Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
56
“You Okay?”: Waitress Confronts Customer Over Offensive Tip, Gets A Reality Check
Tipping has become a key part of the service industry, allowing staff to earn more for going the extra mile for the customer. However, in the last few years, we have seen the practice evolve into something that feels more like an added tax.
Reddit user KeyComplete4809 recently shared an experience at a restaurant where a declined credit card set off a chain of uncomfortable exchanges between him and the waitress. Eventually, he fully covered the bill but left a sub-1% tip because of the bad taste the interaction left him with. This sparked a tense standoff and a question that followed him all the way home: was he standing up for himself or just being petty?
RELATED:
In many places, tipping has evolved from a gesture of appreciation for exceptional service into an expectation
Image credits: Pressmaster (not the actual photo)
So much so that if you skip it, the staff might think it’s simply because you’re deliberately being a jerk
Image credits: Pressmaster (not the actual photo)
Image credits: KeyComplete4809
Despite how commonplace tipping is, it can still seem confusing to calculate how much money you should leave in different situations
According to Bankrate’s 2025 Tipping Survey, 63 percent of Americans hold at least one negative view about tipping (which is up from 59 percent last year), and 11 percent are confused about who and how much to tip.
Around two-thirds (67 percent) who dine at sit-down restaurants always tip their server, and over a third (35 percent) typically tip at least 20 percent of the bill (down slightly from 37 percent last year).
Cortney Norris, an assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management at Oklahoma State University, studies tipping habits and says that the waitstaff should get at least 18 percent of the bill.
Beyond that, the size of a restaurant’s gratuity depends on how well you’re served, including whether your order is correct and whether the server checks on you after you receive your food.
“I think that percentage range has moved up, based on inflation and cost of living. [Waitstaff] wages haven’t,” Norris says. “$2.13 has been the sub-minimum wage since 1991. That tip amount has to increase to offset everything else going on in today’s economy.”
Tips are not considered necessary at fast food restaurants, counter-service restaurants, or for take-out orders. Counter-service restaurant workers will likely appreciate any tip for fantastic service, but unlike waitstaff, they probably already receive a full hourly wage, Norris says.
However, the aforementioned survey also found that while 58 percent say the amount they tip is most influenced by the quality of the service, that’s down from 64 percent last year, meaning servers could have a harder time earning a generous tip with excellent performance.
Furthermore, only 26 percent of respondents feel good when they leave a generous tip, down from 29 percent last year.
Image credits: Sam Dan Truong (not the actual photo)
The guy revealed more information about the evening in the comments
And most people said he was completely entitled to leaving such a small tip
But some said he was just being petty
Poll Question
Total votes ·
Thanks! Check out the results:
Total votes ·
Newsletter
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
What do you think ?
Paul C. 6 months ago
Sorry, I'm from the UK with family in the restaurant trade. Why does the USA insist on this way of rewarding staff. Pay them a proper wage and if their service/food is good they get a tip. This all smacks of employers not taking responsibility for staff welfare. Just my opinion.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 6 months ago
Do you... seriously think our country is somehow a sentient entity with "why does the USA insist on this way"? There's no easy, magical way to change our current system here. If wait staff tries to boycott/walk out/unionize/etc., they will simply be fired and more desperate employees will take their place. If independent restaurant owners try to change the system, they won't change the minds of other restaurant/business owners who are just greedy. If patrons boycott/refuse to go to restaurants to try and make a statement about our tipping culture, all that does is punish every single employee (as they then receive NO income.) I don't disagree that America's tipping culture is out of hand, but a lot of non-Americans seem to have this "well, duh, why don't you just change it?" attitude/opinion. It's not that easy.
Load More Replies...
Libstak 6 months ago
If he was going to do a runner, why was he still sitting there when she returned with the declined card?
LookASquirrel 6 months ago
Exactly! I accidentally took my cancelled credit card to dinner once. I thought I shredded it and had the one with points. Duh, declined. Luckily we both had our bank debit cards. Shìt happens. I was a waitress. A coworker took a fake $50. Dude came back the next day after he realized it was fake to pay for his tab my coworker paid. Don't embarrass or accuse people without knowing.
Load More Replies...
Somebodys grandmother 6 months ago
Why does the staff leave with card. I'm used to the machine comes to me... i would never give another my card!
