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.
I think that you are an asshole because these servers work hard. There are the occasional ones that are not worth getting a tip and I am all for not tipping them as much as 20% of the bill but there are some that go above and beyond and those are the ones that need to be appreiated. I opinion is, if your not going to tip them go to a fast food joint or stay the hell home. And for thos ho go to all you can eat places and dont tip, I wonder how you would eat if your table was all piled with dishes? Because I know if you didnt tip my I wouldnt come by your table anymore.
I really hope you become a server, food runner, or bartender one day and then you’ll get what you deserve. the federal government controls the minimum wage for people in hospitality because they make their money off of tips it is just the way that life is people don’t just bring you your food you’re an idiot.
In reply to Eddie
I went to college so I would never have to do the demeaning work of a waitress. They should give waiters and waitresses shoeshine kits so that they may do something worthy of pocket change. Good job boy here’s a quarter.
waiters make 2-3 dollars an hour. You’ve clearly never worked a service job in your life. Please, for the love of god, burn in hell. I’m surprised by the sheer amount of assholes on this thread, as well as the original poster.
Your points are all evident that you have absolutely no idea about how anything actually works.
that 100 dollar meal you just had. It’s really 115 dollars. they just expect you to give the last 15 to the waiter. way to punish the little man. You asshole
If you can’t tip then either go fast food or stay the bleep home, you self-righteous asshole. Why punish those that receive a mere $2-3 an hour to deliver food to snobs like you, by stiffing them? They don’t set the rules. And I hope to hell they do spit in your food because I certainly would.
In reply to Deb
Nobody is punishing you but yourself. You are the failure in life and have no one to blame but yourself. You took that job for $2.13 an hour. You have no skills and it is a Mickey Mouse job that’s why it pays so little. Just because I make a good living does not mean I care if you make enough money to eat. Your failure at life is not my concern. I will enjoy my Kobe beef and lobster tail dinner without tipping you. It is your job to wait on me for $2.13 an hour. Run to the kitchen boy and get me more clarified butter for my lobster. If you’re a reasonably good-looking girl you can suck my dick for a tip. Fetching my food is not worthy of a tip. That is simply doing your job. If you don’t like it get a real job. Oh wait you can’t you’re not skilled enough or smart enough to do anything else.
In reply to Gregory
Wow. A real charmer! The type any girl could take home to meet Mom!
In reply to Rachel Z
I could not agree with you more. I never tip a waitress for doing her job either http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm. I like that one person’s suggestion a waitresses should own shoeshine kits. I would give her 25 cents to shine my custom made alligator shoes. I would make her pick up the coin from the floor. The hired help should always know their place in life. I laugh when I hear the waitresses spouting off threats to people that don’t tip. The maître d’ would have you removed from the restaurant before dessert was even served. In real life a waitresses threats are meaningless.
In reply to Louis
I think that’s a wonderful idea. All the waitresses should have shoeshine kits. Women’s shoes are really expensive. I never take advantage of that service. A woman spends on average $2500 for a pair of Prada shoes. That is the only useful service the waitstaff would provide that is worthy of a tip. I think 25 cents is fair just like you do. Plus it would be really fun to throw a quarter on the floor. Maybe for another $.25 we can make them dance for us like monkeys.
In reply to Louis
Wow, just what the world needed, another cheap pompous ass. The “hired help should know their place” and she should be happy to pick a quarter up off the floor for shining your “custom made alligator shoes”. You and people like you are what is wrong with this world. You have, through no work of your own managed to be wealthy. I know this to be the case, since you have such disdain for those that work to earn their money. You believe your money makes you better then those that work to earn a living. Well that simply is not the case. You are not better then these people, and you are not even their equal. You sir are a shelf-righteous arrogant simpleton, that contributes nothing to society, and the world would be a much better and happier place if you would do us all the favor of leaving it. On second thought maybe the “hired help” could assist you with that, after all we don’t want to tax your limited abilities. I suggest then we repeat a bit of history, and the poor and working classes can do for you what they did for another Louis. King Louis XVI of France. He to thought he had them in their places and treated them with disdain and it cost him and those like him their heads. I say Ceux qui ne sont pas les leçons de l’histoire sont condamnés à répéter “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. Viva la Revolucion!
In reply to Gregory
what a douche you cheap fucker the low pay rates are put in place becuase servers are supposed to be compensated With a respectable tip you dick maybe if you werent a spoiled over grown white collar bitch boy you may have known that but you know what they say you cant fix stupid. Good day you tiny cocked douche bag
In reply to Gregory
Amazing. You want service at a restaurant, but you think anyone does it is beneath you. Sounds like you have an inferiority complex you’re taking out on people who have to put up with your horrible attitude. Same goes for the writer of this “article”
In reply to Gregory
Has it ever occurred to you that most of these servers are either college students or graduates that are working this shitty pay job trying to make ends meet so they can pay off their fucking student loans while trying to get their career started. So I really wouldn’t call these people stupid. also they only get paid 2-3 dollars an hour because even though they make tips they are still required to pay taxes so after taxes are taken out their paychecks usually come out to ZERO you stupid fuck. Also most servers aren’t trying to kiss you ass for your shitty fucking tip they’re being kind because they don’t want to lose there job! Also take t from some who works in the restaurant business servers can usually tell who’s going to be a good tipper or not so they arent ging to waste their time and energy on someone they know isn’t even going to tip them. So if you think you know anything about the restaurant business you don’t. You’re just a fucking cheap ass, and for one who claims they make so much money and is above everyone else you sure don’t show it by not tipping a hard working college student trying to make ends meet.
