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 use to be a waitress but have moved up in the job market. So, I’m a bit more picky if I leave a tip. If you took care of me like I took care of my customers when I was in this field you will receive a nice tip. If you have understood and been polite when I had a whining kid and did everything in your powers to make us feel welcomed. Big Tip at least 10%. I rarely have the money for 20%. If you roll your eyes, check your phone or not refill my drink in a timely manner no tip. It’s how you present yourself & making your customers feel welcomed. Sometimes, folks don’t have extra money for a tip but don’t be harsh on us we might be struggling like you and if I come in again & you waited on me last time & are still nice even if I didn’t tip last time I will make it up to and leave a tip. A lot of us are counting our pennies like you waitresses/waiters.
In reply to Private
I have plenty of money. I just simply refuse to tip. I’m in Vegas right now and just finished a $500 meal with four people. If you think I’m leaving 20% or $100 you’re dreaming. The only way I’ll tip the waitresses if she sucks my dick. That is the only thing she could do that would be worthy of a tip. She is there to serve my rich ass she might as well enjoy it.
In reply to Diamond Dave
I can’t believe people like you actually exist. No one deserves to be treated like a servant. Servers are just that, servers, NOT servants. I have worked my way up into management in the restaurant industry and if I heard a guest talk about my employees that way I would not only not fire them, but i would commend them for having the class and composure to keep themselves from royally kicking your ass. I can’t even get into the completely disrespectful comment you made about your server “servicing” you. I just want you to think about the possibility of you losing all of your money and, lo and behold, you had to become a server. Would you want to be treated like that?
The industry forces it’s waiters to tip the support staff: bussers, bartenders, hosts. At the end of my shift I have to pay my counterparts a percentage of my sales:
1% to hosts
3% to bussers
5% to bartenders
By NOT tipping your waiter, you basically fuck them over. If we didn’t get tipped out all day then we have to pay out of pocket.
And you can run your own fucking food, asshole. If you can’t afford to go out to diner go to Subway you cheap bitch.
You are a piece of shit! You don’t deserve to eat anywhere outside of fast food restaurants! Your cheap ass has obviously never busted your ass for 12 hrs or longer/per shift on your feet in continuous motion to please someone like yourself, only to not recieve a tip, make less than $3/hour & recieve a -$0 check because of douche bags like you, not to mention we are paying taxes on & going in the hole for your stupidity! Please just stick to what is obliviously within your “social standing” & your “means” & eat @ home or McDonald’s, as you are not advanced enough to understand basic economics!!! I’m astonished you haven’t died of food poisoning already! Moron! What exactly is it that you do for a living that you so high & mighty? Please share?
You are evil. But luckily, i believe in karma. It’s a bitch. We servers have been stiffed so many times by a certain demographic (yours) our boss now allows us to add an autogratuity. He also allows us to refuse you service. Don’t like tipping? eat at fast food places. If you don’t like our culture, why are you here? I have studied yours extensively amd accord respect. Please do the same for ours. And by the way, your actions create your future. Don’t be surised when you sit down and get ognored for 20 minutes. Go somewhere else. I work for 1/5 minimum wage, and lucky with tips, i have no health insurance, and depend on entitled jerks like you to make sure i can put food on table for my kids. Namaste. I hope i never have to wait on you. May you be reborn like the filth you are.
Money may not grow on trees, but you certainly can tip if you have a REAL job, not your joke “career” as a hack blogger. Maybe you can wait tables and start going somewhere in life.
In reply to Bill
Bill, I have a high paying real job in marketing. However I don’t pay real money to a loser of society waiter or waitress. First of all I don’t even consider this a real job. How embarrassing, an adult that fetches my food order from the kitchen, and refills drinks. I will never pay a person for doing her job. The little money a waitress makes is more money than she is worth without tips.
In reply to Jim
I am a former waiter and actually agree that restaurants should just pay their employees. However you are just a dick. If you don’t want to tip then go to places where you are not expected to tip. Or just order your food to go and save people from being around you.
In reply to nick
Why should anybody ever tip? If a waitress does not make the states minimum-wage the employer by law has to make up the difference!!! Minimum wage for a waitress is definitely over payment for such a pathetic job. These losers of society are such liars they always say they make two dollars an hour which is not true. They get the states minimum-wage no matter what. This is why I never ever tip. If you have the bright idea of giving me poor service the next time you see me. I will do everything in my power to have you fired. It’s not like you had to get a college degree to clean up after people.
