes up a shortfall. This is unskilled mindless pointless “labor”. If ya don’t like it, quit and go get a job that pays… oh wait, those are all difficult and might require “skills”? Tough shit, I’m not your money bag, I’m not your free ticket in life, I’m not responsible for you and quite frankly I don’t care if you rot in a ditch… but when you’re on the clock, you do your job. Thanks for giving me your name though, it helps when filing legal action if you decide to do anything to my meal, you can have your free ride in prison then… and given the state of the US prison system, you’ll get more than “just a tip”.
If I decide to leave a gratuity I will and do, but I am under no obligation to do so and nor is anyone else.
The financial arrangement between you the server and your employer has absolutely nothing to do with me and is not a consideration when I leave a gratuity. You pay taxes and so do I and I do not have the luxury of stuffing cash in my pocket and not declaring it to the IRS.
The IRS knows exactly what I make to the penny and clips me 32% before I see my pay. You want a real tip, DO YOUR JOB WELL, and reap the rewards but don’t whine about not getting a tip from each and every patron because we both know this is a voluntary gratuity and not part of the actual bill. Any restaurant that has the gaul to add a gratuity and call it a service charge can kiss my ass and won’t see any of my after tax disposable income. We the customers
are in control here. NOT YOU !
I’m a server and I have a solution to your problem. When you come into a restaurant a server can just leave the pad and pen on your table. You can write down what you want and take it back to the kitchen. You can fill your drink of choice as well as cook your own food to your liking! I’m sure the staff will be happy to leave the grill on for you :) After your meal, you can take you plate to the back and scrub your dish clean for the next paying customer. When your done with that you can pay for your food and leave knowing that no pennies were wasted on unnecessary customer service. Here’s to you, You frugal man that I’m sure everyone loves. You beat the system and saved 3 dollars. As I like to say smiling as you leave, “Have a fantastic day and hope you come back to see us! :)”
In reply to RandomWhiteDude
Why is no one considering the restaurant owners? Why are they off the hook?!!
In reply to RandomWhiteDude
Invalid argument for receiving a tip for customer service.
You receive pay to do your job as a waiter/waitress, do you see other job titles receiving pay for customer service? for example, does an Target or Walmart employee receive a tip for showing a customer where a product is? does a car wash service demand a tip for hand washing and/or drying your car? does a McDonalds employee demand a tip for handing you your drive thru meal and drink? I believe not. If I understand your argument correctly, you are trying to argue if we don’t tip you, you wont do your job in which you are paid to do by your employer. INVALID, RandomWhiteDude.
In reply to Erik
most corporate places like target and mcdonalds don’t take tips because they don’t want to pay taxes on them, so they make it company policy not to accept tips, and at most hand wash car washes they include a SERVICE fee, thats your tip in case you didn’t know, so you sir, YOUR argument is invalid sir! you are the worst type of person
Other people in the service market are complaining on the forums too:
As a lawyer in private practice, I submit my invoices with a 25% gratuity added to my bill. Since it is a gratuity, the client really doesn’t have to pay it. Some clients pay it without saying a word. Other clients call to complain about the gratuity, and I will furnish them a second invoice with the gratuity removed. But I remember those fuckers. Just wait until they need me to get them out of a DUI or want more visitation with their children. I will so fuck those fuckers. …Oh wait! I can lose my license for that.
As a doctor in private practice, I submit….
Oh geez. Reading through some of the comments on the first page is so fucking hilarious, all these people talking about their multiple degrees and life stories. God this is hysterical. I don’t give a shit if you’re a genius, a college student, a single mom, whatever. Bottom line is you’re working in that industry. It’s your JOB to provide decent service. We’re not asking for top notch, 5 star restaurant type waiting. Just normal decent service. It’s your job to deal with the shit customers. They are still paying for their meal, which goes into your wage. It’s your job to do what the establishment requires and expects of you. Clean, serve, etc. If you got a problem with any of it, talk with your fucking boss. Just do your job.
