Guy Leaves $10 Tip In A Fancy Restaurant Instead Of The Expected $14, Doesn’t Expect Things To Escalate So Horribly
Ilona BoredPanda staff
As a non-American I gotta say I really don’t get the tipping system over there in the US of A. Servers get the tip they deserve, based on quality of service, right? There is no law or obligation to tip? It all seems mighty confusing and an unnecessary source of potential confrontation at a time when people are supposed to be out enjoying themselves. Why can’t restaurants just pay their servers properly in the first place? The unspoken rules and expectations make the whole situation so…arbitrary.
Imgur user noctynight encountered such a situation while on a date recently, finding himself embarrassingly short when it came time to pay up and tip the server. Sure, it was poor planning on his behalf, but he sheepishly managed to scrape up 15% of the bill for the service received, and was all set to leave the restaurant and go home.
Except that wasn’t to be the end of it. The server had a few questions to ask about the tip, and the quality of her service. Needless to say, it didn’t end well. Scroll down to check the story out for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments! (Cover image: Matt Chan)
“Had a wonderful dinner date, all that’s left is to pay the bill and head out”
Image credits: Chris Goldberg (Not an actual photo)
“Server comes back and asks if something bad has happened due to the size of her tip…”
“Try to explain to the server that there was nothing wrong and we just could’t afford to put in anymore”
Image credits: Kent Wang (Not an actual photo)
“Server: ‘Sir. I would actually be offended if I accepted something as small as this'”
Here’s how people reacted
An obligatory tip, is not a tip.
We have the worst of both worlds. We do not have obligatory tips, but it's a norm. What's really sad is that waiters and waitresses in many states don't really get a tip. The money can be counted as part of their minimum wage. https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.htm Of course the server was out of line making a scene. She needs to find another line of work.
Why does this matter? In all other professions or jobs you are taxed on every cent you make multiple times over!
I agree with @Agnes Jekyll. Every cent is declared at the end of the night. And if you think about the Drinks that you enjoyed from the Bartender and the clear table you have going into Dessert then you'll want to share the love with the Bartender and the back-weights, but if you stiff your server you actually aren't sharing any of the love.
@Owiella, the tips are taxed as well, and the hourly wage is below minimum wage, and the server has to pay out tips to the bus boys and cooks. Therefore, if the waitress does not receive a tip, she is seriously out of pocket.
They shall put as service charge instead of tips.
I understand why the server was mad, but she has to realize. Tips are 100% voluntary people do not "need" to tip. It is highly encouraged and a common social practice but again you do not have too legally tip them, and the fact that she basically publically shamed someone for a what she thought was a small tip means that she should probably not be a server. If you something that small makes you flip out then you are in the wrong business.
Andres: Amen! Shes lucky to have a job, with her attitude.
Absolutely! She should be reprimanded if not fired for that. A tip is always optional. That's just ridiculous. I've been stuffed on large checks before, it sucks, but you CANNOT confront people!
It also depends highly on where you are in the world, iirc it's actually considered rude to tip in Japan.
If you don't like the tip work harder and give better service or better yet find a new line of work. In Washington State when wages took a huge jump so did meal prices to offset the wages yet they still expect a tip. If 10% tip isnt enough then i wont go to the restaurant and theycan clise down for all I care. Tips are an expression of appreciation for service provided not a demand like this woman made. If thats the thanks you get for spending $80 on a meal at that restaurant then its time to shame the restaurant and go else where. Restaurants come and go by the dozen doesnt sound like this one will be around much longer. What's the name of the restaurant so I can avoid it?
well, I don't understand why she was mad. 15% is the norm for good service. You can't expect 20% unless you do something truly outstanding for your customers.
Waiters get paid shit. They rely on tips, they are not optional. Waiters get paid less than minimum wage BECAUSE they are expected to get tips. As a customer you should expect to give a 15-20% tip for good service. If you can't tip, stay home. The waitress flipped out because its part of her pay. You'd be upset too if you got paid less for no good reason. Before you open your big mouth understand how things work. You clearly have zero understanding of how waiters are paid in America. Your opinion is entirely worthless.
First of all, She gave lack luster service at best, and then to put them on blast for not tipping her enough is not a good. She was lucky to get a tip after that. If you get paid so shitty then you should find a different job that pays better. It is not the job of customers to make up the difference, and also if the waiter is crappy he/she should no be rewarded or expect a tip for bad service.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Actually tipping SHOULD be mandatory since they get like, 5 bucks an hour. They live off of tips.
Or maybe they should be paid a proper wage.
Faith Stroup Nom tipping shouldn't be mandatory! The staff should be paid correctly!! No one should be living off tips, tip should be a bonus for a good service, like in a lot of European countries it is!!!
If it becomes mandatory then it should also count as a payment in regards to taxes and accounting since it no longer is "something extra". As Cassie says, it's better if they get a livable wage and then have the tips as an actual extra in all regards.
Imho, from my point of view, if I must pay the difference due to a too low wage, I must have the right to choose the waiter or bartender. But it's up to the owner.