In reply to Jane
It must be nice to be so amazing that you can look down on other people. Once again there are many places where a tip is not expected and you can always order your food to go and then save people the imsfortune of having to be around you.
In reply to Jane
You are an idiot and need to fact check before you post. Most waiters to do not make state minimum wage. I know for a fact that wages in many states hover around $2.13/hour. Waiters deserve every penny they a earn to deal with assholes such as yourself. Your attitude is disgusting.
In reply to Ron
If a tipped worker does not make federal minimum-wage. The employer must make up the difference. See waitresses are still overpaid no matter what. No reason to tip at all.
In reply to Ron
Hey Ron how is this for fact checking you retard. http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm
In reply to Ron
Are these people really this stupid. I can’t believe the ignorance of these morons. This is why the world is going to hell. People like them with obviously zero IQ. I couldn’t even begin to address their comments, because of how ridiculous they are. That’s why I just decided to reply to your post to vent. Ron what is going on in this world today that people like these actually get to breath the same air as you and me. It’s disgusting that some one would actually treat another human being like that. I almost can’t even believe what they are saying. They have to be internet trolls with no lives that live in their parents bedroom. Thank you for being the voice of reason. At least I can hold out some hope for the human race.
In reply to Jane
It’s a great way for someone to make it through college who didn’t have there parents to pay for it Jane. Can really help with not having the $50k plus in debt that I watched all my friends walk out of school with on their way to their big career where they are making $500 payments to Sallie. It’s also a great way of learning to deal with ignorant pricks (while keeping a smile on our face) like you that we will have to face once we get into our “real” jobs. Obviously none of the people commenting on being a server have ever worked in a restaurant. It takes coordination, organization, multi-tasking, because I’m dealing with 5-10 tables of people, a lot of them with your attitude, and I have to try and make all of you happy. If you don’t want to tip then move to Europe where it is built in all nice and tidy for you, where it is actually considered a profession by the way and they do make a good living out of it.
In reply to Jane
Ma’am, I live in the state of Ohio and worked in the food and beverage industry for years, mostly as a server. I made 2.13$ an hour. My employers did not have to, did not ever, nor were required to make up the difference in my wage to bring it up to minimum wage level. That is an absolute falsehood. The idea that servers aren’t educated is just asinine and remedial. During my time as server, I held a bachelor’s degree. My own sister has two BA’s and a master’s degree and has been unable to find a job in her field due to the economy yet she still has to survive in the meantime, she’s still serving. There is much more to serving than delivering food and “cleaning up after people”. It is a very challenging and stressful job. From what I see of your temperament and personality, you’d never survive a day of it. A little known fact is that servers have to pay taxes on their sales. That means if you come into a restaurant and I’m your server, I get taxed on my sales. I pay taxes on the price of your meal, so if you don’t tip, I have to pay out of my pocket for the meal you just ate and tip for. Get educated on what you’re blathering about.
In reply to Emily
You’re a retard in Ohio $8.10/ hour http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm. And full of shit. Also nobody is allowed to be taxed on sales if your waitress. Only on your wages and tips. Otherwise this is a felony. So stop with your uneducated bullshit.
In reply to Tax Guy
Actually, she’s half right. You pay federal and state taxes on your income, correct? So if you net say, $800/wk, you’re probably going to at least, only actually bring home $700, and that depends on dependants claimed as well. Servers have to pay taxes on money claimed, such as tips, etc. If they make $100/night, they’ve got to claim that. When I served, my paycheck was very small, due to taxes being taken out. $20 at most. All of my take home money was tips. To each their own on tipping. I always tip, but my tip very much depends on service, and there have been several times I’ve not tipped because of the waiter being rude or bad service.
In reply to Tax Guy
The uneducated one here is you sir. The federal government assumes that you make a certain percentage of your sales in tips. At the end of every shift, every server has to declare their tips. If you do not claim the percentage they expect you to make your paycheck/w-2 will contain an amount called unallocated tips. This is based on the difference of what you claim versus what they think you made. This is included as taxable income by the IRS. Also if you do not claim the proper percentage you can and will be audited where you have to prove that you waited on enough rude/ignorant people that you did not indeed make that amount of money. Please don’t call someone else uneducated if you have no idea how the system works.
In reply to shane
Shane, in the end you only pay taxes on your wages and tips. That is exactly how the system works you uneducated retard.
