Server Says That Customers Gave Him A 'Negative' Tip Before Sneaking Out Of The Restaurant
There's no such thing as a 'negative tip.' It's just theft.
StratfordProductions, 279photo Studio / Shutterstock A waiter was baffled when he returned to a customer’s table at the end of their meal and discovered what they had written on the tip line. However, before he even had a chance to confront them, they had already snuck out of the restaurant.
The waiter said that the customers left him a ‘negative’ tip.
Sharing his story to the subreddit r/TalesFromYourServer, the man revealed that he previously worked at an Asian fusion restaurant when he was in college.
One night during a shift, a couple came into the restaurant. “They were nice enough, though I didn’t like the guy’s attitude as his body language was kinda typical ‘fetch me this, servant’ vibes,” the waiter wrote. “But I like serving people and didn’t really care.”
The waiter shared that he was able to deliver their food and drinks promptly, as the restaurant was not busy that particular night. The entire time that the customers were there, there did not appear to be any issues — at least until the bill arrived.
At the end of their meal, the waiter brought the check to their table, which totaled $46.
Photo: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
“The guy asked me to get him another Diet Coke so I went back to the soda fountain to get it,” the man wrote.
When the waiter returned to the table, he discovered that the customers had already left, and in their place was a rather rude note. “When I got back they were gone and had left $40 for a $46 tab and signed the tip line ‘- $6,’” he wrote.
The waiter confessed that he does not know of any other servers who have ever received a negative tip.
People online were just as dumbfounded and upset on the waiter's behalf.
Many Redditors called the customers cowards for leaving the restaurant and failing to explain themselves.
“It blows my mind when people do this. Like you already ran their card, you're not gonna take off money because they wrote a negative,” one Redditor commented. “He owed $46 (not including tip), paid $40. That’s not a negative tip, it’s theft AND being an [expletive] for not tipping,” another user noted.
Others believed that the waiter should have called the police since the couple technically stole from him by not paying the full bill and leaving a so-called negative tip.
Photo: wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock
Tipping practices can vary by country. According to Table Agent, in the United States, it's customary to tip servers in restaurants around 15-20% of the total bill before tax.
A negative tip is not possible to charge and process, and can also be considered theft if you are paying any amount lower than what the bill totaled.
Since many restaurant workers are paid minimum wage or lower, some of them heavily depend on tip money to make a decent living. While their employers should certainly pay them a decent wage, as customers we can help them out by demonstrating our appreciation for their service with a generous tip.
Negative tips will not help them or your karma.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.