As the national debate about eliminating tipping in restaurants reaches a fevered pitch, there are some people who feel the need to stiff their servers in order to prove a point. In other words, because they believe that servers should have a living wage instead of a tipped wage, they think they are doing us a favor by not leaving a tip. That’s all well and good and, although we appreciate your support, you need to keep tipping us until the hourly wage actually changes. Besides, we all know that you probably weren’t planning on tipping much anyway, and by taking the “I believe servers deserve more money per hour” stance, it lets you justify your cheap behavior.
The worst of these people are the ones who leave little business cards after their meal explaining why they didn’t tip. They key word in that sentence is “after.” None of these people have the fucking balls to leave the card before the meal because they know if they did that, most servers would immediately brush them off and never bother to fill a glass of water again. The people who do this are cowards and I bet all of them leave it on the table at the very last minute after they have put their coats on and when the server is in the kitchen unable to see what’s happening. To these people I have this to say:
Yeah, if you truly feel that way about leaving tips, then why don’t you tell us as soon as you sit down? We can then leave the menu with you and when you know what you want to eat you can get up and go find a computer and ring it in yourself. Assuming you rang it in correctly, just head right over to the service bar and wait for your drinks because no one is going to take them to you. Then you will have to wait until you hear someone in the kitchen yell “food up in the window, I need a runner” because that will be your food. Again, no one is going to run it except you. I mean, hey, if you’re not going to tip for service, we aren’t going to give you any, right. Find a tray jack and a tray and then carry all of it to your table- don’t drop it, now, it’s heavy. And if it’s a really busy night, you might have to lift the tray all the way over your head as you make your way through people standing around the bar. After you get your food to the table, ask yourself if everything is okay. If you need salt or freshly ground pepper, you better go find out where it is. And if you need mayonnaise, you might have to go the walk-in to get it because someone else used the last bit and now there is none in the sidestand. At this point, if you need refills, you will have to walk back to a computer to ring it in and wait again for the drink to be made. When you are done eating, kindly take the dirty dishes to the dish room and then go find yourself a dessert menu. If you see something you like, go back to the computer and ring it in and listen for the expo guy to tell you it’s ready. In the meantime, if you want coffee, you’ll have to go make some because, again., someone else used the last bit and now the pot is empty. Also, you’ll have to go to dry storage and get some filters. Make sure you get yourself some coffee cups, cream, sugar and dessert spoons on the way. If you can’t find any spoons, ask the dishwasher to run some more silver. Go get your dessert and check to see if the coffee is ready. Pour your coffee and enjoy your dessert. When you’re done eating, take your dishes to the dish room and then pay your check. You won’t have to leave a tip since you did everything yourself, cheap ass. After you’re done paying, simply wipe down your table with a sanitized rag and reset the table for the next customers. Does that seem like a lot of work? It is and if you would be willing to leave a tip, you wouldn’t have to do any of that.
ECfromDC
I cannot imagine how big of a d-bag that person must be in every other aspect of their lives to have take the time and supplies to create that card. I bet that have hundreds of them made too. Pathetic.
ECfromDC
they have*
Rachael
You want the server to be paid fair wages, but you don’t tip and therefore cause him to have no wage. Yeah, that makes sense. Ass-hattery!
Anonymous
Jill Diener, that is the best explanation I have heard
Hans
This living wage argument is bullshit. Waiters in fine dining restaurants make quite a bit more than fifteen bucks an hour and they deserve every penny. Leaving a wage in the hands of a restaurant owner is like asking a wolf to take care of your child. No one in the back of the house makes fifteen an hour. So what makes you think that a waiter’s wage will be a living wage once the restaurant owner figures out that he can now buy that red Porsche that he’s been pining for. Keep leaving twenty percent. And remember that people have bad days, just incase, you were thinking to give your waiter ten percent because he wasn’t living up to your idea of good service. Oh, and instead of spending money on business cards to fuck your waiter take your money put a plastic bag over your head and fuck yourself you cheap piece of shit.
Alan
Yikes! I think I would have preferred a Jack Chick tract that seeing THAT on one of my tables…
Emmentaler
This is a push by the “$15 minimum wage” crowd to help force their agenda.
