Discussion: An Open Letter to Bad Tippers

Feather

Quote:

Dear Non-Tippers,

Are you thinking about going out tonight? Considering a nice little jaunt to that cozy steakhouse down on main street? Looking forward to a pleasant evening of being fed and waited upon by strangers? Maybe catching a flick after dinner? Good. Good for you. Sounds like a splendid evening. I'm happy that you've got the money to treat yourselves.

Oh, but you don't have it in your budget to tip your server?

Then it would seem that you, in fact, don't have the money to treat yourselves after all.

My friends, if you have 35 bucks to drop on a meal, but you don't have the 7 dollars to leave a 20 percent tip, then what are you doing in a restaurant in the first place? You need to hire a financial adviser (well, maybe see if you can get a free consult) because it's just plain unwise to blow your entire net worth on a couple of entrees at Applebee's. Save your 35 dollar nest egg, run to Walmart, buy a box of spaghetti for a dollar, and enjoy a home cooked meal.

For a while in my early twenties, after I paid my bills for the month, I usually had about 30 or 40 dollars left over. I often drove by sit-down restaurants and thought, "Hmmm, I wish I could pull in and have a bite to eat." But then I remembered, "Oh, I'm broke; I have no money, I'm poor," and so I went back to my apartment and ate peanut butter and jelly or ramen noodles. These are the traditional cultural dishes of Broke People -- not big, juicy hamburgers at high class joints like Chili's.

Oh, but you aren't broke? You're going tipless this evening out of some diluted "principle"?

Why should you have to tip, you ask?

Well, you don't. You aren't required. Just like you aren't required to hold the door open for an elderly woman or offer a beverage to a thirsty house guest. You don't HAVE to do these things. Most of us partake in these conventions because we're civilized and decent. You don't HAVE to be civilized and decent. But maybe you can at least do me this favor: if you aren't going to tip, and you know that from the outset, have the courage of your convictions and inform your waiter upfront. When your server comes to welcome you and give you the daily specials, kindly inform him of the situation. "Good evening, Brad. I'm happy to be here. I won't be tipping you tonight. Anyway, do we get free refills on the house salad?"

To withhold this information is a lie by omission. You know that Brad will be working under the assumption that a tip is forthcoming. You, therefore, benefit from the illusion of a potential tip, even though there isn't any potential for a tip at all. This is a lie. You're lying. You're being manipulative. Stop it.

And what is this principle on which you stand?

I often hear that the owners of the restaurants should pay a decent wage and then nobody would have to tip. Why should YOU have to pay the server's wage, you insist.

Good point. Let's require all restaurant owners to pay their wait staff, what, like 12-15 dollars an hour? Yes, now we don't have to tip and everyone is ha-

Oh. Wait. What's this? All of prices on the menu just doubled? No more 2 for 20 deals? No more free refills? No more 9 dollar burgers and 12 dollar steaks? No more obscenely humungous portion sizes?

What's going on here? You're telling me that the financial resources of the restaurant's owners are finite, and a massive increase in operating costs must be logically offset by a hike in prices and a reduction in services?

Oh no! Now my favorite joints are closing earlier! Hold on -- no more happy hour?!

This has gone too far.

I want good food, low prices, huge portions, unlimited refills, happy hour special, fast service AND I don't want to be expected to tip! Kindly point me to the wormhole that will transport me to the dimension where such a thing is possible.

See, non-tippers benefit from the tip structure, and would not be willing to forfeit those benefits, yet they don't want to pony up the tips themselves. They reap the rewards of the tip system while simultaneously pretending to protest it. They're hypocrites.

Of course, the main justification offered by non-tippers is not so much based on principle as it is on punishment. They say they will not tip when the service is "bad." But you'll notice that these people somehow encounter "bad" service almost every time they go out to eat. What an odd thing. They must be cursed.

Personally, I tip. I almost always tip well. Twenty percent is the baseline minimum. But, where some customers complain about how they "can't find good service," I am usually quite pleased with the wait staff I encounter at most establishments. Where non-tippers constantly find excuses to punitively withhold tips, I generally find reasons to add an additional 5 or 10 percent to the pot. This isn't because I'm lucky or generous, it's because I'm not a pompous, picky, spoiled brat; constantly looking for the smallest reason to feel slighted by customer service workers.

I'd like to hear the thought process when the bill comes and you non-tippers go through your cheapskate mental checklist.

Hmmm. Well, my glass remained empty for 97 seconds while my waitress handled a party of 27 two tables down. Sorry, I don't care what else she's doing. I need prompt refills. That'll cost her 3 percent. Oh, and I didn't think she was smiley enough. There goes another 3 percent. I asked for ketchup but it didn't come. And then I had to ask again! The horror! That shaves another 5 percent. The fries were warm but a little soggy. There goes 2 percent. My meal was late by like a thousand hours! Well, almost. It took 26 minutes or so to come out. I have absolutely no reason to believe that this inconvenience was the fault of my server, but she's going to have to pay for it. Minus 10 percent. OK, so according to my calculations, she now owes me about 12 dollars.

From what I've seen, the server is usually punished for things that have nothing to do with her. But you non-tippers know this. You're not out for justice; you're out to save a few bucks. You tell yourselves stories about how you were victimized by the wait staff just so you can leave no tip and still sleep like a baby at night.

But we all know the truth about you. You can't hide your motivations.

Stop the madness, non-tippers.

Tip your server. Just tip.