Christos Arvanitis 6 months ago
It's mostly an American thing and is so stupid since the technology has existed elsewhere for decades to do it right in front of the customer. We see it more often in the states but still not in the majority of cases. It's pretty stupid and prone to fraud. Freedumb!
Load More Replies...
Kiki Embryonic 6 months ago
I know this isnt the point but the fact that in the US strangers STILL walk away with your CC in the year of our lord 2025 is PATHETIC. How do y'all not have wireless terminals that can be brought to the customer? WILD
Wild Cream 6 months ago
It took them FOREVER to even get wireless tap on debit/credit cards 😂 and they JUST decided to get rid of Pennie’s. Meanwhile every other western country has been on that for over a decade.
Load More Replies...
FABULOUS1 6 months ago
Someone posted just yesterday that if you cannot afford to tip at least 30% you shouldnt go out to eat. I would never allow someone to shame me in to tipping. You get tipped or not tipped based on the service you provide, if you only took my order brought me my food/drink, and the check, you get nothing. If you are rude to me you get nothing, if you take your personal issues out on me you get nothing. I can afford to eat out but I am not required to tip anyone, I paid for my food and that is all I am required to do. Everywhere you go now wants you to leave a tip, even at self serve yogurt places. I purchased a pretzel in the mall and they asked for a tip, which included them taking my order and handing it to me, why the hell would I tip because of that.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
Thirty freaking percent? Good grief, the standardised service charge here (France) is something like 6.5% *and* the servers make at least statutory minimum.
Load More Replies...
martin734 6 months ago
The thing that concerns me most about this is that the waitress left with the card. That simply doesn't happen here. Either the card machine is brought to the table or the customer takes their cars to the machine and puts it in. As for the tip, a tip is for good service and as the waitress was rude to the customer I would not have tipped.
Shortstuff 6 months ago
Tipping needs to be banned and businesses should be mandated to pay a living wage. It's a form of begging, and it's demeaning. I hated our visit to USA where everybody had their hand out. Holidays are expensive enough, saving for years, doing without, to be expected to pay the wages of employees. Thank god there is no tipping here in New Zeakand. We have a minimum wage of $23+ and hour.
Michael Largey 6 months ago (edited)
The local Noble Roman's Pizza place was struggling, and it's owners sent out a letter with a coupon urging people to come. We did. When It was time tpo pay the bill, our waitress said that our credit card did not go through. I told her that we had used it several times that afternoon, so there must be something wwrong with their machine. "Oh no," she boomed in a voice audible through the restaurant. "You must not be paying your bill!" We used another card which went through. No tip. No return business.
Orysha 6 months ago (edited)
It's totally mad to an European indeed, I won't give you my card to be taken out of my sight and doing I don't know what with itµµ. Bring themachine to the table or tell me I ha ve pay to the counter and that'll be fine. Op should have suggested a carrer change to the waitress. Her behaviour is the best way to be sure a customer won't come back.
General Anaesthesia 6 months ago (edited)
Justinas, Rokas, read up on tipping in the US, especially in restaurants, the exceptions to minimum wage laws in the industry, before you start an article with "Tipping _has become_ (always has been) a key part of the service industry, allowing staff to _earn more for going the extra mile_ (extra mile to earn minimum) for the customer."
Beth Wheeler 6 months ago
I don't know if I would have left a tip or not. You asked for a manager and didn't get one. I would have called when I got home and talked to the manager then.
Invisible Potato 3 weeks ago
customer is not an employer and should not be expected of him to fill in the wage stolen by an actual employer.
Parmeisan 6 months ago
This reminds me of the time I held back a tip. Normally I do 15-20%; only once has the service been so bad that I felt I needed to give less. I was on a doctor-prescribed gluten-free diet at the time. I ordered a salad and explained that I needed it without croutons, and why. She brought it with croutons and said I could just pick them out. I attempted to explain why, medically, I couldn't just do that. I apologized because normally I would not be so particular but I really did need a new salad. She was VERY rude about it, and she came back with a salad with many small chunks of ice in it. At that point I felt I absolutely could not eat this meal because it was probably the same salad, and she had sabotaged it and maybe also spit in it or worse. I didn't say anything but my friends finished their meals and when we paid, we asked about the restaurant's policy for tip-sharing and gave the exact amount that wouldn't stiff the kitchen staff but give her $0.00. Felt I had no choice, really.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
Wow, I don't know what's worse - that she was rude when the card was declined, or that they give the card to the waitress to take away in the first place. I guess you guys *still* don't use chip and PIN?
