Server Tells Group Of Customers They Should Eat Somewhere Else After They Admit To Not Wanting To Leave Him A Tip
Tipping isn't mandatory, but it is the right thing to do.
wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock Tipping is a hot-button issue across the nation, with people drawing a firm line in the sand as pro-tip or anti-tip.
Some restaurant-goers get why tipping is a necessity and not just a nicety, but others believe it’s not their responsibility to compensate workers for providing them with a service.
A server told customers to eat somewhere else after they admitted they weren’t leaving him a tip.
Dean Redmond is a New York server and content creator who had a run-in with a group of customers that left his head spinning. He shared the story of poor restaurant etiquette on TikTok, where it was met with a mix of understanding and outrage.
“I walk up to my table for a drink order and the first thing this woman says is, ‘We’re not gonna be tipping so you can keep that in mind when you give us service’ and they all start hysterically laughing,” he said.
“So, I start joining in laughter, because who even says that to someone when they’re out with six people at a sit-down fancy restaurant,” he said. His reaction was to be expected, as what she said seemed like an absolute joke.
Only she was completely serious.
The woman explained her intention to not tip as though it were some kind of political statement instead of a personal financial decision.
“So I’m laughing until she’s like, ‘No, like, seriously, hon, like we’re making a point to your boss that maybe if we don’t tip he’ll catch a hint to raise your hourly, ‘cause it’s not on us to pay your bills,’” Redmond reported.
Much to the server’s shock, the table of 6 had already decided not to tip him.
“I’m just bewildered at this point, but I’m just staring at her like, ‘I’m sorry, ma’am, but we are a sit-down restaurant, and I think the hostess will tell you you need to leave if you don't want to tip us,” he explained.
According to Redmond, the woman reacted with a gasp, “As if I, like, threw something at her."
"She’s like, ‘I don’t think you get to decide that. You have to wait ‘til the end to see how we liked your service, and then we tip,” he recalled, as though she hadn’t already revealed her nefarious intentions to not tip at the start of their conversation.
The server responded in the most peaceful way possible: By telling her there was a Panera down the street where she could order at the counter and not tip.
“I literally walked away and watched them sit there [for] 20 minutes until they finally got up and left, catching the hint that I’m not gonna help them,” he said.
“Go away if you’re not gonna tip!” he concluded.
The woman’s mindset was sort of, almost in the right place: Servers should be paid a standard living wage. They shouldn’t have to rely on the mercy and goodwill of strangers like herself, who decide tipping isn’t important, even though it’s someone else’s literal livelihood.
While leaving a tip isn’t required, most of the time, it’s the right thing to do.
A person is providing you a service by feeding you when you could have stayed home to eat peanut butter straight out of the jar — which is a free, protein-rich meal and a great way to avoid tipping if you’re the kind of person who treats others like their lives don’t matter at all.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture and all things to do with the entertainment industry.