US labor laws are pretty much medieval compared to most first-world nations, and if you're wondering why US businessmen are so rich it's because they pay their employees horribly and provide less benefits than most any other G7 nation. The United States is the only developed country in the world without a single legally required paid vacation day or holiday. By law, every country in the European Union has at least four work weeks of paid vacation. The US is also among the only nations on Earth that provide no financial support for mothers at the federal level, and they have among the shortest legally required maternity leave. There's a reason why income disparity in the US is so high. That doesn't excuse the waitress's poor behaviour, but it's something to consider if you think America is the land of opportunity.
You hit the nail right on the head but we seem to be too preoccupied with racial and philosophical ideas in this country to ever address any of the issues you site.
Carole Reid - as if discussing issues regarding race (read: RACISM) is pointless. Please.
In Norway we have the illusion of a paid vacation. We are entitled to four weeks of vacation. But the pay is actually our own money, that the employer has saved for us. Every month a part of our pay is set aside. Then in June of the year after earning it, we get the vacation money and no pay (if we have a regular job, we usually get paid for the hours that we are hired to work in the month when we are getting paid, and then we get only vacation money in June, and full payment in the month when we take out our vacation. If we have an irregular job, or have worked extra, we always get paid what we earned the last month, and then we get more than the vacation money in June).
Same in Denmark, how else would you give everybody paid vacation? If companies/employers had that extra expense, they would lose a lot of profit, and thus pay less wages anyway. The point of the law is to ensure that everyone get to have some time off for vacation every year, without it affecting their financial situation. The vacation is mandatory and one of the results of workers unions' fight for better conditions for the working class.
I live in the UK, I get a salary and 6 weeks of paid holiday + national holidays. None of that comes out of my money, we don't have anything put in savings by our employer to cover it or anything like that.
New Zealand has 4 weeks paid annual leave. Nothing is 'put aside' to pay for it. Paid parental leave is going up to 22 weeks shortly (just after our Prime Minister is due to give birth so she/her partner misses out on the increase). Only one parent is eligible.
The waitresse's anger is understandable, but it should be focused on government and employer, not the customer.
Her anger is not understandable. A tip was originally a thank you for someone who has done their job well. It should never be expected. She may have a low pay job but her salary is between her and her employer. This type of attitude is wrong on so many levels. I tip well if I get good service but honestly if I get poor service or the server doesn't do anything but throw my food on the table (which is happening more often these days) then they really don't deserve a tip. Why should tips be calculated into a person's wages, they are not guaranteed?
For four bucks, it's understandable? She knew the pay when she took the job and no one in government told her she had to work there. It would be interesting to get to watch her when it's time for her to tip. I'll bet she's pretty stingy.
LOL if the US is so bad then why do we have hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world trying to sneak into the country. we must be doing something good
You are clearly nuts. What she gets paid by her employer is irrelevant. Getting tips is a "commission" of sorts, so if you do not provide good service, it is on you.
That may be how it works noitall man, but why does it pretty much only apply to waiters and waitresses? Why not to nurses, accountants, delivery people, retail workers? They'll all providing a service. It should be up to an employer to know if their staff are any good or not and reward them (or otherwise) accordingly. Tipping is not done in New Zealand and most other places in the world and it works just fine. Minimum wage here is $16.50/hr (US$11.41).
An obligatory tip, is not a tip.
We have the worst of both worlds. We do not have obligatory tips, but it's a norm. What's really sad is that waiters and waitresses in many states don't really get a tip. The money can be counted as part of their minimum wage. https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.htm Of course the server was out of line making a scene. She needs to find another line of work.
Why does this matter? In all other professions or jobs you are taxed on every cent you make multiple times over!
I agree with @Agnes Jekyll. Every cent is declared at the end of the night. And if you think about the Drinks that you enjoyed from the Bartender and the clear table you have going into Dessert then you'll want to share the love with the Bartender and the back-weights, but if you stiff your server you actually aren't sharing any of the love.
@Owiella, the tips are taxed as well, and the hourly wage is below minimum wage, and the server has to pay out tips to the bus boys and cooks. Therefore, if the waitress does not receive a tip, she is seriously out of pocket.
They shall put as service charge instead of tips.
I understand why the server was mad, but she has to realize. Tips are 100% voluntary people do not "need" to tip. It is highly encouraged and a common social practice but again you do not have too legally tip them, and the fact that she basically publically shamed someone for a what she thought was a small tip means that she should probably not be a server. If you something that small makes you flip out then you are in the wrong business.
Andres: Amen! Shes lucky to have a job, with her attitude.
Absolutely! She should be reprimanded if not fired for that. A tip is always optional. That's just ridiculous. I've been stuffed on large checks before, it sucks, but you CANNOT confront people!
It also depends highly on where you are in the world, iirc it's actually considered rude to tip in Japan.