Slapdash1 6 months ago
Mandatory tipping, vile service, server walks off with your card. Yep, must be 'murica.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
UK on the other hand: no mandatory tipping, vile food, server walks off when you're trying to get her attention... 😉
Load More Replies... Bexxperience 6 months ago
So you give them the card, they run it (with the bill's amount and it clears) and AFTER she returns with the card, you write in the tip, effectively changing the amount? What? How does that work? Strong "stuff that didn't happen" vibe from this story. Unless they changed how credit cards and restaurants work wherever this event took place.
Sera 6 months ago
No, in the US you add the tip amount after the card has first been run, when you sign the receipt.
Load More Replies...
Sera 6 months ago
Recommending anyone visit Ohio is deeply unserious. ~ 💚 from Cincinnati
Load More Replies...
LakotaWolf (she/her) 6 months ago
Not everyone behaves in a negative or antisocial manner when they "have anxiety", though. Many people are simply quiet and calm when anxious. It's rare that people start yelling and throwing a fit simply because they are embarrassed and/or have anxiety in a situation. I agree that we only have one side of the story (OP's), but I disagree with your implication that people can't be calm when embarrassed or anxious.
Load More Replies... Paul C. 6 months ago
Sorry, I'm from the UK with family in the restaurant trade. Why does the USA insist on this way of rewarding staff. Pay them a proper wage and if their service/food is good they get a tip. This all smacks of employers not taking responsibility for staff welfare. Just my opinion.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 6 months ago
Do you... seriously think our country is somehow a sentient entity with "why does the USA insist on this way"? There's no easy, magical way to change our current system here. If wait staff tries to boycott/walk out/unionize/etc., they will simply be fired and more desperate employees will take their place. If independent restaurant owners try to change the system, they won't change the minds of other restaurant/business owners who are just greedy. If patrons boycott/refuse to go to restaurants to try and make a statement about our tipping culture, all that does is punish every single employee (as they then receive NO income.) I don't disagree that America's tipping culture is out of hand, but a lot of non-Americans seem to have this "well, duh, why don't you just change it?" attitude/opinion. It's not that easy.
Load More Replies... Libstak 6 months ago
If he was going to do a runner, why was he still sitting there when she returned with the declined card?
LookASquirrel 6 months ago
Exactly! I accidentally took my cancelled credit card to dinner once. I thought I shredded it and had the one with points. Duh, declined. Luckily we both had our bank debit cards. Shìt happens. I was a waitress. A coworker took a fake $50. Dude came back the next day after he realized it was fake to pay for his tab my coworker paid. Don't embarrass or accuse people without knowing.
Load More Replies... Somebodys grandmother 6 months ago
Why does the staff leave with card. I'm used to the machine comes to me... i would never give another my card!
Christos Arvanitis 6 months ago
It's mostly an American thing and is so stupid since the technology has existed elsewhere for decades to do it right in front of the customer. We see it more often in the states but still not in the majority of cases. It's pretty stupid and prone to fraud. Freedumb!
Load More Replies... Kiki Embryonic 6 months ago
I know this isnt the point but the fact that in the US strangers STILL walk away with your CC in the year of our lord 2025 is PATHETIC. How do y'all not have wireless terminals that can be brought to the customer? WILD
Wild Cream 6 months ago
It took them FOREVER to even get wireless tap on debit/credit cards 😂 and they JUST decided to get rid of Pennie’s. Meanwhile every other western country has been on that for over a decade.
Load More Replies... FABULOUS1 6 months ago
Someone posted just yesterday that if you cannot afford to tip at least 30% you shouldnt go out to eat. I would never allow someone to shame me in to tipping. You get tipped or not tipped based on the service you provide, if you only took my order brought me my food/drink, and the check, you get nothing. If you are rude to me you get nothing, if you take your personal issues out on me you get nothing. I can afford to eat out but I am not required to tip anyone, I paid for my food and that is all I am required to do. Everywhere you go now wants you to leave a tip, even at self serve yogurt places. I purchased a pretzel in the mall and they asked for a tip, which included them taking my order and handing it to me, why the hell would I tip because of that.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
Thirty freaking percent? Good grief, the standardised service charge here (France) is something like 6.5% *and* the servers make at least statutory minimum.
