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.
What’s really funny is the people who slave in the hot Kitchen all day ( line cooks etc ) make a fraction of what waiters and waitresses do.
I use to work for East side’s and was the pizza and bread guy. Each week i would get my tip out for 35 hours which was about $25
So I made my ten bucks an hour x 35 ( $350 ) and got $25 in tips for a total of $375
Now the server on the other hand also puts in his or her 35 hours in. How much do you think they leave with at the end of the week ? I’ll give you a hint….The kitchen staff could buy themselves a nice new CD while the servers can go buy a brand new sound system !!
I have friends who are servers. They brag about their $200 tip nights and you just know they aint claiming that extra cash.
So should you tip? Yes. Should it be 20% – Nope
I dont mind tipping for good service but I’m not gonna break the bank to do so while theirs gets bigger.
In reply to chris
Dude you should feel stupid if you tip The waitress makes minimum-wage with or without tips it’s the law. I don’t tip and I have nothing to feel guilty about. I think it’s unfair to the waitresses employer that she is entitled to minimum-wage. For a job this simple two dollars an hour is more than enough. Last time I went out to eat the waitress asked me why I didn’t tip her? I asked her, what did you do that was worthy of a tip? She said I brought you your food and refilled your drinks. I told her that’s your job stupid. Then I said get out of my face you dumb bitch
You are a fucking jerk, i hope you go to a restaurant you frequent often and they know you do not tip, choke on your food and fucking die…
The author of this article is either 1) 400lbs 2) a rich little bitch that has never worked a real job in his life or 3) just trying to piss people off. Or a combination of all three. Regardless, he’s a miserable piece of shit. This is the only way he can spread his misery, because nobody in his real life gives two fucks about what he has to say. I have more education than he does and make more money than him as a server!! Sorry I’m not sorry that your reality sucks, bud.
In reply to Jenna
First of all being a waitress is not a real job. It is a last resort when you fuck up your life. I laugh hard when you tell us you make so much money. We all know you’re on welfare collect food stamps have three kids by three different fathers and have bills piling up because you’re a loser
All I have to say is, you’re a straight up ASS HOLE and I hope someone spits in your food and gives you a nice decease…. That’s all!
If you think restaurants should pay workers minimum wage, then stop voting with your money. Every time you eat at a restaurant that doesn’t pay it’s workers minimum wage, you are voting in support of tipping to make up the gap. By eating at those establishments you are agreeing that the pay system is appropriate, you are agreeing to tip. Furthermore, if you think minimum wage is enough to make it in the world, talk to some folks who work at McDonald’s or Wal-Mart. Spoiler alert, most are on some form of state aid, health care, food stamps, welfare… And you’re right, it’s not ‘your problem’. But, if you expanded your brain and sat in some mindful meditation for a while I know you’d realize we’re all in this together, we are all one, party of this organism called the earth. It can’t get better unless we start helping each other and having compassion. Based on all the negativity in your blog; I don’t like this, I won’t do that, this annoys me, etc. You need to do some serious self reflection, it’s clear you’re not happy. But you don’t have to be this way, you can choose happiness. When you’re ready, the universe will supply you will the help you need. Until then the same lessons will continually emerge and the same things will keep irritating you. News flash, it’s not them, it’s you. It’s your reaction that upsets you, not the person or event you are upset about. Think that’s bullshit? Then how in the world can 2 different people have completely different reactions to the same thing? An example: traffic jam- one person is irritated and it ruins their whole day, another person could be grateful, using the time to take in music, the life around them, maybe call a loved one and catch up. It’s all in your perception. You are angry, and all you get in life is more stuff to piss you off. For your sake, look inside yourself, why are you like this? Forgive yourself, forgive others, let it go and learn to appreciate the goodness in life. The only person that can help you is you.
In reply to Joelle
Waiting tables is such a pathetic job, minimum wage would be overpayment. I don’t even look at the waitress when she takes my order because she is beneath me. It is an honor for her to wait on me hand and foot.
