There are some awfully mean tippers out there -- like the jerk who left nothing but a note saying "you could stand to lose a few pounds."
And now here's the scolding "my 2 cents" tipper. This is a customer who left a handwritten lecture and two pennies as a tip. The note got posted to Reddit:
Waitressing 101. Don't tell every customer you're very busy, to excuse your lack of serving skills. Your job is to attend to us, not make us feel like we're an inconvenience. A little bit of personal attention goes a long way in the form of a tip. Just my 2 cents.
Now obviously this was an obnoxious thing to do. If a server tells you they're busy, it's probably because they're beyond the point of just busy and have reached the OMG We're Way Understaffed Desperation Zone. It happens -- management is cutting corners and not hiring enough waitstaff. Or you get slammed with more customers than usual. Or people call in sick at the last minute. And maybe this was just a way for a harried server to let her table know why they weren't getting the service she thought they deserved.
It's also important to remember that servers' wages are on the low side because restaurant owners know they're getting tips.
But the mean tipper has a point.
Maybe tips are for people who know how to finesse a bad situation, not just manage it. A restaurant should be very busy. And as just about any server will tell you, half of the job is learning the art of soothing impatient customers. It's about smiling, making people feel welcome, saying, "I'll be right with you, so sorry to make you wait" instead of "Phew, I'm so busy!" Even in the worst circumstances. That's how you get that little extra sugar from your customers: By pouring a whole lot on them.
Anyway, clearly the server on the other end of this "tip" was angry -- probably too angry to pick up on any lesson. No one likes a lecture. But just because the messenger is a jerk doesn't mean their message can't still be valuable. Taking in this customer's "2 cents" could make the server a lot more money in the future.
Do you still tip even when you think the service was bad?
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Comments 102
It really depends on the situation. If you can plainly see that they server is swamped and is trying her best then she deserves a good tip. I've had bad servers though that act like you are an inconvenience to them and are annoyed because you asked for a straw that they forgot to give you. That type gets no tip or a very small one. I do have to say though, I would never want to be a waitress.. too many rude people out there, I'd end up pouring hot soup on their head or something.
Well, it must be nice to be waited on hand and foot for you spoiled people out there. I have been a waitress, and it is a THANKLESS job. And in an economy like this, I was grateful to have it depite my experience in hospitals and educatio, because no one else was hiring. The point is, if you've never had to do this sh*tty job, YOU DON'T GET IT. It's not fun having people look down on you, give you religious pamphlets for tips, and write hateful notes when you get busy and can't do anything right to please these people. It's a $2.13 an hour job that sucks.
I usually always tip at least 15%. Even with poor service, my hope is that a decent tip will perk up the server's mood so no one else has to suffer like I did.
But there was one time where we literally had no service. Our table had some sort of electronic contraption on it that you pushed a button when you wished to speak with a server. So she NEVER came by our table unless we pushed the button. And she wasn't even the one who brought us our food or drinks. So we left nothing. I feel bad about it, but if the restaurant is going to teach their servers to be lazy, I shouldn't have to pay for it.
Server's don't make "half minimum wage"...I'm sorry...I don't think $2.13 is HALF minimum wage...because IT IS NOT! I agree...if the service is awful...the tip isn't so great. I've been a server for a number of years and some days...you do have off days and you do the best you can do. And sometimes, you truly are busy and try to give the best you can give to each table. I see both sides of the story.
I have waitressed before and something you should absolutely NOT do is tell a customer you are too busy for them. Tell them you will be right back, get there as soon as possible, reassure them that they are important but you NEVER essentially tell them that they aren't worth your time. In my opinion, she deserved the note and the 2 cents.
Tips are not just for good service. When you go to a restaurant, you are supposed to be paying part of the server's salary in the form of a tip. If you can't or won't tip, don't eat at a restaurant. If a server does a really bad job, I leave 5%, unless the check is really small, then 10%. I leave 10% if the service is not great, 15% for average service and 20% for fantastic amazing service. I make allowances if I am eating someplace really cheap, because leaving $2 is a slap in the face. In our state a server makes 3.50 an hour!! Many of the servers that I know are attempting to support themselves and even a family on those horrible wages.
Let's face it, many people treat a food server like some kind of second class citizen. Even the best server can have a bad day or get swamped or the kitchen can screw them up, etc... Maybe the server in this story was young and new and poorly trained in a poorly managed restaurant. Maybe jobs are really scarce and employers are willing to be abusive to cut down on costs. I think that all of the people who think that they are doing the server a favor by leaving a tip should try waiting tables once and see if they don't develop an appreciation for how hard a job it can be and how nasty people can be