In reply to Jane
Wrong lady, its 2.13 a hour which we never see, I don¨t get a check period, and at tax time its a nightmare, we have to pay a whole yrs tax on the tips the computer says we made, It is totally based on our sales, the computer calculates 13% of our sales as the tips we made, so you see when people like you come in and run up a 100.00 bill, I have to not only tip out the hostess that sat you but the tax on the tip you did NOT leave, and the Bartender if you have a few drinks Apparently you would not be capable of doing such a Pathetic job, that includes math , multi-tasking, ect, ect..I have you know I started out as a seamstress but quickly realized I could make more as a waitress, and 32 yrs later I¨ve raised 2 children, bought a 175,000$ and several New cars, and am now retired and I am only 51. I was with my company for 18 years and was loved by my guests that came in just for me to wait on them.Many were from other Countrys such as Denmark,Paris, China and others because we have our International Furniture Market every Spring and Fall, they would call my cell phone to make sure I could take care of them instead of calling the house phone, I would be willing to bet this poor PATHETIC server made more money than you ever have, and am known and loved by 1000¨s all over this world, If you put on a apron and even attempted to do this job you wouldn¨t last a hour.And for you to call us Losers, well just look in the mirror!!
In reply to Jane
Jane, BC since about the 1800’s, its been an American tradition and unwritten rule that we’re supposed to tip. If you get bad service, don’t. But if good service, and you’re cheap BC you don’t agree with the state minimum wage rules on servers, don’t go out to eat. Order Togo, Chinese Food, grocery store, plenty other options. Save everyone’s time, and enjoy dinner with your cats tonight.
In reply to Jane
You are low life scum. Calling a waitress job “pathetic”. Sad, sad, sad. You don’t know their life. I am a waitress and I also go to college for radiology. You are completely ignorant. What makes you think you’re better than them? Disgusting piece of work, you’re no better than the dirt on my shoes.
In reply to Jane
Jim’s an asshole as well. Sounds like nobody has a “real job” unless they are in marketing…hahaha #loser
In reply to Jane
Losers of society? Most people I know who wait tables do so to work their way through college, to pay off debt, because they need the flexible schedule to take care of their kids or because they have other jobs. Don’t deserve a tip? People who work in hospitality put up with people all day long with your better than you attitude, your special requests i.e. It’s too cold turn up the heat or turn off the air, it’s too dark, the music is too loud, my kids are bored don’t you have crayons or something to keep them occupied, etc. Just bring you the food the kitchen prepares? Actually your server is back there fighting with the kitchen to get you the special order you requested. You totally bastardize the menu and then expect people who don’t know you, will never even see you and were taught a certain way to prepare a dish to care that you get the food the way you want it? Without servers you would never get what you want to eat in a restaurant. The kitchen is the natural enemy of the general public. It is a server’s job to translate your order in a way that they can get it from the kitchen without you even knowing that they were berated, cussed at and sometimes reduced to tears just to get your food.
The self righteous, sanctimonious, better than everyone people who agree with this post should remember the golden rule. No one is beneath you because of their station in life or their profession.
In reply to Jim
Our trash selves?! haha. People like you Jim, are the trash of the world. You need to just eat at home. Save yourself the time, and everyone else’s.
Calling people working, making money (as you obviously think we don’t), and raising a family well, and going to school at the same time, you have low moral standards sir.
No questions about it.
Keep calling us “losers of society.”. Enjoy your high end marketing job, and hope you never have another enjoyable visit to a restaurant. If you walked in, I’m smart enough to realize you think the world revolves around you.. And will make your visit sh*t without you knowing. Even if you do, I’m smart enough to not get in trouble over it.
It’s been fun Jim. Enjoy your perfect life, while I, a so-called loser of society, also enjoys mine. I will do just fine in life. You morally unethical pos. Take care.
In reply to Jim
Jim,
Have you ever thought that maybe your adult waitress/waiter is a recent college grad with two degrees- maybe even in your field? Clearly you haven’t been exposed to the entry-level job market lately, but I can tell you from personal experience that cheap-ass companies like the one you most likely work for pay entry-level employees barely above minimum wage. When your massive amounts of student loans are due, you take the job that pays best to avoid wrecking your credit. No, I don’t want to be a waitress and deal with assholes all day, but experience in a relevant field is hard to come by. Maybe before being so judgmental, you could get off your high horse and take a walk in someone else’s shoes.
And for those who don’t want to tip- don’t eat at restaurants. Cook for yourself or eat fast food.