In reply to Dora
Ok. I used to wait tables and bartend and make fat cash. Like 400 dollars on a ten hour shift on a tuesday. Fat stacks. I worked hard for my money. Anyone who disagrees has their own set of problems and has never sweat until 330 in the morning. But yea it was great and you can continue to be jealous of my boner.I was appreciated by 99 percent of my guests and the other 1 percent were the ignorant trash thst decided tipping was for the birds. Eat at home then if youre so god damn good at this shit. Tip or don’t tip, either way this service industry is still going to have more fun, make more money and still spit in your fucking food. Have a great day and come back and see me!
In reply to Dora
I’ve made $68,000 this past year serving tables; more than most positions that require a college degree. I have paid off the entirety of my student loans with this PART time job serving tables, so there is zero shame coming from me for working in this industry. Please, keep patronizing restaurants, because servers can sense those who are “better” than us and we have VERY special ways to honors those like yourself… ;)
In reply to Elizabeth
I used to always tip. Now that I know you make so much money I will never tip again. I only make $125,00 a year and I have a Masters degree. Guess you don’t need tips.
In reply to Dora
Beneath you asshole someone has to feed people, screw you and your a jackass for even saying thatplease tell me you will go to my work and let me wait on you, I guarantee you will be waiting on me by the end or you will be known for the loser who is a pig….I promise I will change your life,,,have you ever taken into consideration that some people actually enjoy their job and make more money and people with masters or bachelors degrees do???so with that said please come into my work and ask for Carrie I will make sure you look like a complete and utterate lose,
In reply to Dora
you ignorant for even saying something like that,I’m sorry you are such a miserable cheap and disrespectful person therefore you should go to the grocery store and eat at home,how dare you try to judge people and you don’t know the stories but I’ve got your story,why don’t you go ahead and get yourself on a plane come see me in Michigan and I’ll show you how ignorant can be..
In reply to Dora
WOW. Beneath you, really?. Yeah well little lady here is the deal seeing that you have no clue what it is like to be a SERVER. $ 2.13 an hour is a federal wage for a SERVER and hasn’t changed in oh 20 years if that and just remember that when you don’t TIP and yeah we DON”T EXPECT IT, we are still taking your BILL and ADDING it too our TOTAL END OF SALES and WE TIP OUT THE BAR< THE WATER BOY AND THE BUSSERS FROM ALL THOSE TIPS WE DIDN"T MAKE REGUARDLESS!!! You try waiting on 25 to 30 people at one time, yeah we don't have time to wait on you hand and foot because we see your type of attitudes all day so why waste our time doing so but we do our best to TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE IN A TIMELY AND CURTIOUS MANNER. Don't get mad at me cause your food in not there when YOU want it, It is being COOKED in order of ALL THE TICKETS that are on that CHIT in the Kitchen (and chefs and cooks running around like crazy to MAKE IT HAPPEN) SO YOU GET……..the HAND AND FOOT TREATMENT..
I have been in a corporate environment working my butt off on that 9-5 and have a College Degree!!! but guess what?. I make more money in one day than I could sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen and frankly love meeting new people and taking care of MY REGULAR GUEST WHO COME TO SEE ME………CAUSE I TAKE CARE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!. I wonder if you can say you made $5,000 in one week of work, I can and work in a 5 Star Restaurant.
So I will see someone today just like you are and go, well not too worry, I didn't need your TIP anyway but will serve you will a smile and tell you to have a nice day and please come dine with us again.!!
In reply to Pat
I hope you report all your income for tax reasons……….Most in your industry do not. Fuck yourself you clown.
In reply to Pat
If your hourly wage is $2.13 an hour you are overpaid by $1.13 per hour. All you do is walk 30 feet from the kitchen to my table and put my food down. You are nothing special, in fact have some pride and get a real job. Since you have no useful skills or education we all know that will never happen. Since you are already overpaid no tips are necessary. It would just be foolish to tip you anyways. If I wanted to waste my money it would be easier to just flush it down the toilet. Because tipping you is no different.
