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.
Agreed. I always tip, but I worked at McDonald’s for almost a year. I refilled drinks. I made your oatmeal, shakes, and ice cream cones. I make changes to your order. I deal with bitchy customers who think that just because I work at McDonald’s I don’t deserve respect like a normal human being. So I’d like to ask this little question. Why in the fuck did I not get tipped? I made $7.25 an hour. No tips. I fail to see were a waiter at a restaurant did anything different. So why in the hell should I tip you when your the ass hole who is bitching about your fries. That is my input(:
In reply to bree
Are you aware that servers make $2.13 an hour? Without tips they would have nothing.
In reply to bree
Servers get paid about less than 2.50 yet deal with a lot more than your average fast food restaurant. I’ve worked both, and while both have their challenges, serving has more to keep up with.
Yeah the author of this won’t tip for a simple reason, he’s a douche bag who doesn’t understand the concept! And that foreign name doesn’t help either Ali-Baba! I’m offended the author thinks I’d stoop to ass kissing for a tip-how about timely and courteous service deserves a tip! And spit in their food? Umm, I’m a professional and that’s childish and disgusting! I’ll just remember your face to give you the “appropriate” level of service the next time if I were unlucky enough to get you again! No my employer does not pay what I’m worth, cause if they did, your ass would be spending $35 for soup and salad! Carry your ass back to Ali-baba-land where the only restaurants serve up Sh*% on a shingle!
In reply to James
But you’d stoop to insults involving his name? Wow. So much better.
In reply to James
Well ali baba had them 40 thieves a diga dum diga diga dum. The author is a vishnu fucker 30 arms AND ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS RUB THAT LAMP!!
You are a piece of shit
There’s weeks were I work 40 hours as a waitress and guess how much my paycheck is? 16 dollars. I bust my ass and truely do care about the people I’m serving, if they don’t come back and support the company I work for then I don’t have a job. I take care of a family with my income and if you take up my section and don’t give me at least 15% I hate you. Would you get someone a drink for 10 cents? Then a refill for another 10 cents? Then take there order make sure it’s right, then make them a salad, and then get them another refill then bring them dinner then some steak sauce then a new napkin cuz they spilt there drink on the table which I have to recook them a new meal since they did that in there food, then they took up my table for 2 hours cuz they won’t get up after everything is done then a 50 dollar tab and I have to give 2.50 cents of (for every 50 dollars in sales) whatever you tip me to the bartender and the hosts so that you can stiff me so I worked 2 hours for nothing but I do owe someone else 2.50 either way. Open your eyes and your heart and realiZe your not right you fucking asshole. Working to pay my way through college and you want to act like I don’t deserve it? I hope you didn’t get paid for putting this shit on the internet you peice of shit.
In reply to Someone who doesn’t live in a box
You are so full of crap. If you don’t make minimum-wage your employer has to make up the difference. See there is no reason to ever tip. Minimum wage is three times what you are worth anyways.
In reply to Cry me a river
She might’ve only gotten a $16 check, but also pocketed $500 in tips
As someone who tips anyway out of some weird sense of guilt/pity, I do have to agree. I’m a struggling student presently myself (referring to your rebuttal), and I work hard for the measly amount of cash I earn–sure you were nice to me, but… I kind of want my money for gas, kaythanks. I don’t care for speaking with people period, myself, and so forced conversation for a tip just grates.
I WAS a server back-in-the-day, but I didn’t beg like a puppy dog for the money. I was just being myself–shy and awkward and not instigating conversation. If the customer did so themselves then how-doody, what nice people. I’d talk to them. But I wouldn’t peddle for tips. I’m not a beggar.
It’s always irked me that the business expects their employees to make up their pitiful wages with tips. God forbid we pay people minimum wage, at the very least.