But seriously, you people complaining about people who don’t want to tip and how you guys already have terrible wages (which by the way is not even remotely the customers’ faults), have you ever considered that perhaps that customer doesn’t have the money to give? You get all angry that you’re not getting, which I need to remind many is a ‘reward for services’, a ‘reward’, these tips that perhaps that person cannot spare. Granted there are ass holes that just don’t want to tip that have the ability to, but it really depends on the service as well. Even if you do nothing wrong, tips are for those that do nothing wrong and also do MORE.
Now to all those that claim it’s not easy. Nobody said it was. But it sure can be compared to a lot of other careers out there. Construction, Social work, Sale reps, accountants, even being a doctor does not entail we live absolutely happy, care-free, rich lives. Money does not grow on trees. There are difficulties in every fucking career. Yet they don’t get tipped. Count yourself lucky you actually get gratuity from the kindness of individuals.
SO… Stop fucking complaining about your oh so difficult job and those terrible people who don’t leave tips for what is expected.
In reply to OMFG
If you don’t have the money to tip, here’s a crazy idea…cook at home. Or go to a counter service place where tipping isn’t an issue.
In reply to OMFG
Look, servers work for tips, that’s how it is in this country. It is a custom. In some other countries it isn’t customary to tip but in this one it is. Not tipping doesn’t make you some sort of genius who has figured out how to game the system. Not tipping just makes you a dick. If you want to be a dick, fine, be a dick. The truth is there are ALWAYS going to be plenty of people who aren’t dicks and at the end of the day that means that your opinion doesn’t matter.
I waited tables for 10 years while I was getting through school and starting my career and finally quit working weekends waiting tables when my career got moving. During that time I had to learn that dicks like the author of this blog and the writers of these comments don’t matter. Even with dumb little shits like you, I stilled made considerably more on the hour than a shop foreman or a shop worker.
BTW… Why would you spend time typing out the 5 reasons why you are a dick? Nobody really cares… Your opinion on tipping doesn’t matter. You being a dick isn’t going to change the system, it just keeps people in the loop as to how big of a dick you are. If that’s what you are going for, congrats.
I like being a server, as a college student I get to go to class and study like everyone else, I take care of.my bills like everyone else and when I work, I bust my ass like most people do. people don’t tip servers sometimes.and.the.rest of the time we.get tipped. I’m actually grateful but here’s my thing, it’s demoralizing when GREAT service is.given and.for.lack of etiquette or money.or.whatever you don’t show.any type.of appreciation or leave a gratuity it makes working a little challenging, of course you move on. Now while some.arguments have been valid a lot.have been.invalid and based on where you stand you ‘ll see my point. I believe great service deserves a tip and poor service doesn’t. Servers are not.miserable and.most of.us use this.jobs as a passing phase to have money to take care of our responsibility, because think about it how.many jobs can you go to school and study all day then work for 4 hours and.make close to or.even over $100? not much. So before you get into this mindset for not tipping, remember that all jobs have their own social rules and ours is tipping, whatever argument you try to bring up frankly is.invalid. My rules as long as you have respect for me, then we have no problem, I ‘ll take care of my job and.leave.you no choice than to tip me. unless of course if you’re just an idiotic Asshole.