In reply to Samantha
You busting your ass to pay your bills is not my problem. I don’t care about you. I am there to eat my gourmet meal nothing more. I care more about my silk tie not getting stained during my meal than your life. You’re nothing to me, how dare you think otherwise.
In reply to Gregory
So, this coming from someone who makes good wages running CNC equipment, I still tip generally 30% of a bill. Now, granted, that is my own choosing, but when you pay for your food, you are paying for the services of the food being prepped and delivered, and are paying for the food itself. You, however, are not in fact paying the person you are so rudely making your bitch, for no proper rhyme or reason. If you make such good money, why can’t you spare 2-3 dollars once in a blue moon? You may be self sufficient, you are also self righteous, and a disgusting human being to boot.
In reply to Deb
I have been a server for about 3 months now and Ill tell you what, it pays and it is an amazing job to have while im still in High school studying for my EMT basic, for me this job started off to help me get money for myself after I get back from the military for college. And I may be young but its a better job than any other one I had. I love coming to work because I like meeting new people, I want to say that a lot of people are nice and like to hold a conversation but most don’t and I understand that, im not going to be a paramedic because of the crappy people in this world but more because I just want to help others. To make this simple, I have had plenty of experiences with nasty people, just because there having a bad day and I try to make theres just a little better, if I can, then I accomplished my goal for the day, if not I tried, but for people that are just jerks, I try my best to not bug them, they want their food, I get that, they don’t want to have side conversations with me, I understand, if the cook makes your food wrong but I put it in the system correct and your mad and dont give me a tip? Perfectly fine by me, I stride to do my best everyday. But on that note, I am making my LIVING off of serving other people, I may not make as much as you, but please don’t look down on me as a higher being because of it, I have feelings to, and I feel bad when I make a mistake and try to fix it! So not tipping me is more like spitting in my face rather than me doing it to you, not tipping is like standing up look me directly in the face, call me a piece of shit and slap me in the face, for me im not angry at it at first(I am at the end of the night and I only make 25$) Even if im left 2$ I say to myself that better than nothing, and I’m getting paid a Hell of a lot better than I was at Wendys! If anyone wants to comment on this please do…
I do agree with the overly friendly part. Nothing annoys me more than for a service person, be it waiter, clerk at the gas station, lady at the BMV…..to call me honey, or sweetie, or babydoll. You DO NOT know me…I am not any of those to you. I am old enough to be your mother at minimum and probably your grandmother. So give me the respect of ma’am or miss or how about my name if I am a regular. I am not your little buttercup.
I’m sorry, but I live in Australia where tipping is not the done thing. Our wait staff make between $16 and $21 per hour depending on age and experience. However, I always tip when in the United States because I basically think it is disgusting that their staff get paid so lowly. Restaurants have no motive to pay their staff better and make themselves uncompetitive in the market unless there is a law which stipulates that everyone should do so, so your arguments about restaurants having to pay people more is completely correct, but ultimately unhelpful, and if you had any real success in any real industry, you would understand this. American’s (as usual), are naive, self righteous morons who don’t realise how disgusting their system is, and how unfair it can be on those who are just trying to make ends meet or better their lives through education. Not everyone can be cashed up arseholes like you sir. There are 6 billion people on this planet and you add nothing positive to society with your attitude. Set an example. You don’t deserve the good fortune that you have somehow been graced to receive. By the way, I am not a waitress. Rather, I am a highly skilled professional, and yes, I agree, waiting tables is not a skilled job. However, this in no way entitles arseholes like you to treat people like dirt. It does take a certain amount of skill to have to deal with wankers such as yourself: a skill that you clearly don’t behold since you can’t even handle a little criticism on your so called article, without insinuating that people should suck your dick for a tip. You are a low life, you add absolutely nothing positive to this world with your disgusting approach. As such, an argument could me made which presumes your existence to be completely ineffectual: Ie: if you died, no one would notice.
Get off the bitter train and get a life.
Wow! Where else in your life do you deprive yourself and others Joy? hmmmm?
I just wasted a lot of time reading all these responses. I tried to make myself stop and yet I couldn’t look away. This is crazy. I can’t believe it’s that big of a deal to some people. It’s very simple. If you want or feel it’s deserved, leave a tip. If you don’t want to or don’t feel it’s deserved then don’t leave a tip. It’s no one’s business either way. Get over it. It’s not that deep, guys. I promise.
Haha! The writer of this article is hilarious! I’m a server, and trust me, I interact with you as least as possible. Agreed, I don’t want to be your best friend, or chit-chat with you either. My job simply is to serve you. And you know what, if you don’t tip me, so what? You’re not offending me. It’s part of my job, it happens. And how would I be able to spit in your food if you pay the bill at the end of your meal? Haha! Clearly you are just trying to get a reaction out of people, which obviously worked! But I do also feel, that if you don’t feel like tipping the customary percentage, then you should stick to your adored buffets. Or better yet, why not just order take-out? It’s customary for patrons at a sit down restaurant to tip not because of our hourly pay, but because we have to tip out on our sales at the end of the night. Again, understood, that was my decision to work somewhere that requires me to do that. But, if you order take-out, you don’t have to deal with a server, you still get your “gourmet” meal, and best of all, you don’t have to worry about spilling anything on your tie that you love so much!