Here’s the other side of the tip: Personally, I use tipping to reflect on the service I receive, and those who provide exemplary service receive exemplary tips – 20-50% is not uncommon for me. One fine gentleman received over 100% for how he handled and treated my family of 7, most of whom, at the time, were under the age of 15. However, the vast majority receive 10% or less because they are unfriendly, inattentive, or seem aggravated to have to do their jobs. Grudgingly serve me and mine, I’ll grudgingly tip. Without tipping, I could provide no incentive to my servers to treat me well.
Anonymous
Something about the way you said the “vast majority” only deserve 10 percent or less tells me that you are one of those people who will deduct for arbitrary things, and that those examples you provided of your generosity are the ONLY times you’ve tipped decently to well.
Jill Diener
What amazes me is that the non-restaurant people don’t realize that GOOD servers will not serve for $15 an hour. They do not realize that menu prices will have to increase to accommodate the new wage standard. The professional servers who will return to your table for your every need will cease to exist. Instead you will receive indifferent service, a server who is inexperienced and uninspired thus removing any reason to go to a restaurant for an escape and to pamper yourself. Good luck.
Katie
From what I keep hearing, the cost of the food at these restaurants who have abolished tipping is going up between 20-25% (the majority of people don’t tip that much…). The jump between minimum wage and $15 (for most places, not like Kansas or Idaho) is only $7.50. That’s less than a tip on one table at a decent restaurant for dinner. Let’s say you have a $100 two top, who tips 20% and is there for 1.5 hours. That’s about $13 per hour. A restaurant who has abolished tipping has raised their prices 20%, so your bill is now actually $120. They give their server an extra $11.50 for that hour and a half that the table was there. Mind you, this is assuming that there aren’t any more tables. Where did the extra $8.50 go? Yes, there are bussers or bartenders to pay as well, but who is winning this scenario? The restaurant.
MANGLER
That’s the thing. If just about any restaurant advertised a server position and said they pay $15/hr, I’d keep on reading – and so would any other person who takes serving seriously. The only people who knock server wages are those who’ve never done it – or who were horrible at it in the first place.
Ana
This is pathetic. I want to believe people are good but lately it’s hard with what I’ve been reading. The things people use to justify bad behavior are insane. My best friend has worked in food service forever and she taught me how to be a good tipper. Because of this I always leave a place feeling good or get a stronger/better drink. I myself have almost no income and am disabled. I would still give a server the last dollar in my pocket. Who knows what their life is like and what they are working hard for. I always assume people need the same understanding and support that I need and the least you can do is leave a tip. I can’t believe this little card. It is a coward thing to do but I understand leaving it at the end of the meal because when you are unkind to people it’s contagious. And so you will get treated badly for treating others badly. Maybe the server would be the bigger person. Depends on their age. I wouldn’t count on it and just expect spit in my food. If you care go be an activist and write a letter. Don’t shaft the people who need it most. I’ve mostly worked retail because I don’t have the talent of being a server. I found that out the hard way by trying, It’s a crazy hard job and deserves good pay and respect.
Anonymous
I want to take that business card, roll it up, wrap it in sandpaper, and shove it up the ass of the obnoxious douchbag who made it.
MK
The thing that people who take that whole “I shouldn’t be responsible for paying your wages” attitude always seem to miss is that THEY’D BE DOING THAT EITHER WAY. If restaurant owners were required to pay servers a livable wage, they’d have to raise food prices to compensate. So either you pay less for your meal with the understanding that you’ll be leaving a tip (the amount of which you get to decide, isn’t that nice?!) or you shell out more for your food, which amounts to the same damn thing except you don’t have the option of being a cheap fucker (or tipping a little less if your server was genuinely an asshole to you for some reason which let’s be honest how often does that really happen).
Keep on keepin’ on bitchy waiter, love ya
Tipsykit
How about this: if you think the tipping system is broken and horrible and you don’t want to participate, fine, but DON’T GO EAT AT A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE EXPECTED TO TIP. If you don’t want to pay anything but the price of your food, go eat at McDonald’s. Or do some research and find one of the few full-service restaurants that have abolished tipping and take your business there. But don’t just stiff your server. Most landlords and utility companies won’t accept your little business cards as legal tender. And the restaurant manager isn’t going to look at that card and then hand the server $20 out of the till to cover your little political statement.