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New York Post
4 days ago
- General
- New York Post
‘Cheapskate' diner takes back tip after being ‘humiliated' by server — but is he in the right?
He'd reached a 'no tipping' point. A diner has divided commenters after rescinding a gratuity after a waitress 'scolded' and 'humiliated' him in front of the other customers, as detailed in a viral Reddit post. 'I just can't believe it happened the way that it did,' spluttered the bewildered Redditor. The incident reportedly occurred while the man and his girlfriend were dining at an Italian restaurant they'd been to several times before. The poster described the eatery as nothing too fancy, but perfect for a 'relaxed evening' over a glass of wine. The unimpressed diner decided to leave her a 10% gratuity, which he deemed 'reasonable given the circumstances.' MargJohnsonVA – Unfortunately, their quiet night on the town was marred by 'poor' service from their waitress. 'She lost my drink twice; served the wrong starter; and vanished for what seemed like an eternity when it arrived time to order dessert,' recalled the flummoxed customer. 'It wasn't the end of the world; I've worked customer service myself; and I get that hectic nights go wild.' Nonetheless, the unimpressed diner decided to leave her a 10% gratuity, which he deemed 'reasonable given the circumstances.' The server, however, did not see it that way and proceeded to lay into the patron over what she felt was a stingy gratuity. 'We were just standing up to leave when [the waitress] came over, took the cash and said, 'Seriously? This is it?'' he recounted. 'She had said it audibly. A few people at some nearby tables turned around and stared.' The server laid into the patron over what she felt was a stingy gratuity. JackF – The Redditor said he was rendered speechless by the outburst, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. 'Then she added, 'You know, servers can't pay their rent because of people like you … If you can't tip properly, don't dine out,'' he said. The tirade reportedly caused the other patrons to fall silent and his girlfriend to wince, but the man remained calm and replied, 'I'm sorry you feel that way.' That's when the waitress retorted 'Whatever, cheapskates' — loud enough for the other diners to hear. This response didn't sit well with the diner, who 'walked over to the table; took the tip; and left without another word.' 'I feel like [being] scolded and humiliated on account of a 10% tip that I actually did leave is way out of bounds,' he declared. While the Redditor's girlfriend said his decision was 'fine,' a friend claimed that he'd 'overstepped.' However, many Reddit commenters claimed they would've taken their gratuity back as well. 'She expected and then demanded a good tip for a crappy job,' said one. 'You were nice enough to leave her something but she wanted to be ungrateful.' 'I would've told her 'tip reflects your service,'' said another. 'I would probably have pointed out why the tip was not higher,' said a third. 'And I would also contact the restaurant to speak to a manager because that server was way out of line. I would've taken the tip back as well.' However, others felt the tip retraction was unfair with one critic commenting, 'Tipping 10% is insane. You are cheap.' Another claimed that the 'petty' move inadvertently punished colleagues who were pooling tips with the waitress. They said that a better solution would've been to inform the manager and have them speak with her.
Newsweek
10-07-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Man Finishes Meal, Not Prepared for Why Server Is Waiting Outside Bathroom
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A routine meal at an Applebee's ended awkwardly for a group of four diners when their server apparently confronted one of them outside the restroom, demanding to know why she hadn't been tipped. The episode was described in a post by Reddit user Own_Bat_5065, who explained that the table had minimal interaction with the server throughout their visit. Missing Service "Our waiter maybe stopped by once to check how were we doing and we asked for water, we never saw her until when we were almost done eating," the original poster (OP) wrote. Despite it being a slow evening, they said the service lacked attentiveness. The group requested separate checks, each totaling between $12 and $17. One diner tipped $5, another $1 and two left no tip. As they waited for a friend to return from the restroom, they witnessed the server challenge him near the door. Stock image: Cash is left as a tip after dining out at a restaurant. Stock image: Cash is left as a tip after dining out at a restaurant. MargJohnsonVA/Getty Images "She confronted him and her exact words were, 'So what was wrong with my service? Huh?' in a snarky and angry voice," the OP recalled. "The server then said, 'So why did you give me zero tip, something must've gone wrong'." 'Lazy servers' Online critics weighed in with their own opinions, ranging from annoyance at the confrontation to calling for managerial intervention. "Straight to the manager and let them know what their staff are doing," a Reddit user advised. Another person chipped in, "At that point you ask for the manager and demand they comp the bill... Sure, they will try to confront you quietly, sometimes they try to embarrass you publicly. "But they will shrink away... if you start screaming at the manager that how the hell can they employ lazy, entitled servers that try and publicly shame people if they don't tip enough?" The confrontation speaks to broader frustrations around tipping culture in the United States. According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, nearly half of Americans say whether they tip depends on the situation. At sit-down restaurants, 92% say they usually tip—but the expectation is often tied to the level of service received. "I applaud [the] OP for acting in accordance with the way tipping culture is designed to operate," etiquette expert Jo Hayes said in an interview with Newsweek. "The better the service, the better the tip. The poorer the service, the poorer the tip. In this case, no service, no tip." Hayes pointed out that tipping should reflect gratitude for quality service—not be treated as mandatory regardless of experience. The incident described by user Own_Bat_5065 is far from isolated. In another situation reported by Newsweek, a customer recounted how a server, "just took my order and vanished like a part-time magician." When the check arrived, the waiter reappeared, circled the suggested tip and smiled. The customer asked: "My guy, what am I tipping for?" 'That was our service' In reply to an invitation to comment from Newsweek via Reddit, Own_Bat_5065 said they wanted to emphasize that the group did indeed tip. "We split the bill into four and we decided due to the lack of service we would not tip well," the OP continued. "I also wanted to add that may not be important, but as we were leaving the restaurant looking back, I saw the manager looking back at us. She did not try to get to us and apologize and I am certain she saw and heard the commotion. "We were already leaving and in shock still, so I did not think to comment about it. "Also we saw her at the beginning to take our order, and I don't recall it being the same person that brought our food, this being another person's job, and we saw her 15-20 minutes later to ask about water, which we then didn't see her until the meal was already done. "That was our service." Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek. To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.
