I Took Away a Waitress’ Tip, and I Don’t Regret It

A man took to the Internet to share a story about a dinner that went wrong, sparking a conversation about just how far customer service can go before a diner is pushed over the edge. His experience with a waitress who publicly confronted him over his tip has left many debating who was truly in the wrong.

This is his story.

"This all happened a few nights ago, and I still can’t quite believe it went down the way it did.

My partner and I went out to an Italian restaurant we’ve been to a few times before. It’s not a super fancy place, but it’s pleasant enough that you can sit down, order some drinks, and have a relaxed evening.

Our server, who we’ll call Samantha, seemed out of it the whole time. She forgot my drink twice, brought out the wrong starter, and then vanished for what felt like an eternity when it was time to order dessert.

It wasn’t the end of the world. I’ve worked in customer service myself, so I get that busy nights can get a little wild. Still, the service was really poor.

When the check came, I paid and left a 10% cash tip. It wasn’t a huge amount, but it wasn’t nothing, either. I felt it was reasonable given the circumstances.

We were just getting up to leave when Samantha walked over, picked up the cash, and said, “Seriously? This is it?” She said it loud enough that a few people at the tables nearby turned to stare.

I was stunned and didn’t know what to say at first. Then she added, “You know, servers can’t pay their rent because of people like you. Cheap people shouldn’t eat out.”

The whole restaurant went completely silent, like that kind of silence you hear in a sitcom. My girlfriend was visibly cringing.

I just stayed calm and told her, “Okay, I’m sorry you feel that way,” and we started to leave. But then, I’m not kidding, she muttered, “Whatever, cheapskates,” just loud enough for us and others to hear.

So, I turned around, walked back to the table, took the tip, and left without saying another word.

My girlfriend told me later that I handled it fine, but a friend of mine thinks I went too far by taking the tip back, saying that no matter what, you should just leave it and move on. I feel that being scolded and humiliated over a 10% tip that I had already left was completely out of bounds.

So, am I wrong for taking back the tip after she yelled at us in front of everyone in the restaurant?"

The internet’s reaction to the tipping debate.

After the man shared his story, Reddit users flooded the comments with their own takes on the situation, creating a heated debate. The opinions were sharply divided, with many praising his actions while others questioned his story or criticized his response.

• She expected and then demanded a good tip for a crappy job. You were nice enough to leave her something, but she wanted to be ungrateful. © Badudi41 / Reddit
• I would probably have pointed out why the tip was not higher. 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. © Lasat / Reddit
• If you’re unhappy with one person’s service and short the tip, just know you’re punishing everyone. Most restaurants now pool tips to make things more equitable. The proper thing to have done was to go to the host station and ask to speak to the manager and describe what happened. © downtownlasd / Reddit
• Yes, she provided bad service... but when she threw it in your face, you could have said something along the lines of “you provided substandard service, and this is the tip you earned.” Instead, you took the entire tip, even though you know (having worked in customer service) that this is where she earns her money. That’s not cool. © Traditional-Ad-1605 / Reddit
• Your friend is wrong. She got what she deserved. © Worldly_Act5867 / Reddit
• The whole point of a tip is to be an incentive for the server to do good work. Tipping at a higher rate for reasons is the opposite of an incentive. It leads to entitlement, and it’s why bad wait staff stick around to ruin an otherwise good business. © RandoCollision / Reddit

• The audacity of some servers like no you don’t get to demand a good tip after giving trash service. 10% was generous, I would have taken it back too. © maybeitsleyla / Reddit
• I have trouble believing that this happened. Because in most restaurants, a waitress calling you out in front of an entire restaurant for a lower than normal tip would be disciplined and likely fired. © ChocolateAmerican / Reddit
• She was way out of pocket when she confronted you like that but a 10% tip? That’s giving cheap vibes. I realize ppl hate tip culture but penalizing your server because you believe employers should pay more is just an excuse to be cheap. © MoreApplication9000 / Reddit
• “I’ve worked customer service myself,” then you should know that it’s not likely all of her fault. If the service is so poor that you’re going to leave little or no tip. You should be asking to see the manager, who would likely have comped your starter, your drinks, and your dessert.
  And might be better able to explain what was going on “sorry Samantha has been covering an extra 6 tables because of a no call absence” or “Samantha is still training, sorry about that.” © Many_Bothans / Reddit
• It sounds like she was doing 10% of her job and so 10% tip is fair. © outlawsecrets / Reddit
• You know what else makes it hard to pay the rent? Getting fired for humiliating customers. © Savings_Piglet5111 / Reddit

This man’s story has ignited a fiery debate online. And for another take on restaurant disputes, check this article: 21 Curious Stories That Took Place in Cafés and Restaurants