Few topics can spark debate the way tipping culture does. Some are adamant that serving staff should get a tip no matter what. Others believe the quality of service should dictate a tip. One man managed to anger his wife after leaving less than a dollar tip for their waitress, but believes his actions are justified.
The man shared his story on Reddit, where he explained that he was dining with his wife. However, when he gave his payment card to the waitress, she allegedly looked upset, “slapped” the card on the table, and said, “declined.”
He claims he was taken aback by her rude tone and handed her another card while she stood in silence. The man asked the waitress if she was okay, and she replied, “If I go back and try to run this area, are you still going to be sitting here when I get back?” The man claims he brought her up on her tone. She allegedly replied, “You’re only a customer if you pay.” The customer asked to speak to the manager after their exchange.
The Waitress Apologized After The Second Payment Cleared
The waitress reportedly apologized as the second payment went through without any issue. The man clarified in his post that the bank flagged his previous card as a $1 charge went through which can be associated with fraud.
The couple’s bill came to $91.17, and the man claims he paid $92, leaving an 83ยข tip. The waitress was unhappy and reportedly asked, “You’re really not going to tip me?” He replied, “No, you were rude to me.” The poster claims the waitress replied, “I have to tip out the bartender and the busboy. I just paid money to serve you.” He reiterated why he wouldn’t tip her.
His wife was reportedly unhappy with the incident and pointed out that the waitress may have dealt with scammers before. However, the man is adamant that he didn’t want to pay to be insulted. He turned to social media to see if his stance was justified.
The story garnered over 5000 comments, almost unanimously in the poster’s favor. The top reply, with over 14k likes, is from someone claiming they used to work in retail. They said they dealt with scammers often, but would never treat a customer like the waitress did. Several other posters share similar stories, saying they would never approach a customer with a declined card with hostility.
Another reply says, “Former server here, and I wouldn’t have even left the 83 cents.” In agreement, another comment reads, “Waited tables for 12 yrs. I wouldn’t have left a dime.”