Load More Replies... martin734 6 months ago
The thing that concerns me most about this is that the waitress left with the card. That simply doesn't happen here. Either the card machine is brought to the table or the customer takes their cars to the machine and puts it in. As for the tip, a tip is for good service and as the waitress was rude to the customer I would not have tipped.
Shortstuff 6 months ago
Tipping needs to be banned and businesses should be mandated to pay a living wage. It's a form of begging, and it's demeaning. I hated our visit to USA where everybody had their hand out. Holidays are expensive enough, saving for years, doing without, to be expected to pay the wages of employees. Thank god there is no tipping here in New Zeakand. We have a minimum wage of $23+ and hour.
Michael Largey 6 months ago (edited)
The local Noble Roman's Pizza place was struggling, and it's owners sent out a letter with a coupon urging people to come. We did. When It was time tpo pay the bill, our waitress said that our credit card did not go through. I told her that we had used it several times that afternoon, so there must be something wwrong with their machine. "Oh no," she boomed in a voice audible through the restaurant. "You must not be paying your bill!" We used another card which went through. No tip. No return business.
Orysha 6 months ago (edited)
It's totally mad to an European indeed, I won't give you my card to be taken out of my sight and doing I don't know what with itµµ. Bring themachine to the table or tell me I ha ve pay to the counter and that'll be fine. Op should have suggested a carrer change to the waitress. Her behaviour is the best way to be sure a customer won't come back.
General Anaesthesia 6 months ago (edited)
Justinas, Rokas, read up on tipping in the US, especially in restaurants, the exceptions to minimum wage laws in the industry, before you start an article with "Tipping _has become_ (always has been) a key part of the service industry, allowing staff to _earn more for going the extra mile_ (extra mile to earn minimum) for the customer."
Beth Wheeler 6 months ago
I don't know if I would have left a tip or not. You asked for a manager and didn't get one. I would have called when I got home and talked to the manager then.
Invisible Potato 3 weeks ago
customer is not an employer and should not be expected of him to fill in the wage stolen by an actual employer.
Parmeisan 6 months ago
This reminds me of the time I held back a tip. Normally I do 15-20%; only once has the service been so bad that I felt I needed to give less. I was on a doctor-prescribed gluten-free diet at the time. I ordered a salad and explained that I needed it without croutons, and why. She brought it with croutons and said I could just pick them out. I attempted to explain why, medically, I couldn't just do that. I apologized because normally I would not be so particular but I really did need a new salad. She was VERY rude about it, and she came back with a salad with many small chunks of ice in it. At that point I felt I absolutely could not eat this meal because it was probably the same salad, and she had sabotaged it and maybe also spit in it or worse. I didn't say anything but my friends finished their meals and when we paid, we asked about the restaurant's policy for tip-sharing and gave the exact amount that wouldn't stiff the kitchen staff but give her $0.00. Felt I had no choice, really.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
Wow, I don't know what's worse - that she was rude when the card was declined, or that they give the card to the waitress to take away in the first place. I guess you guys *still* don't use chip and PIN?
Slapdash1 6 months ago
Mandatory tipping, vile service, server walks off with your card. Yep, must be 'murica.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
UK on the other hand: no mandatory tipping, vile food, server walks off when you're trying to get her attention... 😉
Load More Replies... Bexxperience 6 months ago
So you give them the card, they run it (with the bill's amount and it clears) and AFTER she returns with the card, you write in the tip, effectively changing the amount? What? How does that work? Strong "stuff that didn't happen" vibe from this story. Unless they changed how credit cards and restaurants work wherever this event took place.
Sera 6 months ago
No, in the US you add the tip amount after the card has first been run, when you sign the receipt.
Load More Replies... Sera 6 months ago
Recommending anyone visit Ohio is deeply unserious. ~ 💚 from Cincinnati
Load More Replies... LakotaWolf (she/her) 6 months ago
Not everyone behaves in a negative or antisocial manner when they "have anxiety", though. Many people are simply quiet and calm when anxious. It's rare that people start yelling and throwing a fit simply because they are embarrassed and/or have anxiety in a situation. I agree that we only have one side of the story (OP's), but I disagree with your implication that people can't be calm when embarrassed or anxious.
Load More Replies... You May Like Woman Uploads Video Of Driver Throwing Her Package And Suddenly The Company Wants To Talk Parents Get Wrecked Online After Complaining Over Passengers Resting While They Struggle With 3 Kids
Dominyka Proškėnaitė
Jonas Žvilius
Related on Bored Panda
22
79