In reply to Jim
Jim, I have worked my way through a company and found from $10 an hour to serving I make more money serving. I am a college student paying in full for my schooling. I am in school so I can one day have a high paying job. Not everything in life has been handed to me. You are also probably the person that needs a million extra items and expects them for free. You may be the person who is upset when we don’t refill your drink fast enough. Why go out to eat? Why not prepare and serve your own food.
I am nice and courteous to all of my tables because I was raised to be polite to people. I enjoy building rapport with people.
The service industry is tough but it pays my rent, car payments, insurance, and school. So while us servers busy our butts to give you excellent service, and you leave us nothing…you’re taking away more than you know. If I was stiffed every time I have a table I would not be in school trying to further my education.
Think about who you are hurting next time by not tipping when eating out.
In reply to Kate
So you want me to feel sorry for you because you have an unskilled minimum-wage job. So you want me to pay you extra money because you are a conveyor belt from the kitchen to my table. Kiss my ass douche bag, you are worth nothing extra. All you dumbasses that claim you have bachelors and Masters degrees probably got it in a worthless field. Or your grades were crap. I graduated with a masters degree in pharmaceuticals and my starting pay was six figures you losers. I’m going to make your ass wait on me hand and foot. Trust me if you give me any disrespect you will not have a job the next day. Waitresses and waiters are losers of society. The person that said that hit the nail on the head. Now that I know you’ll make minimum-wage without tips screw you.
In reply to Dino
Dino,
I think you missed the part where I said I am currently in college. CURRENTLY. Paying my way through. Also my company goes by a weekly basis to match minimum. If I make 100 on day and ten the next they count everything together and won’t pay minimum wage. So there’s also that. People like you have karma coming your way “douchebag”.
In reply to Jim
I’m not going to rebuttal. I’m just going to call you a cunt. As a Therapist who worked her way through school waiting tables, I can tell you that this anger comes internally from having a tiny package.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion whether it’s right or wrong. In this case it’s wrong, in my opinion! Sure it would be nice to get paid the same hourly rate as a “non-tipped” employee, but how can we blame the employers when the job position of a server has ALWAYS been a base pay + tips position?? If you go to a sit-down restaurant for different food variety than the typical fast food menu, then you ARE technically paying for the experience, and your server is who makes or breaks that experience (and the majority appreciate that experience as well as the small talk and us making them feel like they matter). If you think the food is all you should be expected to pay for, then pick up that car side to go menu and have your experience in your car or in your home. While tips are nice for those working the “to go” aspect of a restaurant, they are a bonus since “to go” employees are actually paid minimum wage. Maybe if you go into a place and have only one beverage for the entire duration of your stay and you order a generic dish that’s simple and not in need of any modifications, you could get away with justifying your ignorance on not leaving a tip, but what about those patrons who suck down a drink every 5 minutes and who are so particular about their food and how it’s prepared, cooked, and presented that it’s basically a short story that’s sent back to the kitchen on that said computer? Servers may not cook or invent the food, but if we do our job well we make sure it gets to you the way you ordered it because, news flash, THE COOKS DONT CARE…75% of them don’t even speak fluent English and, trust me, your food RARELY gets put under that heat lamp the way it was submitted to them. I could go on and on and on about all that us servers do…in short, our job is to care about YOU and make sure YOU have a good meal and are taken care of. But hey, it’s obvious that the author of this article doesn’t care about the server (and sadly there are plenty of others who follow suit in this opinion), so hopefully the server will pick up on this indifference and not care either. You can have your food come out wrong and/or cold, have your empty glass sit there in front of you as you choke on that steak that came out well done when you asked for medium, missing those sautéed onions on top that you specifically asked for next to that plain baked potato that you ordered as loaded…and you can try complaining and sending it back, but see if we REALLY care. I bet we don’t. And I guarantee you, we will still have our job tomorrow even when the manager assures you that he will “take care of everything.” To be completely honest, I could have skipped all this and just said “karma’s a bitch,” because you, sir, are most assuredly on karma’s waiting list and I don’t mean the good karma.
In reply to Lisa
Lisa you described exactly what happened to me at Ruth Chris steakhouse. You guessed it I don’t tip. So let me tell you what happens in the real world. The waitress was fired, and my meal was free including dessert. I also got a $200 gift card to come back. I am a paying customer. You’re just a little low life waitress. The restaurant needs customers to survive. They don’t need unskilled waitresses with an attitude. Good luck collecting unemployment.
