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.
They work a job that pays more than min wage. Whether patrons are their “employers” or not, or whatever your little baghwaD “philosophy” is, it doesn’t matter, it’s irrelevant. People who are waiters just happened to find a life hack, that can pay them comparably to some other higher end jobs. And since it’s customary you’re stupid liberal ass is kind of stuck. I know you tip, because you’re pressured to and until I see you’re goofy round melon head on TV causing a ruckus in a restaurant because you don’t want to tip, I’ll continue to believe what I know is right: you being full of SHIT.
In reply to never was a min wage job always more
Customary doesn’t mean correct. The concept of tipping began simply so restaurant owners could keep the place open by not paying their workers minimum wage.
By law they now must.
A lot of people don’t tip. Only a few severely entitled babies whine about it.
Waiters and waitresses were never meant to make what they do in tips. Hell, they were never meant to even be expected. They were meant to be earned.
I think the worst part is that all they are doing is carrying the food. Honestly, I’d go get my own food if I could. They let you at buffets, but I can’t in a “normal” restaurant. Basically they are FORCING us to allow somebody else carry our food, then we are expected to pay this person a percentage of what we pay for the food (despite the fact that this in no way indicates that their “job” was any more difficult).
I am paying the restaurant to MAKE my food. Why should I pay the person /they/ hired to carry my plate when they won’t let me?
We need automats back.
In reply to Walking
To me they are nothing more than simple conveyor belts. Any adult that waits tables should be ashamed of himself. A $10 glass of wine or a $100 bottle. I find it ridiculous the tip is based on a percentage of the bill.
I tip nothing because their services are worth nothing. It is called doing your job.
I am a Thai a waiter who work in a nice Thai restaurant in a upscale location .Soon This place going to close down because it starting to fill up with Indian customers each day.
Let me just say it is a very insulting when you come to enjoy good food , good atmophere and leave bad tip for your server.
Restaurant is not a dumpster with rat server that serves rat customer,If you are a human being please tip your server 18-20% .By the way its not ok to tip like Indians if you want to save that money I suggest you to learn to cook Thai food yourself.Thai Restaurant is not where you go place food order and you pick up your food tray and you go sit yourself.
You drink you eat and you enjoy life.If you know you are cheap with poor dine out mentallity then order yourself some take out or take home.
This place going to close down because Thai Chef can’t stand
stupid mentallity of cheap Indians . All good servers start to leave beacuse all the skills of foods and drinks are not worth to use for Indian customers.
In reply to Thai
Me just simple Thai waiter that serves dog to poor illegal Thai customers. Rich Americans with big dicks no tip me because my dick so small.
In reply to Me so poor
I am not simple, you stupid 6 years old child.
Any American can tip really well in general.I tip like them when dine out because I know how to enjoy my life with good food, good atmophere and good server.
I can tell when I see good server, you don’t.
I don’t just think I will consume just food when I go eat in one really good restaurant but I consume happiness.
Only you walk in there like a pig , eat like a pig , think
like a pig. “FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! Oh I am eating , why do I have this guy comes near me on and off…so anoying !
OH ,it’s my server, oh he’s going to take my food l rather eat faster, go away you servers..chew!!Oh, now l am so full and I am not going to tip him because I just poop on my seat .
I know who you are , dumb wit.
SUCK TO BE YOU.
In reply to Thai
And see you no more because I have a better life .
In reply to Thai
BY THE WAY,
MY FIRST COMMENT WAS MEANT FOR ALL CHEAP POOR DINE OUT MENTALLITY OF Indians.
WOW, you’re a dick! It’s people like you that restaurant employees DREAD. If you don’t want to talk to your server or bartender, then stay the fuck home and make yourself dinner. Serving assholes like YOU all day is the reason servers/bartenders deserve every drop of money that goes into their pockets. It’s hard, often dehumanizing, work. I sure hope you never walk into my restaurant.
In reply to restaurantmanager
The hired help is not supposed to speak with the wealthy clientele. You are beneath me. The waiter and or bartender is not worthy of conversation. Just bring me my food and drinks without speaking unless spoken to.
In reply to Mr, Steinberg
I belive that most people here are talking about unwealthy customers with poor mentallity, sir.
WOW, you’re a dick! If you don’t want to go out and have an experience and talk to your server or bartender, and appreciate them and the hard dehumanizing work they are doing FOR YOU, then PLEASE stay the fuck home and make yourself dinner. Trust me, there are plenty of people who come out to eat who are lovely and pay their bill AND leave a tip. We CERTAINLY don’t need assholes like you to come out to our restaurants. We will be fine without you, as much as you seemingly think otherwise. I sure hope you never walk into my fucking restaurant. People who wait tables are generally making more money than everyone else, so maybe you’re jealous? Not sure. But I am sure that you’re awful.
In reply to restaurantmanager
Your restaurant is a shit hole that has been closed down by the health department. You’re jealous I can afford to dine in nice places. The waiter is beneath me, and not important to me. I will not have a conversation with him because he is just a boy that brings my food from the kitchen to the table.