In reply to Dora
If you don’t want the server to go out of their way and make tons of trips to make sure your dining experience is great and then don’t wanna tip on top of that, then how about you keep your trashy self out of restaurants and go eat mcdonalds or learn how to cook your own damn self. Servers bust their ass probably more than you do. So at least show some appreciation and tip them. They technically pay taxes to Serve you anyways.
In reply to Dora
Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before the fall. Proverbs 16:18
Look here, slick. I’m not going to force you to tip anyone, but if you are going to be nothing but an arrogant little tramp, then you can take your business and stick it where the sun don’t shine.
Just imagine with me for a minute. Say you are living the dream job, in the perfect relationship (which there is none, mind you) and the perfect house. Imagine if all those things get taken away from you, and you end up being homeless, living on the street, having to dumpster dive just to get a bite to eat. The only job available for you is serving and bussing tables at a local restaurant. Would you be saying the same thing you are now? Or would you rather starve because you don’t have the dignity or decency to get off your high horse and start doing some menial work.
I can smell your stink a mile away. Nobody likes a stuck up little prick like you. Good day to you.
In reply to Dora
I agree with you very much. The waitstaff to me is lower in society than whale shit on the ocean floor. For an adult to do this profession to me proves how badly they fucked up their life. A person that does this for a living has no pride skills or future. I don’t took worthless people like this they don’t deserve it.
In reply to Gretchen
How dare you?! Some people, much like myself, chose this as a means to make ends meet. I have a law degree and a bar membership, and I current practice as an Assistant State’s Attorney. Because I chose to better myself and pursue my dream of being a lawyer, I incurred a large student debt. I also chose not to burden my parents or others with that. So I not only work full time as a prosecutor, but I wait tables as a way to bring in some extra cash. Before you judge so hastily, maybe you should evaluate and consider all the circumstances.
I will not apologize for my choice and for being independent and responsible. I hardly consider that “fucking up my life”. I love being a prosecutor! I wouldn’t trade it for the world! It is worth all of the schooling and every penny of debt I have amassed. And I also love meeting new people through my work as a waitress.
You should be ashamed of yourself. I certainly hope that you are never placed in the position in which you have to decide if you and/or your family will go hungry or without, because of your arrogance and stupidity, or if you will humble yourself and do what is necessary to survive…as I fear I already know which path you will take. I pray for you and those who have to deal with you on a daily basis. God bless their souls.
In reply to Dora
Servers and bartenders remember and make note of people who treat them like shit. For whatever reason you think you have more class than a server, you clearly have none. You are an arrogant, narcissistic , sorry- assed excuse for a human being that has the same false sense of entitlement you claim servers have. Whats worse, is you obviously have never held the job you claim is irrelevent. Who are you to judge anyone or how much they should make? Sounds to me like you’re just unhappy with your own life and need someone to take it out on. This tripey, self-centered, me-first article was just what you needed to make yourself feel better about being an unlikeable prick. And number 3 really does happen, not for blackmail reasons, for paybacks a bitch reasons. And its not just spit either. If this is the attitude you display whenever you go out to eat, you’ve probably ingested all types of things. Heres hoping someone with herpes spreads his seed in your mayonnaise.
In reply to joe
Servers and bartenders have a false sense of entitlement. A monkey that walks from the kitchen to a table with food in their arms, and the other one opens up a beer bottle. I’m not going to tip you for popping the bottle top off my Franziskaner, or bringing me my food that I paid for. You are a loser of society. Let’s see the bartender is probably a drug addict, and the waitress has four kids by four different fathers, and is unmarried.