New York Post
18-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Greedy restaurant slammed by internet over hidden living wage fee added to bill
A disgruntled patron posted a receipt from a recent trip to a restaurant that charged its guests a mandatory 'living wage fee' on Instagram threads — and the internet was incensed. 4 Despite the clarification at the bottom of the receipt, the original user captioned their post: 'WTF is a living wage fee?' @ / Instagram Tipping culture has long been a point of contention for Americans, and as prices continue to rise, the practice has become an even more controversial topic. But now it seems that businesses are taking things too far by tacking on extra fees such as this one — and people aren't happy about it. 4 'It's your job,' respond many in this camp when it comes to tip-demanding employees. FornStudio – 'Price increase without having to update the menu,' claimed one reply on the post. '[This] means I'm never eating at that restaurant again,' said another. Meanwhile, another commenter proposed an entirely separate issue of debate: the pooling of tips. 'If I wanna tip a person, I wanna tip that individual, not the entire team. This is unfair to the server and to me.' However, a few lonely restaurant-goers cut the restaurant, which remained unnamed in the post — and the growing industry trend — some slack, and fired back at fellow commenters. 'Y'all have been asking for no tipping, this is what it looks like. It could reflect in drink/food prices, but then you all would say the place was too expensive. No one is trying to trick you — if they were transparent about the service fee, STFU,' one empassioned viewer responded. 4 'Consumers pay wages via prices,' one user commented, acknowledging the lack of consequence for this specific charge as opposed to increased menu prices. MargJohnsonVA – 'Just include [the fee] in the cost of the food and drinks, like the rest of the world is doing, and pay the workers properly. Sincerely, a guy from Europe,' one aggrieved commenter suggested under the post. This response was the sole sentiment that united incensed restaurant patrons on both sides of the debate. 'Mind your European business,' advised one reply, while another said: 'Hey, stay out of our insanity!' For some small, family-owned restaurants, implementing charges like this living wage fee might allow the business to stay afloat and support their employees — especially amid a cost-of-living crisis. Durham, North Carolina-based Lula & Sadie's is one spot that charges a living wage fee to combat 'rising overhead costs, slim industry profit margins and a minimum wage that won't budge,' per the family-operated restaurant's website. 'The fee is transparently listed on our menus, website and posted around the restaurant.' Though local laws vary greatly in terms of tipping and charging policies in restaurants, New York City Consumer and Worker Protection rules, state that 'restaurants cannot charge a surcharge or other fee in addition to listed food or beverage prices,' but they can 'charge a bona fide service charge, but only if the charge is conspicuously disclosed to consumers before food is ordered.' 4 With general costs rising, both businesses and consumers struggle to meet new standards. Kittiphan – Examples of 'bona fide service charges' include splitting a meal on multiple plates, minimums per person and mandatory gratuity for large dining parties. That being said, 'living wage fees' are often considered service charges, depending on how they're disclosed and absorbed by the business. 'There is no law in New York State that specifically prohibits automatic gratuities. However, it is incumbent upon any restaurant including an automatic gratuity charge to provide—in advance—clear and conspicuous notice that an automatic gratuity charge will be levied and all terms associated with the automatic charge. If consumers are not provided advanced notice, [they] may have a claim under the NYS Deceptive Acts & Practices law, ' New York State's Division of Consumer Protection told News10NBC.