It’s a very simple concept, and even though you alluded to it you obviously have shit for brains and just don’t get it. If custimers weren’t expected to tip then obviously the restaurant owners would have to pay the service staff more than 2.13 an hour which would just mean your food would cost about 15 to 20 percent more. No fucking person would put up with pricks like you for minimum wage. This is the system we have in the United States. These waiters you shit on every time you sit your mean fat ass down in a restuarant didn’t create it. They are just trying to make a living like everyone else. TIP means “To Insure Performance.” People don’t only go out to eat – most people want to have a good time. How’d you like it if your waiter was in a pissy mood and seemed miserable (like they usually are at Mcdonalds) while you are just trying to get out of the house and enjoy yourself? How’d you like it if you had a question about the menu or wine or whatever and the waiter just said, “Uh, I don’t know” because they don’t really give a fuck because they make the same either way. Why go that extra mile? Most would just do the absolute bare minimum. As far as the waiters trying to be your best bud and all that, it’s called being friendly and welcoming. Like if you were a guest in my home. You are right, I don’t give a fuck about you – why would I, we don’t know each other (and you’re obviously a jerk anyway) – but I do want you to have a good time while you’re in our restaurant – so you’ll tip me and come back and spend more money and tip me again. Yes it’s a game. Just like any other sales job. Do you think a Real Estate agent gives a fuck about you? No, they want to sell your house or help you buy one and make money. Would you like them to be an asshole while they are doing it or be nice and helpful. Besides, a good waiter knows how to read their guests. If I walk up and say hi and you give a prick vibe (And I’m sure you do), then I go into order taker mode and leave your miserable ass alone as much as possible. If I walk up and my guests look me in the eye and engage me then I will do the same. I will be helpful. I will go out of my way to make sure they have a good time. And yes, I expect a 20 percent tip in return like any other fucking commissioned sales job, because what the fuck I’m doing: saling you food and a good time.
In reply to Zink614
Why do you automatically assume people “shit on” these waiters, simply for expecting them to do their job? No more, no less. It’s a job worth minimum wage, and saying “No fucking person would put up with pricks like you for minimum wage” is a complete lie. There are lots of people who would be ecstatic to do that job for minimum wage, and that is why you lose all your jobs to immigrants with a healthy work ethic. TIP does not me “To Insure Prompt Service” since insure isn’t the correct word, Ensure would be.
in·sure
inˈSHo͝or/
verb
1.
arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of (property), or injury to or the death of (someone), in exchange for regular advance payments to a company or government agency.
“the table should be insured for $2,500″
provide insurance coverage with respect to.
“subsidiaries set up to insure the risks of a group of companies”
synonyms: provide insurance for, indemnify, cover, assure, protect, underwrite; More
2.
secure or protect someone against (a possible contingency).
“by appeasing Celia they might insure themselves against further misfortune”
vs.
en·sure
enˈSHo͝or/
verb
make certain that (something) shall occur or be the case.
“the client must ensure that accurate records be kept”
synonyms: make sure, make certain, see to it; More
make certain of obtaining or providing (something).
“she would ensure him a place in society”
synonyms: secure, guarantee, assure, certify, safeguard, set the seal on, clinch, entrench
“legislation to ensure equal opportunities for all”
make sure that (a problem) shall not occur.
Basic English. Stop regurgitating that “TIPs means …” line that just makes you look uneducated.
Yes, I go out to have a good time, but not with the service staff like some loser. They can be miserable all they want, I don’t let the mood of others dictate how I feel. Knowing the menu is part of their job, so if they said “Uhh I don’t know” I’d just think they’re incompetent or new to the position and not give it much thought. If they did know it, I also wouldn’t give it much thought since that’s something they’re supposed to know.
The thing is, if employees just started doing the bare minimum, and collected a surplus of negative comment cards, they’d be out of a job and that position would be filled by somebody with a better work ethic.
“You are right, I don’t give a fuck about you – why would I, we don’t know each other (and you’re obviously a jerk anyway)” The feeling is mutual, so why throw a pity party over your wage and expect us to care?
A real estate agent isn’t asking for tips, thats the difference there. And if they acted like an asshole they’d just lose business, just like your restaurant would if all the servers felt as entitled as you.
If you just slam food on the table and never check on your guests, you’re not doing the duties outlined to you in your job description. That reflects more on you and your work ethic than anything.
Commission comes from the company, not from the customer.
Key phrase in my whole rebuttal: Work Ethic
Don’t think there isn’t somebody out there that would do your job with a smile on their face and not feel entitled. You seem to have a terrible work ethic which will keep you at the bottom of the barrel no matter where you were working.