In reply to Jill
I waitressed while I was in school and a couole months after And you think “I’m below you”. Lol you ignorant mother fucker. I’m an RN with a 4 year degree and I’m only 23. Or the waitress can be the nurse taking care of you at a hospital when u get sick or old :)
In reply to Jill
… what about college kids… who are in school waiting to get a degree so they can get a better job…? They’re automatically drug addicts and whores because they need to make money until they can get a better job? You better check yourself. It must suck being such a miserable prick. Since we’re stereotyping… Did your wife cheat on you? Are you over weight and or prematurely balding? You have what I like to call “little dick syndrome” buddy. And I feel sorry for you. You don’t know everyone’s story and I just hope some day you become a better, happier person.
In reply to Jill
Do you honestly think you’re the only one that he or she serves? You need to get off your fucking high horse because I think your head might be at an odd angle with it shoved so far up your own ass. And if you seriously think that all waitressing is , is walking food out? You couldn’t be more wrong. The amount of shit I went through while working in the service industry was amazing. We’ve all come across fucks like you. Entitled, treating us like you’re better as you eat in a fucking Dennys! You are not classy. Most people have the job because they need it and it can make them enough money to survive. Not that you’d understand.
I’m going into my second year of schooling. There are not many places that’ll hire you without a degree, so excuse me as I earn my degree while paying my own way. Service workers do so much. How about you try taking care of hundreds of people with only five waitresses, a host, two bussers, and about three in the kitchen. That’s 11. Eleven people taking care of assholes like you. We had people who weren’t counted as tables because they never tipped. We live off of this.
taking up your “suggestion”, who would serve your ignorant ass, cook for you, clean up after you? No one because everyone would “get a real job”. Jobs in any form of service, retail or restaurant, are harder than any 9-5 cushy office job. Some of us actually do real work to take care of entitled assholes like you.
So, congratulations! You’ve managed to pissed me off. I wonder how many times you’ve left someone short on a bill because you can’t see the real world through the fogged up sense of entitlement blocking your view.
In reply to Dora
Are you kidding me ??? What do you do for a living honey that makes you so important ? You have no idea about the waitress or waiters outside life . And what kind of job did you have growing up ?? Every one starts some where I waitress like my life while I was in school now I have my MBA and a bachelor in accounting and now I own my own restaurant witch has been Michigan best for over 6 years now . So please don’t judge other people you have no Idea about them
In reply to Dora
No one should ever have to wait on you. You’re a pathetic excuse of a person and have no grasp on reality or appreciation. I hope someone shits in your soup! Stay at home for all meals please. It would be best for human kind.
In reply to Dora
Dora, God help your soul. Sincerely the college student serving your pretentious attitude with great obedience.
In reply to Dora
That is the most egotistical, ignorante response I have ever heard. Don’t knock something until you have had the job yourself.
Also you are the reason why people spit in food, because you lack one simple human characteristic, Dignity.
I say your parents have failed as a whole.
Please spare us all by never going out to eat and staying inside.
In reply to Joelle
Anyone who treats people like they’re beneath them and takes the time to write an article online rationalizing their behavior and attitude, is probably a huge dick. He’s probably a dick to his own mother, not just the waitstaff at a restaurant. My advice is, if you decide right off the bat that a waiter doesn’t deserve your gratitude, don’t expect the waiter to earn it. Stick to the buffets. If you’re a server and you’re reading this article and you’re getting pissed off, remember, people like this come in once in a blue moon compared to the cool customers. You just give your good service to the people who do want to treat you like a human being and are happy with your service.
Assholes like this are the people who I actively try to keep from coming in again. No refills, ignore every little question or gesture, adjust the POS so that there’s a bad word on their bill, even crop dust their table. I’ll bring out everyone else’s food in my section until the asshole has been waiting for 30 minutes, watching people who were sat 15 minutes ago dive into their hot plates of food almost immediately, then I bring out his/her cold food then ignore them. The best part is when they complain, my manager is like, “was that the Asshole? Yeah he’s not coming back. Good job.”