Trust me, you'll feel better.

SOURCE

What do you guys think? Are you guys good tippers? What do you base your tip on?

I work at a newly opened Chinese restaurant that's near my place located a few minutes bus ride to Chinatown. It's very westernized, when you walk in it doesn't have anything culture related, except a few posters here and there. It's in a tourist area so we get a lot of non-Asians there.

I'm a server there and I always, always make conversations with customers. There's customers that come visit me all the time too, they dine in, I chat with them, we joke and laugh, and they'll leave me a 10% tip and leave. The meal will cost $12 and they will leave me an exact $1.20 tip.

I don't get why people have the mindset of tipping "10% at a Chinese restaurant", because I hear it all the time. I use to work at a generic chain restaurant (i.e. T.G.I. Friday's, Denny's, Jack Astors, Milestones) and I'm use to people tipping 15%-20% - and sometimes 50%. This is the first time I worked at a non-corporate/"family style restaurant" and the customers are totally different. Don't get me wrong, I get the same upbeat customers I would from my previous resteraunt job, but the only difference is that the one I currently work at now they don't like to tip. There was a group of 12 people that came in and I took care of their table, and their bill was $90. At my previous job, we would add a automatic 15% tip for parties for 10 or more, but the resteraunt I currently work at doesn't have this rule. They ended up tipping exactly $9 and left. They actually tipped $13, but then one guy said "you're over tipping, you just need to tip 10% here". Uh, excuse me? I've talked to the manager/boss about it plenty of times and he said "don't you dare ask anything regarding how much they tip you because it's rude". But I'm fed up with people tipping so poorly. I understand it's the location but location shouldn't matter, it's the service.

Anyone else in the service industry dealt with problems like this? How did you handle it (if you were allowed to)?

Speezy

I base my tips on Attitude
That person is not getting a tip if their attitude is horrible.

Drama

An open letter or the holy bible...

Ice Cream Skies

I tip 15% minimum, 20% is my standard (a great job), & a little over 20% if they went above & beyond.
I was a server. I've been there before. I have known the struggle. I sympathize.

I've tipped 10% to a bad server before, but I usually never go that low.

I feel like if you don't tip your servers, you should settle for drive through because clearly you are a cheap mess.

Just my thoughts.

Αnt

This is true though.

Life of a server.

Euphoric

I usually feel embarrassed if I don't tip so everytime I eat outside I make sure I have atleast 3-5 dollars on my wallet... and besides a good waiter is always worth them coins! the only time I did not tip someone is when this waiter was giving me an attitude so before i could even finish my meal I walked out and left a note and said "Get a new job bitch!" lol

Guy

15% is the standard (imo). Anything below is pitiful. And if you do your job exceptionally well, expect 20+%.

Don't assume that you DESERVE 20% though. That's a fifth of my damn meal.

family.guy123

I stopped reading at the 20% thing. They better do something extraordinary to get that much. I tip 15% minimum and then it goes up depending on the service

Mekitor

I am good tipper. I know many people depend on it.

Save-Me-Oprah

The US needs to get its **** together and start paying their waitstaff a proper wage instead of this crap.

Like.... ch.

Kings.

Ive only gone out to eat with close friends once and they didn't even want ME to leave a tip, they tried taking the money off the table before we left I mean

If the person is nice then they'll get a nice tip (of $8 or more) but if they aren't then they ain't getting a pennie

Bayonsay

I don't live in America so this doesn't really apply to me, but in the UK waiters/resses get paid appropriately, even before tips are counted. If I thought the service was cute, I would tip. If not, I wouldn't tip.

If I was to visit the US restaurant I would be most offended by the fact they are expecting me to pay a tip

. I mean If the service was good I would most definitely tip but, I'm not here for people expecting me to give them a tip whether or not the service was good.

Wages for those jobs need to sorted out though.

Haunter

15% = bad, 25% good. I always overtip because of the stereotype of black people not tipping.

NewRihannaStan

Oops did I forget to tip you ..!!

But I always tip at least 4 dollars 5 if they were good

Ainsworth

I always tip well. I'm scared they'll remember me and hold it against me forever

Ice Cream Skies

Quote:

Originally posted by Borntodiethisway

15% = bad, 25% good. I always overtip because of the stereotype of black people not tipping.

You're a good sis!

Quote:

Originally posted by Ainsworth

I always tip well. I'm scared they'll remember me and hold it against me forever

Servers ALWAYS remember bad tippers, unless they come in like once a year.

It's strange but true.

Feather

Quote:

Originally posted by Ice Cream Skies

I tip 15% minimum, 20% is my standard (a great job), & a little over 20% if they went above & beyond.
I was a server. I've been there before. I have known the struggle. I sympathize.

I've tipped 10% to a bad server before, but I usually never go that low.

I feel like if you don't tip your servers, you should settle for drive through because clearly you are a cheap mess.

Just my thoughts.

Well, where I'm from minimum wage is $10.25... But for servers, the minimum wage is lower - it's $8.95. My colleagues some are single mothers, students, etc, so we rely on tips for our living.

J a y

Employees are already paid for their work, so I don't see the fuss.

liberalmusiclover

I usually do 15 to 20%, but I won't tip the service is bad or if the server has an attitude.

joelovesmusic

The bible on how to tip

I do leave an extra tip whenever I go out. I think it's nice and courtesy at least on my part, now it depends on how well was the service on how much I give, but I always give a tip