(oh and by law your employer has to make up any difference on in your pay if it does not reach state minimum, so if you don’t know your labor laws that’s also your fault)
Let’s all step back from the keyboard for a moment and assess the situation. Will you change each other’s minds on this topic? No, probably not. Are you enjoying the feeling you’re getting from this seemingly never-ending back and forth? I can’t imagine you are. Does it stink that people feel the need to wear their anti-tip opinions like a badge of honor. Yes. Will realizing that these people are few and far between make you feel better? Well, that’s really up to you. I’m getting ready to strap on an apron myself and I’m not really bothered to know that there are people out there who don’t tip. I don’t understand it, but it is their money to do with what they want. I enjoy serving, mostly because of the people. I like making someone’s evening a nice one. I like listening to their stories and I respect when people don’t want to banter. I don’t expect 20%, but I don’t ever work less because I think I might not get a tip.
I almost threw up from how disgusting the people are here. Completely self-serving and wrapped up in their own lives and truly the scum of the Earth.
No, no waiter is being paid to $2 an hour to treat you like a king. They’re paid $2 to do the bare minimum, and the reason they’re not getting paid a higher, fixed wage is because it should be up to whomever receives their services to pay them BASED ON THEIR SERVICES.
I’m a serial high tipper, and yes, I’m proud that I’m not stingy. I have no problem leaving a 30% tip and have even left a 50% tip before, but I’ve also left next to nothing on a huge bill before because we had to flag down other waiters while ours was standing around chatting with the host, and we found out our food had been ready for 20 minutes. Why? Because their pay should depend on the service they provide. I usually pay a higher gratuity because I realize that most of the time, your waiter is a single mom or a kid trying to pay his own way through school or someone who just got to this country or whatever. They have that job because you really can get a nice amount of money from tips rather that just plain minimum wage. Minimum right now is not a livable wage (if it went up with inflation like it should have, our federal minimum wage would be over $10 an hour right now) and some people need that little bit extra. They have an opportunity to make more money based on what they bring to the table (no pun intended) everyday because they don’t have the official experience to get a better job. By waiting tables, their paycheck depends on them and what they do, not the prestige of their past jobs. And you know what? What goes around comes around.
And yes, I would be miserable if I received great service somewhere but had acquired this whole “it’s not my job to pay you to serve me” attitude that so many people here have, and my waitress wasn’t able to buy her son a birthday present next week because of my stinginess. And yes, MY stinginess, not her boss’s, because her boss paid her to take my order and bring the food back, not to make sure that I got my food the second the cook was done making it so that it’d be warm, or to refill my table’s bread basket 5 times even though they know that doing it means we’ll be too full to order more food for dessert, or to double check that the chef remembered I wanted mild salsa instead of hot.
I love how this has turned into a forum of megalomaniacs trying to show off their egos and expect impeccable service in return. Servers don’t have to go above and beyond for you. They have to write down what you want, bring it to the kitchen, and bring it back to you. If you tell them “hey, I’m not going to tip you, just so you know”. That’s all they’ll do. Like I said, that’s what they’re paid $2 for. You don’t get a bill with a “suggested gratuity” added before you even get your food, right? You get a chance to determine how good the service is before you get your bill and pay the tip. Why shouldn’t servers get full disclosure? Oh because you know you wouldn’t get more than the bare minimum in regards to service?
They make buffets for a reason. If you’re going to have something up your ass in regards to how you’re entitled to spectacular service but shouldn’t have to pay for it, then go to one and serve yourself. Especially one with a trash receptacle right by the door for you to throw away your own trash. Or better yet, stick to McDonald’s.
(For the record, I’m lucky enough to never have had a job waiting tables. I do work in customer service in a retail environment. I get an hourly wage plus commission, so I understand what it means to have a job where you determine your own pay. I get my hourly wage to meet my sales goals, I get the incentive of being able to keep a job that pays an extra commission when I exceed those goals. Same concept, except I get a decent hourly pay too. I’m just not trashy and realize not everyone is so fortunate.)
I have no problem with you not tipping. If you’re going to be that guy though at least have the balls to tell your waiter at the beginning of the meal. Otherwise, you’re just a cheap asshole and fuck you.