In reply to Francis
Francis,
Cute story. Now here’s my take:
My “low life” server self probably makes more than your trash ass. I’ve servers for 8 years.. I can just picture you complaining about your meal being: 1) too small, 2) not hot enough, and 3) doesn’t look like the picture. You know how much as a good server I care about you complaining about evey little thing? None, zip, Nada, squatch, zero, and any other synonym of go *uck yourself. And as a good server. Even if you complain, I make your visit horrible without being able to get in trouble.
I hope when you go to Ruth Chris’ with your $200 gift card, they remember you and treat you like the cheap ass you are, and your bisit nakes you never come back. Save your time, go to McDonalds, where you probably work, anf go feed your welfare6 children. Enjoy your high end lifestyle, while I also enjoy my life, which is getting better in everything I do.. Which includes not being a little bitch every time I go out to eat!
Now to watch my nice TV, play on my laptop doing school, and take care of things I can do being a server. Which, unlike you think, is quite a bit!! I do just fine without worrying if you’re going to tip me..
Eat at home Francis. Good talk. Keep it real. Hope to hear back.
In reply to Adam
Ha Adam, can you believe how retarded this person is. I can picture this person in my head right now, the low life piece of crap people that come in and complain about EVERYTHING because they’re to fucking broke to pay for their food. Ha. Believe me Francis, we have a ton of people like you and I hope you do not dine in at the same place alot because after waiting 45 minutes for everything and not getting good service. You’ll see how much you need our “low life” asses. Your a pathetic excuse as a human and believe me when I say you should keep your money, we don’t need it we probably make more then you, and honestly you sound like you need it way more then we do anyways.
In reply to Francis
Francis,
You are so full of shit that you got a 200 dollar gift card l. I highly fucking doubt that. Your probably one of the piece of shit people that will complain about anything to get your meal free. And if the waiter/waitress was fired they probably did something or told you something that you actually deserved. Just stay at home and eat McDonald’s or taco bell . Society does not need a low life bastard like yourself. Do everyone the favor please. Your stupidity is unbelievable.
In reply to Francis
Apparently Frances thinks that not keeping a glass full and food coming out cold and/or wrong is grounds for firing. Ignorance is bliss. See you tomorrow, Frances…and the day after that…and the day after that…and so on and so forth.
This whole post and these comments give me so little hope for humanity. I own a restaurant. I pay my people way over minimum wage. I feed the homeless with my left overs. I help people in anyway I can. In no way am I a bleeding heart. I believe that people deserve what they work for. I tip over 30 percent when I go out. I don’t feel I am above anyone. I would tell you assholes with a smile on my face to get fucked. My employees would do the same. If you don’t put money in my hand instead of on the counter or throwing it at me or one of my people it will be handed back to you the way it should have been handed to me and you will be told to have a nice day. You can whine, complain, threaten, and call the bbb all you want. You act like trash you get treated like trash reguardless of how you may feel about yourself. At the end of the day you will be nothing but sad and lonely with people you pay for affection. Get right.
Im a server. I average 30-35 dollars an hour. It’s funny that I can count on 1 hand how many times I’ve been “stiffed” on a tip. Keep your money. You obviously need it more than I do. Oh and I only work about 4-5 hours a day 5 days a week and I live very comfortably. And I do claim 100% of my tips. I paid in to the government on my taxes this year. It’s annoying when servers complain about not making money.
I actually get it. You don’t want to subsidize the employer by paying the waiters salary instead of the said employer. The short answer is that no matter where you go you are paying the staff’s salary.
If tipping were made illegal and restaurant owners were forced to pay their workers a livable wage, what would happen? It could go one of two ways, waiters could get paid a flat hourly rate or (which I think is more likely) waiters would get a 19% commission on anything they sell. That commission, of course, will be added to your check and you will pay it at the end of your meal. The increase in hourly wage would mean an across the board increase in prices and you will still end up paying the waiters salary.
In both cases the quality of the service that you receive will decline. It is the freedom to tip what you deem as fair that keeps service standards high. Under the current system, if you don’t get good service you don’t have to pay for it.
Under the other two systems you don’t have a choice. Which system sounds better to you?
I’m pretty sure this post is completely sarcastic based on language or just a successful attempt at getting us to visit clickbait! If they are serious, whatever, we know not so intelligent people like this exist anyway this one just happens to have a blog.