Fuck this guy. Spit in his food just cause lol
I used to wait tables. I was the only male waiter where I worked. I didn’t ask for anything extra (tip), complain about not getting tiped, nor did I ever expect getting tiped. Getting a tip was nice, but what rattled me is that half the time I waited on a customer and they tell me if you were a girl I would have tipped you. I am a cut-n-dry person, I don’t go out of my way to kiss ass. The other half of the time when I did get a tip it was for my service being great. Even been told that I ran circles around all the girls. The problem was having some asshole that went out to eat to check out a nice piece of ass or a good rack. None the less I have never treated a customer that I knew was a non-tipper differently from a customer that would throw a lavish tip my way. I was never over friendly or trying to chase a tip. Now, the point at which I would refuse to serve a customer if they were like Dora closer to the top of the comments. Knowing what she thinks great bothers me and if I was treated that way by any customer not only would I refuse them service, but when I have to go tell my boss the reason for my refusal he wouldn’t allow anyone to serve them at all. Narcissistic people like that are usually depressed, lonely, or have mommie daddy problems. Like I said up top I can give a shit less about a tip, but respect is the best tip I can get.
Here’s a tip: Get a real job.
Waiting tables is a job that ANYONE can do. Don’t think you make enough money? Then, quit! Five other undereducated, lowlife slobs are lined up to take your place. Do you not understand that the entirety of your job is to pick up food, walk 20 feet, put down food?! You unskilled laborers have serious delusions of grandeur if you think that I should just GIVE you extra money for nothing. I will be perfectly happy to walk to the kitchen, pick up my own food and bring it to the table. A waiter is nothing more than an unnecessary middle (wo)man. It’s time for waiters to go the same way as the dinosaur and the grocery store bagboy.
In reply to Righteous
You are awesome. I want waiters to be eliminated just like bag boys have been in grocery stores. The waiter is an unnecessary piece of crap that just messes up the order anyways. When I go out to eat I just want food, I don’t want my ass kissed. I have a Dog that does this without asking for a tip. Makes me laugh these people think they’re so special, when they are nothing but an uneducated conveyor belt. I refuse to tip an unnecessary middleman.
In reply to Fredrico
Does somebody pay you both to be stupid or does it just come naturally? Servers are the customer service representatives of the restaurant industry. I would think that even the dumbest of individuals could figure that out. It’s really not that hard kids, use your brains.
P.S. I am not, nor have I ever been a server.
The writer of this article and the non-tippers are nothing more than self-absorbed jerks who wrap up their misery in a philosophy to try and sound intelligent.
You may think you are being non-conformists and standing up for your beliefs, but you are simply miserable people who hate everyone else. My sympathies to your friends and families because I am sure your selfishness extends to those areas of your lives.
There is no shame in waiting tables. People who wait tables do not need to justify their career paths to anyone. If servers are nice to you, it does not necessarily mean it’s only for the tip. Maybe they like their jobs, their lives, and other people. Would you prefer they scowl, curse at you, and throw your meal to you from across the room? Would that be honest enough? The only reason for not tipping is when a server provides poor service and/or is purposefully rude to you.
Finally, you servers should give the same level of service no matter what. Are the non-tippers considered assholes? Absolutely. However, if you spit in their food or fail to provide a certain level of service because they did not tip you, then you are part of the problem. You provide the same service because it is the right thing to do and called being a professional. It may not be fun, but it comes with the job.
There will always be rude people. The worst thing you can do is let their rudeness change the way you do your job or respond to the world.
Work hard, enjoy your job, enjoy your life, and ignore these self-entitled assholes.
Don’t get mad at them, pity them . . .
Bottom line it is not an obligation to tip anyone. A tip is a payment from the customer directly to the server for good, quality service, it is not required, or it would be included in the price of food. I tip often, but there are many times I don’t, it depends on the attitude and service of the waitress/waiter. If you don’t keep my drink filled and get my order right I am not going to reward you with a tip. While I understand this may anger some, it is the reality of the situation. If your a shitty server there is absolutely no justification for you to get a “tip”.