If you don't like the tip work harder and give better service or better yet find a new line of work. In Washington State when wages took a huge jump so did meal prices to offset the wages yet they still expect a tip. If 10% tip isnt enough then i wont go to the restaurant and theycan clise down for all I care. Tips are an expression of appreciation for service provided not a demand like this woman made. If thats the thanks you get for spending $80 on a meal at that restaurant then its time to shame the restaurant and go else where. Restaurants come and go by the dozen doesnt sound like this one will be around much longer. What's the name of the restaurant so I can avoid it?
well, I don't understand why she was mad. 15% is the norm for good service. You can't expect 20% unless you do something truly outstanding for your customers.
Waiters get paid shit. They rely on tips, they are not optional. Waiters get paid less than minimum wage BECAUSE they are expected to get tips. As a customer you should expect to give a 15-20% tip for good service. If you can't tip, stay home. The waitress flipped out because its part of her pay. You'd be upset too if you got paid less for no good reason. Before you open your big mouth understand how things work. You clearly have zero understanding of how waiters are paid in America. Your opinion is entirely worthless.
First of all, She gave lack luster service at best, and then to put them on blast for not tipping her enough is not a good. She was lucky to get a tip after that. If you get paid so shitty then you should find a different job that pays better. It is not the job of customers to make up the difference, and also if the waiter is crappy he/she should no be rewarded or expect a tip for bad service.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Actually tipping SHOULD be mandatory since they get like, 5 bucks an hour. They live off of tips.
Or maybe they should be paid a proper wage.
Faith Stroup Nom tipping shouldn't be mandatory! The staff should be paid correctly!! No one should be living off tips, tip should be a bonus for a good service, like in a lot of European countries it is!!!
If it becomes mandatory then it should also count as a payment in regards to taxes and accounting since it no longer is "something extra". As Cassie says, it's better if they get a livable wage and then have the tips as an actual extra in all regards.
Imho, from my point of view, if I must pay the difference due to a too low wage, I must have the right to choose the waiter or bartender. But it's up to the owner.
US labor laws are pretty much medieval compared to most first-world nations, and if you're wondering why US businessmen are so rich it's because they pay their employees horribly and provide less benefits than most any other G7 nation. The United States is the only developed country in the world without a single legally required paid vacation day or holiday. By law, every country in the European Union has at least four work weeks of paid vacation. The US is also among the only nations on Earth that provide no financial support for mothers at the federal level, and they have among the shortest legally required maternity leave. There's a reason why income disparity in the US is so high. That doesn't excuse the waitress's poor behaviour, but it's something to consider if you think America is the land of opportunity.
You hit the nail right on the head but we seem to be too preoccupied with racial and philosophical ideas in this country to ever address any of the issues you site.
Carole Reid - as if discussing issues regarding race (read: RACISM) is pointless. Please.
In Norway we have the illusion of a paid vacation. We are entitled to four weeks of vacation. But the pay is actually our own money, that the employer has saved for us. Every month a part of our pay is set aside. Then in June of the year after earning it, we get the vacation money and no pay (if we have a regular job, we usually get paid for the hours that we are hired to work in the month when we are getting paid, and then we get only vacation money in June, and full payment in the month when we take out our vacation. If we have an irregular job, or have worked extra, we always get paid what we earned the last month, and then we get more than the vacation money in June).
Same in Denmark, how else would you give everybody paid vacation? If companies/employers had that extra expense, they would lose a lot of profit, and thus pay less wages anyway. The point of the law is to ensure that everyone get to have some time off for vacation every year, without it affecting their financial situation. The vacation is mandatory and one of the results of workers unions' fight for better conditions for the working class.
I live in the UK, I get a salary and 6 weeks of paid holiday + national holidays. None of that comes out of my money, we don't have anything put in savings by our employer to cover it or anything like that.
New Zealand has 4 weeks paid annual leave. Nothing is 'put aside' to pay for it. Paid parental leave is going up to 22 weeks shortly (just after our Prime Minister is due to give birth so she/her partner misses out on the increase). Only one parent is eligible.
The waitresse's anger is understandable, but it should be focused on government and employer, not the customer.
Her anger is not understandable. A tip was originally a thank you for someone who has done their job well. It should never be expected. She may have a low pay job but her salary is between her and her employer. This type of attitude is wrong on so many levels. I tip well if I get good service but honestly if I get poor service or the server doesn't do anything but throw my food on the table (which is happening more often these days) then they really don't deserve a tip. Why should tips be calculated into a person's wages, they are not guaranteed?
For four bucks, it's understandable? She knew the pay when she took the job and no one in government told her she had to work there. It would be interesting to get to watch her when it's time for her to tip. I'll bet she's pretty stingy.
LOL if the US is so bad then why do we have hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world trying to sneak into the country. we must be doing something good
You are clearly nuts. What she gets paid by her employer is irrelevant. Getting tips is a "commission" of sorts, so if you do not provide good service, it is on you.
That may be how it works noitall man, but why does it pretty much only apply to waiters and waitresses? Why not to nurses, accountants, delivery people, retail workers? They'll all providing a service. It should be up to an employer to know if their staff are any good or not and reward them (or otherwise) accordingly. Tipping is not done in New Zealand and most other places in the world and it works just fine. Minimum wage here is $16.50/hr (US$11.41).