Every day, we servers have our eyes opened to another reason that a customer feels like they should not have to leave a tip. Sometimes, it makes sense why a customer chooses not to leave anything, but other times it makes me curl up in a little ball of fury and scream “What the fuck?” over and over again. Such is the case with Anna.
Anna went for a meal at That Place in Ogunquit. She wracked up a bill that totaled $138.04 and when it came time to tip, she searched the world over until she found a reason: the coffee was too hot. Yes, people, Anna thought the coffee was too hot and decided that 0% was better than 20% and stiffed her server of $26. First off, we all know that Anna is the same person who would have stiffed her server if the coffee was too cold, right? Or if the coffee was too old or too fresh or too brown or too watery or served in a coffee cup that didn’t feel right to her lips. In other words, Anna probably had no intention of leaving a tip and that was all she could come up with.
The server sent me the photo and, after verifying that it was legit, I still hesitated to post it because I didn’t want Anna to go viral. (It may or may not be the first time Anna has gone viral, but in the past it was probably always something that antibiotics were able to take care of…) The server also told me that the restaurant has only been open for about seven years, so there is no way that Anna had been going there for 25. Even though it was clear that Anna was an idiot, I still wondered if I should post the photo, because I did not want to get the server in trouble. But then the restaurant itself posted it on their Facebook page, so that gave me free reign to spread the story around.
Anna, c’mon! If the coffee is too hot, you fucking blow on it and wait ninety seconds. Or maybe you reach into your water glass and get a freaking ice cube to drop into your coffee cup. The server’s response to let it “cool down” is actually pretty good advice. It’s also common sense. And for the record, your server didn’t have the “audacity” to chase you down and demand a tip. What actually happened was another server went to tell you that it’s not the server’s fault that the coffee was too hot. You can say whatever you want in your petty little review, but there are two sides to every story and I heard the story from the other side. I choose to believe the server’s side of the story since anyone who justifies leaving zero on a $138 check is most likely an awful person. I don’t like to believe the stories of awful people.
I hope the next time you go out to dinner, you can find it in your heart to leave your server a tip. However, I know that you will more than likely find another reason to not do so. This time the coffee was too hot, but maybe next time the sun will be too bright. Or the music won’t be to your liking or the bread will be too doughy or the salad too salad-y. It’s clear that you simply do not like to tip. Just be aware that the net time you stiff someone and leave a stupid ass note on the credit card receipt, it might just go viral. And antibiotics aren’t going to help every time.
Kate
Bitchy, you are entirely wrong. First no one is entitled to a tip. Would you return money to someone who over tipped? No yet you bitch when someone under tips. You should do your job professionally. If you get a tip, great but you should not expect one.
No one owes you anything. Do you tip other people for doing their job. What about a cashier or… You might get $100 on serving a coffee and $0 serving 10 people. You should be consistently professional not a surly prick because someone didn’t cough up money you felt entitled to buy virtue of doing your job. Second it’s extremely unprofessional to post this online. Who’d want to patronize a restaurant where servers post receipts online when having hissy fits. Bad for business. Third the customer is right to give or withold a tip for any reason. Even if the request was deemed stupid, a good server would have apologized, dropped an cube in the cup and returned with a cooler cup
Instead the server didn’t want to be bothered. Guess what. Her lack of attentiveness cost her a tip. And your response as a waiter and business was exceptionally poor. I am surprised Anna hasn’t sued you for defamation of character over your online harassment campaign
Dana
I think that tips should be “ordered” up front by the customer kind of like selecting the kind of car wash. If you want a “regular” wash, your car would get cleaned with no extras. If you want “regular” service, then a 15% tip would be applied that only required a pleasant demeanor, good service with no unnecessary banter and no complicated ordering (you know the type that tries to change the entire menu and/or recipe). If you want “the works” car wash you get the undercarriage clean, the extra high pressure rinse and the crazy wax protectant. If you want “the works” service then you select the 20%+ tip and get the regular plus the friendly banter, no onions on your salad, your bib tied around your neck with how-to instructions on how to eat your baked stuffed lobster and top your dinner off with splitting a dessert to share on two separate plates to go with your separate checks for a table of two who ordered the identical items. If you choose a poor tip option, you’ll get your slightly warm food eventually, with no smile and a possible grunt and your bill tendered before your done eating. If you choose the “no tip” option, you’ll get the poor tip service, plus we’ll tell the valet to back your brand new Beamer into a telephone pole. As a former server l always tip 20% on the entire bill plus tax, rounded up. We all know that not everything is in one person’s control and if the server isn’t over the top chipper, they could have had the worst possible day and you can turn it around with a good tip. It is only a mistake if you do something wrong more than once.
