There are many people who enjoy debating almost any subject, but there are also certain subjects that seem to attract more attention than others. This includes the subject of tipping, which can get people fired up on both sides of the debate.
Although tipping is not a big deal in some countries, it is the primary way that servers make money in the United States and some other countries. Tipping has become somewhat of a hot-button topic as a result, and some servers are not shy about mentioning the tip.
That is what happened in this story but the woman decided that she would renege on the gratuity. She then posted her question to see whether she was in the right or the wrong. Read the story below and then you be the judge.
I (30F) went out to a nice restaurant with my husband (30M) last night to celebrate his big promotion. Everything was going well until the very end, when the waitress completely ruined it with her entitled attitude.
When the check came, I left a $10 tip on top of the $85 bill. As the waitress picked up the money, she sneered and said loudly, “Ten bucks? This isn’t the 1950s anymore, you know.”
I was stunned. Her tone was so condescending and rude. My husband’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Excuse me?” I said, instantly annoyed. “I think 10 bucks on an $85 bill is more than fair.”
The waitress rolled her eyes dramatically. “It’s a standard 20% tip these days, cheapskate. Do you not know how to calculate that?”
I couldn’t believe her snotty attitude. That $10 was over 11%, which is a decent tip by any measure. Her entitlement really rubbed me the wrong way.
“You know what,” I snapped, losing my cool. “With that kind of nasty attitude, you don’t deserve a tip at all!”
I swiftly reached over and snatched the $10 bill back off the table. The waitress’s mouth fell open, and she started loudly berating me with insults, calling me names and causing a whole scene. Other diners turned to gawk at the commotion. My husband was embarrassed.
Finally, the manager had to come over and forcibly remove the unhinged waitress, who was still yelling at me. We ended up just having to leave without leaving a tip.
I’ll admit I probably overreacted, but her smug, condescending behavior absolutely infuriated me. After treating a customer so disrespectfully, she didn’t deserve anything extra. But I’m getting heated debates from others on whether I should have just brushed it off instead of making a scene.