In reply to restaurantmanager
Nobody want to talk to dumb waiter or bartender. Rich Americans with big dicks want only food. No talk to bartender or waiter. Not
Important enough for rich American to be bothered. Only want food. That why it called restaurant. Only talk to waiter for food. Bartender only for drink.
Why the fuck people tip is beyond my comprehension.
If you’re at a restaurant/eating out and someone brings you your food and at the end of the meal you owe them $30, then why would you tip them $10 just for carrying a plate of food back and forth. At the end of the meal it makes no difference whatsoever if you give them that extra money.
A waiter will get at least minimum wage no matter what because even if their base rate is below minimum wage their employer has to by law make up the money. They do not deserve some stupidly high pay for their menial work.
Why do idiot waiters expect 15-20% tip no matter how large the bill is? If I order food that costs $1000, why should a waiter expect $200 for the same amount of work as if I had ordered a $5 sandwich? It’s carrying a plate of food ten feet to a table, a monkey can be trained to do it, and they do not deserve wages higher than people who were smart enough to graduate high school and not do some dumbass work.
Waiters are slaves. You make a living waiting on other people bringing them food and drink. Its been around for thousands of years except back then you were rewarded with your life and punished with lashes or death. Waiters are modern day servants.
Why the fuck people tip ?
I don’t know , maybe some people feel happy and thankful
when they come out and eat in the place that they don’t have to pick up their food themselve and go sit their asses down
at a long table , like in prison.
Or maybe it is a good feeling to have someone providing you a service while you getting food to eat, I mean from the moment you step in ,there will be a actuall humen being to
make you feel comfotable and convenience at a higher level.
It’s up to you to tip customary or not, you just have to know that you are not a bump who just happen to walk in a too damn good restaurant and thinking you are recieving service for free.
In reply to Narrow perspective
When I dine at an upscale restaurant, the waiter is paid minimum-wage by his employer to bring me the food. This is not a service worth extra money. Being a conveyor belt a.k.a. waiter is a simple unskilled job a high school dropout is able to do.
It is not my problem or concern if this flunky is not able to pay his or her bills. Furthermore, I will not tip this loser of society any money for doing his job. Minimum wage is more than fair compensation.
The Mexican woman that scrubs my toilets is more skilled than the monkey waiter that fetches food from the kitchen to the table. Low intelligence and low self-esteem are the only requirements for being a waiter or waitress.
In reply to Mr. Steinberg
You are right but a Mexican lady that scubs your toilet doesn’t have what it take to be a watress.When I dine out I kind of expecting to see my waiter/waitress to know their responsibility of being there.It about fullfilling where I am at that moment as a customer.
I don’t have any problem tipping them customarry.I just don’t like it when they don’t know thier job well enough to be in dinning room.
A customer like me can be stupid but I am not that much prejudice or discriminating any body.
In reply to Narrow perspective
So you want to be a table slave:
Job application requirements:
Must be a high school dropout
Low to poor intelligence
If female kids out of wedlock with unknown fathers
Live in a trailer park or section 8 housing
Have no marketable skills
Low self-esteem and self-worth
Smoker and drug abuser
Collects welfare
Has no desire to better herself
Actually thinks this is a real job
Congratulations you have what it takes to be an unskilled waiter waitress.
In reply to Waitress application
Those are really low standards , not good enough to work in any restaurant. I just wanted to say that job is job , do it well.
Those are really low standards , not good enough to work in any restaurant. I just wanted to say that job is job , do it well.
You’re an asshole through and through.
I never tip the waitress, because she is already paid min wage. If she wants more money she will need to suck my dick. I will tip her if she swallows.
In reply to Syracuse
Wow…your parents must be very proud of the person you have become haha! Let me school you on a few things! We actually don’t get paid minimum wage we are taxed on our sales and that is taken out of our paychecks! The last paycheck I received was $14 for over 40hrs! If you come in and order $100 worth of food we pay $10 out of our check! NOT to mention we tip out on that as well! So we are actually paying to wait on your sexist, ignorant ass! So do a little research or just do us all a favor and stay out of restaurants! And with that attitude I can imagine your dick hasn’t been sucked in awhile! People like you need to spend one day doing my job…and I want a front row seat to you going down in flames! Really your parents must be so proud lol!
In reply to Christy
The IRS has no way to know what your sales are. It’s all entirely based on company policy, not law, because the company you work for is ASSUMING you make 10% or more off of sales.
By law your employer must ensure you make minimum wage before income tax is taken out. EVERYONE pays income tax, so nobody is going to feel sorry for you having to pay it out. That 10% you’re talking about is a “base” that they’re reporting as your income from an assumption on tips. Most modern restaurants have computer systems that let you claim tips.
However, if there were no tips, this wouldn’t be a problem. You wouldn’t be taxed on tips you aren’t receiving (and shouldn’t be receiving) because your wages are your wages. You’re bitching about your $14 paycheck, yet that $14 paycheck is because you’re earning the rest of your wage in tips. Expecting the customer to PAY your wage, however, is ridiculous – that’s your employer’s job.