Why are people so rude to their waiter/waitress and then don't even leave a 15% tip?!?

Question

You tip waiters because they make 2.13 an hour!!! I can't believe you just said that. It is not our decision to make that much obviously. And we do work for our money. I have worked in offices and retail and everything and waitressing is the hardest job I have ever had. Please don't ever go out to eat with that attitude

Oh and just so you know... if you don't tip your server you should probably never go back to that restaraunt because they will remember you and the second you walk in they will tell EVERY server there and you will either get your food screwed up on purpose or bad service because they know your not going tip anyway. I have worked in restaurants a long time and this happens alot. Chances are your server has more than one job and is busting their butt through school or single parenting.

Maria,

Just so you know, bus boys get paid minimum wage or more and do get tipped out at the end of the night. The end up making as much as we do if not more on some nights, so don't worry about them. As for "special servers" I have no idea what that is... all I know is that I do ALL the work and no one helps me unless I ask them to.

I never said I give bad service or screw up orders... I am saying that it does happen though. I ALWAYS do my best and when I get stiffed it pisses me off. I have gone WAY above excellent service before and catered to people and still have gotten a 5% tip. So of course I am going to be a little bitter.

Answer 1

The last I heard, tipping was not a requirement. It is something that you give someone over and above their pay for a service. So if you are my waitress and I have to chase you around the cafe to get a refill on my coffee, you don't get a tip. If you spill my food, or insult my children, or are just too smothering...no tip. Never ever ever assume that you have earned a 15% tip just because you are a server in a restaurant.

Answer 2

I completely understand your frustration at not receiving a tip, or receiving a poor tip after doing a good job. I know that you work very hard and receive below minimum wage, so you depend on your tips to survive. However- you do have to realize that tipping is not mandatory and should be based on service. No one should expect to do the bare minimum required and receive an exceptional tip. You go out to eat just like anyone else. I think you would feel pretty horrible if you had to pay a lot for your meal and then were required to pay fifteen to twenty percent extra when your server was largely absent, got your order wrong, was rude, etc.

I understand that everyone has a bad day, and that sometimes these things can't be helped, but it is not the customer's responsibility to supplement your income. A tip is something you receive for exceptional service. I always tip at least 15 % unless I receive horrible service. If I receive exceptional service, I tip 20% or more. You should not have a figure in your head that you expect to receive. I know it's hard, but you have to be grateful for what you get. Some people are just cheapskates and will tip poorly or not at all, no matter what, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be guilt tripped into giving someone more than I think they deserve because they receive a low wage. LOTS and LOTS of people in the service industry receive horrible wages and do far more work. Many waiters don't actually even do the serving anymore. There is a special "server" who does that, and will often bring the customer other things he requests such as napkins and ketchup. What about these people? What about bus boys? Why should the waiter get the entire tip when he hasn't done all the work?

Basically, waiters/waitresses have crappy wages, and that needs to change. If you can't change the industry, my advice is to do it for as long as you have to, and then get the hell out of it.

P.S.- I never leave a restaurant without leaving some kind of tip. I think it sends much more of a message to shape up if you leave a quarter than nothing. In fact, I used to leave actual "tips" on pieces of paper for my waiter. If I received great service I'd leave a nice note along with a good amount of money thanking them. If I received poor service, I'd leave a small amount of money along with a "tip" on how to improve their service. It's not as arrogant as sounds. I'm not trying to tell people how to do their jobs, but I also think feedback is important if you want to do well in anything.

Answer 3

Ok I did a post about it and I think your getting heated over this, so let me explain. If you don't want to be a ****** WAITER, don't be a ****** WAITER! And if it takes more than 20 minutes to make a ****** burger why the **** am I gonna pay the other half of your check????? They can't not get paid under minimum wage because it's illegal. What if one day no one shows up and your a waiter working?? You won't get paid?? Seriosuly waiters for the most part are ridiculous. I've only tipped a waiter 20 dollars for a 100 dollar meal at a fancy resteraunt, because he advised good food, we say next to the beach and he was very nice and my food came quick.

Answer 4

Tipping should ALWAYS be optional, just as being a server or working in ANY industry is by CHOICE. If ANYONE bases how they do their job on who how much EXTRA they earn by tips, they need to get a different job!! There will ALWAYS be jerks who DEMAND more attention than others, and jerks who do not tip no matter WHAT you do - EXPECTING to be tipped is not at all cool - you should ALWAYS do your best, no matter what - you cannot control the people, you can only control yourself.

To PURPOSELY screw up an order or act rude to ANY customer, is being totally HYPOCRITICAL. If I were your boss and found you instigated such a thing, you would be fired INSTANTLY. Your JOB is to provide excellent SERVICE - not to play judge and "punish" low or no tippers!!!

My husband and I leave WAY above average tips for excellent service, average tips for average service, and super low tips for lousy service - and, we WILL go out of our way to let Management KNOW when the service was really BAD, and when it is really FANTASTIC. Your wage is factored in to the prices we are paying, and we do expect you to do your job as best as possible. We have both been in low paying jobs - we do not expect our feet to be kissed.

I sympathize with anyone who works hard for low wages, BUT that does not mean I feel RESPONSIBLE to make up the difference for that, nor should you so venomously DEMAND we do!!

Answer 5

That can be turned around. I have had some really rude waiters/waitress. I leave great tips for great service.I leave poor tips for poor service. If you are doing a really good job-you deserve to be left with a great tip-but if you are not, don't expect a tip. I was a waitress one time and it is hard work. I went out of my way to make the people enjoy their meal, even though I was dead tired from being on my feet. I usually got good tips.Sometimes you get cheapos and they wouldn't leave a good tip if they were given excellant service. But most tip if given good service.

Answer 6

Some people think that they are doing you a favour by just paying for their meals. I used to be a cashier/hostess years ago and this is what I used to do.....I would ask them if every things was all right , and when they said it was,I would tell them that are good service was because we had the BEST waiters and waitresses in the city. And we know that are customers would show them their appreciation. and it never fail, The customer would go back to the table and leave a big fat tip!!!!

Answer 7

For what it's worth, the US is pretty much the only country where tipping is the main source of income for servers. (But it is not the only country where people answer these questions. Australians, Europeans, etc are genuinely baffled by why we make such a big deal of it in the US.)

Second, the rude ones are always the ones who tip low because they are . . . .well, they're rude. Best thing to do is make friends with the chef and cooks so that when you get a rude table you can get their food out quickly and get that table turned as soon as possible (without being rude yourself)

Answer 8

snickers- Most waiters do not even earn minimum wage because it is expected that they receive tips. So yes, it is fair to you.


People can be rude to waiters for a wide variety of reasons. Some people feel superior to their waiter and use the opportunity to exert a power over them for their pride. Some people are having a bad day and just don't want to deal with waiters (we've all had days like that). Some people are just rude in general.

I generally am not rude to waiters. I almost always tip. If I am rude to a waiter or do not tip, it is because the waiter did a number of things to make it that way. I don't mind a waiter making a mistake, we all do that, but if they treat me rudely or are grossly incompetent, I will not tip them.

Answer 9

I leave a tip when I eat in restaurant.
but I am also assuming it would have something to do with
the service. If the customer gets excellant service the restaurant should get a tip

If the service I would not pay a tip and if the customer doesn't get excellant service the restaurant should be thankful the check is paid. The customer would not need to come to the restaurant again.

Answer 10

I don't understand why some people feel the need to be rude to waiters/waitresses, but it just seems to be in some people's natures.
As for tipping, it is not required, but it is polite if you get good service. If the service is not good, then the tip should reflect that.