At the same time, though, I have to ask; would you be okay with it if the wait-staff was grouchy and rude to you anyway, then, since they know no matter what they’re not going to receive a tip from you? If that’s the only reason they’re being “buddy-buddy” with you is to get that extra money, then them knowing they WON’T receive it would give them justification for being pricks. Well, maybe not justification… But their only risk is getting fired, and that’s if you’re feeling ambitious enough to complain. Which many are too lazy to do. They just go to Facebook and bitch.
I don’t tip and I am proud of it. I go to a restaurant to eat food not to pay the bills of a waitress.
In reply to Sally
maybe you should stay at home and cook then instead of being a cheap ass, guaranteed if you visit the restaurant often enough they know who you are and your food isn’t what it seems. Or maybe you should wait tables for once and see what its like, not as easy as it seems, especially if your working your way thru college.
In reply to Sally
Wow you are pathetic and a disgrace to humanity. I feel bad for the servers at the golden coral, Waffle House, or any other cheap and disgusting restaurants that you visit. Clearly none of your parents have instilled manners and that’s counting on that you do have parents. But an animal like yourself probably just wandered in from the woods. Hopefully you are sterile and won’t reproduce because Jesus Christ your spawn would be a curse on human kind.
In reply to Sally
1This is bull shit
We aren’t ur BFF we make u comfortable and happy (or try)
2If our employers paid is more ur foot would be more MF!
3I’d never spilt in anyone’s food just their face if they were asking for it
4Yes we bring food make sure it’s done right ur happy and drinks are full a lot of y’all are bitches and high maintenance so it’s hard esp when we have 20 other ppl
5Lastly money doesn’t grow on tree we have jobs be thank full we’re not on government pay and try! Or would u rather us on food stamps and ur both ass pay im us for doing drug and making babies??
Sincerely your a server aka BAMA!
I think waiters should be paid minimum wage. But I also think that a lot of mom and pop and family owned businesses can’t stay a float that way, and I like living in a place where I don’t have to go to a chain. Restaurants are the hardest businesses to keep running. So if people want to eat where they want and to be served and given good service then they pay extra. If you want a hair cut you pay for the the persons time as well as the shampoo and product. If you want your car fixed you pay for the mechanics time and service as well as the parts. It’s how life is. If you just want to pay for your food then go to a grocery store..if you want someone to cook it for you go to your mamas house. This is a business if you don’t like it stay home.
This is really bogus. You are going in to a restaurant to be SERVED. Don’t want to tip? Don’t be served and order TOGO. You will still get your cravings that aren’t mcdonalds without asking a person to service every request you make on $2.16/hr. Some people aren’t asking to be waitstaff. In fact, most probably have dreams of something more, but in this economy people are picking up 2-3 scrap jobs just to make ends meet, especially because of the BS obamacare. So you’re attacking someone’s job that makes their living, puts food on the table and shoes on kids feet all because you don’t want to pay for services rendered? Drive thru
The fact of the matter is that if you have a problem with tipping and feel obligated to make it known, Tell whoever you are NOT tipping when they serve you, Don’t post some dumb article online assuming the rest of the world gives a shit what your opinions are. Be a man and tell your servers to their face, Don’t bitch about it online, Pussy. A very cheap ass pussy at that.
In reply to Steve
First of all, stop calling names. Listen up bitch i dont tip. I dont tip becaw i hAt waiters i dont like wjat you dop i dont likee wjat you is about wit all u i run around this N that. You suc. All u peeple do. I want you paid same as me i work at mc’donalns and want you to stop keeping me from my living wage becau peeple li u make mo dan mee. We cun figire out a change dats needed in odo to apeeze Abody. Fuc u agin, youz donT EVEN NO!! DON EVN KNO!
I think it is disgusting how entitled waitresses think they are to a tip. Just because you brought me my food drink and dessert doesn’t mean you did anything extra deserving of a tip. All you did was your simple job. I am not paying you extra money to do your job. No tip for you ever. I think it is so funny the look on their faces after we eat at an expensive restaurant where the bill is over $400 and the waitstaff expected to see an $80 tip. Are you serious you’re nothing but a living breathing conveyor belt. And a conveyor belt would be better they don’t bitch and moan.