In many countries in the world, you are not expected to tip a person that has provided you with a service because it’s their job and their employer is paying them to do it. But everyone has probably already heard that that’s not how it works in the US.
Even though it’s not mandatory to tip there, you’re pretty much forced to do it because you know how little the servers get paid because employers take into account the tips their employees get. And when you don’t, servers are pretty irritated as they often depend on those tips and want to be rewarded for their good service.
This TikTok user shared her experience of serving a couple and dedicating her whole attention to them just to get a small tip, so she shared her frustration with the internet and made a follow-up video explaining why she expected more.
More info: TikTok
Server was so done with this couple who spent 6 hours at the restaurant and on top of that, they left only a 10 percent tip
Image credits: Emilio Labrador
The TikToker is named Kristina Withers and she has been a waitress for almost 15 years, having started when she was 14. Even though being a server isn’t Kristina’s full-time job, she likes it because of how quickly she can earn money from tips.
Because she has worked as a server for so long, she is confident in her skills and knows that she does a good job, so for that, she would like to be compensated. So she gave her all for this one couple who arrived even before she came to work and sat there until the restaurant closed but didn’t leave the standard 20 percent tip.
The couple came into the restaurant even before Kristina started work at 5:30pm. They were already checked out and were just sitting there, but at 7 o’clock, they asked if they could get a server as they wanted to order more.
As Kristina was working until closing time, she took their table and served them. They ate their tacos and finished their drinks and continued sitting at the table without ordering more. The restaurant was already empty and Kristina gave them her whole attention as she didn’t have anything else to do.
When Kristina came to work, she noticed a couple there who had already finished their meal and paid but wasn't leaving
Image credits: @krisswith
Image credits: @krisswith
Finally, the couple left, but what Kristina was angry about was that after this exceptional service, the customers left a 10 percent tip which, for some, might seem generous, but in the US, it is considered small.
However, Kristina was happy to even get that because it meant that the couple was leaving, despite being frustrated that they occupied the table for so long and didn’t even order that much.
Bored Panda got in touch with Kristina and she explained to us what an exceptionally good service looks like, "Average service is bringing you drinks and delivering food. Going above and beyond by identifying special occasions, recommending a drink or entree without being asked, going out of their way to accommodate allergies or dietary restrictions (example is instead of offering something off the menu that fits their restrictions, working with the kitchen to develop a more diverse dish that they can have), and overall just making the guest feel special. Anyone can serve a table, but having seamless service where the entire table is happy, laughing, and having a good time takes work, and more importantly time. If I’m taking extra time on a table, I hope to be rewarded with a tip. Because I could have spent that time with other tables making extra money as well."
After a couple of hours, they approached Kristina and asked for a server as they wanted to order more
Image credits: @krisswith
Not everyone who saw the video understood where this frustration was coming from, so Kristina made another video. She explained that servers know that tipping is not mandatory and that employers should make sure that the servers are receiving a decent wage, but in the current system, that responsibility falls on the customer.
In her opinion, if a customer doesn’t want to tip a server, the server has the right to not give their best service. But customers wouldn’t announce it in advance because they know that no tip means mediocre service.
That said, Kristina realizes that not everyone can afford to tip and she personally would still give such people good service if they confessed it right away and were pleasant people. She has the biggest problem with people who are both rude, annoying, demanding and don’t tip on top of making the server work more.
Kristina brought them their drinks and their food and was actually serving only them as they were nearing closing hours so there were no more people inside
Image credits: @krisswith
Kristina explained what she would do if a customer warned her in advanced that she won't be tipped in more detail, "If a table told me that they were not going to tip me before I started service I would not go out of my way to do anything for them. I would still give them basic service, but they’re getting charged for sauces, I’m taking my time to get them things if they are running me around, I’m not fake laughing at jokes or making conversation, and I am putting other customers needs first. An exception to this would be if a table explained to me that they were out for dinner (for a birthday for example) and couldn’t afford a tip- I would still go out of my way to go above and beyond for them. It’s more about treatment of your server as well. If you’re nice and honest and treat us like humans, we’ll do the same in return!"
The server thought she was doing a great job as she was giving the couple her whole attention so she was very disappointed to get only a 10 percent tip
Image credits: @krisswith
At the end of the day, servers just want to be treated with respect and politeness, "The people who comment negatively on my serving videos always do it with a bad attitude. Again, all your server wants is to be treated like an actual person and not a servant. Having to deal with being literally snapped at, whistled at, yelled at, or being treated lesser because I’m doing my job is not ok. Another thing people need to understand, is that everyone gets frustrated with their job. I understand tipping is not a requirement, and I am not entitled to anything. But it would frustrate anyone to waste 6 hours of your work day on something, when you could have been doing something else to make more money."
Image credits: @krisswith
In a different video Kristina made an analogy by comparing restaurant servers with other workers such as the ones that come to work on your house. They are getting paid not only for the materials they use, but also for their labor.
It’s the same with tips, according to the waitress. The food in this case would be the materials and the service is the labor. Only in this case, you can choose what amount you want to pay. Kristina lists that you are paying for the server’s recommendations, exceptional service and a fun time.
The woman fully realizes that tips aren't mandatory and the customer can choose how much they can tip, but after her good service, this felt like a joke to her
Image credits: @krisswith
At the same time she acknowledges that restaurants should pay their workers more and believe that people are partially right when they say that they aren't the ones who should be paying for servers to do a good job, bet the reality is different, "Tip culture is something that is alive and well in America. The federal and state governments set a different minimum wage because they are expecting servers to be tipped. If all of us went and got another job because of it, there would be no servers when people went out to eat. No to mention that a lot of us tip out other members of our team on our sales, so if a table has a $100 tab, I have to tip out a percentage of that and if I get no tip, I’m paying out of pocket. There’s more that goes into it than people think."
She believes that customers would never tell the servers they weren't tipping in advance because they know that tips mean good service and a good time
Image credits: @krisswith
Image credits: Sarah Sphar
But what it comes down to is being human and treating others as such
Image credits: @krisswith
It is true that most states don’t require minimum wage for employees whose job specifically includes tips. According to the law, an employee is considered to be a tipped employee if they regularly receive at least $20-$35 per month in tips depending on the state.
The tipped minimum wage is the lowest amount that an employee can earn per hour. It is determined by state, but it can’t be lower than $2.13 per hour, which is set by federal law. In addition to that, if employees don’t reach the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25, even when they take into account the actual tips, the employer has to compensate for the difference.
Kristina personally would still give her best to a person who wanted to eat out but didn't have money to tip and was a pleasant person
Image credits: @krisswith
However, servers usually do reach the federal minimum wage with tips and almost 60 percent of their wage actually is paid by the customers in tips. Obviously, the tips depend on what industry, what state and what city you work in, but according to Adia, the median average of tips per day is $100 in the US. By hour they earn from $5.77 to $23.80.
Tips initially were introduced as motivation and incentive. It was a way for a customer to show that they liked the server and wanted to reward their effort and skills. But recently it became the only way working people can actually survive. Now if customers don’t tip, servers feel like they’ve wasted their time.
She has the biggest problem with people who are rude, make her work more and don't tip her for fulfilling their demands
Image credits: Trysil
Image credits: @krisswith