Tim
The coffee was too hot??? And they shot Lincoln! This classless chick needs a near death experience to teach her what’s really important in life. How we treat one another.
teddy baskins
I’m just confused about why the guest thought that bringing another cup would make it cooler? Surely the small cup of coffee at the table has cooled off more than the insulated carafe of coffee that the already too hot cup came from? Or did she she want the server to bring it in the back and water it down? Alas, some problems cannot be solved, only endured. A too hot cup of coffee is one of these.
Hercule
Re racist comments, even if the percentage of bad tippers is higher in some minority community, “base rate neglect” suggests that more bad tippers exist among the majority.
E.g., using Kahnman’s example, if you are asked if a shy, quiet man is more likely to be a farmer or librarian, you should pick farmer because there are 3 million farmers and only 140,000 librarians.
David
where is the NOTICE that should be posted on the menu which states:
‘we reserve the right to add an 18% Gratuity to ALL credit charges made over $60’?
Scott Casey
Horrible that Anna did not leave a tip for everything but what she was dissatisfied with .. like a normal human being would do. I am very grateful inthis day of Trump that I am not a server. Too many entitled people out there with no moral compass .. awful.
Nobody special
Entitlement doesn’t respect political boundaries, sorry to say. A douche is a douche regardless of party, net worth, or any other consideration. Call them out for THEIR behavior and don’t give them a slogan or excuse to hide behind. It just makes you look lame and lets them claim someone was “mean” to them because of their politics, religion, race, or whatever.
Stacey
People like this give Canadian tourists a bad name.
Marli
i wish i had enough money to worry about stuff like this had a table not tip me for not passing out their books with a tray of drinks in my hand i was worried about spilling on them
Me
Just like that, pearl clutch-er Anna Kirpas, disappears from social media.
Alan
She even deleted her LinkedIn page…
Robin Smith
I too just tried to look up Anna Kirpas and it appears she’s disappeared. HA! Hopefully she’ll think twice next time she wants to come up publicly with a lame reason for being a cheap ass.
David
That’s twice you picked up issues in the town of Ogunquit, Maine. First Angelina’s Ristorante now That Place
Kelly
I can’t believe there are such cheap stuck up snots to look for ANY reason not to tip!!! Just like you said, “coffee too hot” REALLY? I’ve been a server for over 8 years, in a tourist trap town in Maine. I love my job and enjoy it 99% of the time… I have heard some pretty stupid comments from people, and have had some shitty tippers, all of us have… but to NOT give a tip because the coffee was hot?? Can’t you think of something more original? Sit, Eat and enjoy, have your server wait on you, and every other table no less… and leave $0. We should have a way to spot these people, so we can give them shitty service to reflect the tip we are going to get! Just give our full attention to our paying customers, who are most likely better people and more enjoyable to wait on… We are going to have to start telling people “watch out… that ice cream is very cold, or the peanut brittle topping is crunchy” Duh?!?! Sorry this happened to you! We all know why we do this job and it’s not because of the jerks that look for any reason not to tip! I’m sure this is not the only time that these people didn’t leave a tip… It’s pretty sad! Keep smiling girly?
Doug
In a lot of countries people do not tip. But, in this case the women said she has been going here for 25 years which is a lie since it is only a 7 year old resteraunt. If the women is willing to lie about that how can anyone believe a word she says?
I’m going to open a hornets nest here. But, about 80% of one race in the U.S. diffs the server every time.
Another Bitchy Server
You must mean white people.
Kate
And he’s right.
Stingray Stu
Your racism is even more repellent than your spelling and punctuation.
.
Bitchy, is this sort of comment acceptable to you?
Stingray Stu
Comment directed at “Doug” above… Not sure how these replies are nested…
Bud
Dude it isn’t racist to point out realities of how different demographic groups culturally behave. White men are routinely attacked and decided on a daily basis in this country as being responsible for all our ills; maybe you should take up your qualms about racism with the people making those accusations.
Bud
*derided, not decided
DoubtingIt
And how do you know this? I’d love to see some evidence, because I’ve seen it from all sides being a server myself, and googling gets me results all over the map as to surveys on who is a worse tipper regarding race.
Bugsy
In my experience, race has less to do with tipping than class. You have redneck trash and ghetto trash. Neither leave more than a few dollars, if they tip at all. You know them when you see them. Although sometimes you have hoity toity bitches, black and white, that run you to death, and you just know those tips will be shitty. Of course, then there are Indians who rarely leave over $3, even the doctors. The best tips usually come from the least needy people. And one thing I’ve learned about black guests: if it’s a middle-aged man treating his entire family, including his mother, the tip is going to be large.
ElysianaValenti
Why did you even bring up race? You even admitted your comment would be controversial, and it had nothing to do with this blog post. So why the hell would you even mention race? Go away please.
Katie
I work right down the street from this restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine. Most of our business comes from snotty tourists who think they are entitled to everything because they’re on vacation. This is ridiculous that they didn’t leave a tip because the coffee is too hot. Tips are for the service! I’m sorry this happened to her!