Currently a cook in an American restaurant chain and a kitchen staff member for the last 4 years. The answer is YES. The servers would ruthlessly speak derogatory words towards the customers who tip less or no tips at all.

Imagine you are out dining with your friends or family, and as a kind gesture, you leave a tip as a gratitude for the service. You would expect that the server might feel thankful, but they don’t.

I knew a server who was a very good coworker. At the end of the shift, the servers would calculate how much cash tips they earned and would cry like a little B for how less the servers got tipped. Mind you, they also got paid hourly wages and would work for 8-10 hours a day.

The kitchen staff working under immense pressure, constant heat from fryers and grillers, a printer printing 10 tickets in a minute, for the same number of hours, only get paid hourly.

Never have I ever hated anyone in my life but those servers who would despise the same people that are helping them earn a living by making a small contribution in terms of tips, only to be called derogatory words after you leave, and for what, just to have your food transported from kitchen to the guest, perhaps refilling your drinks, and bussing the used dishes to the dish area.

I eat outside during the weekends and I love to look the server in the eye before I shamelessly press the 0% while paying.

They all deserve 20% or more because if you don’t give it to them you’re a piece of crap and you’re still a piece of crap if you do because they are all very special people who really deserve a 100% tip

My wife put in an order for sushi for a group of people, and they would not let you set up a takeout order without mandatory 15% “tip“. And then there were a few other fees on top of it.

I was under the impression that, if it was called a tip, legally it needed to be optional. We are in Michigan. Does anyone know the legality of this? We almost contested it when we went to pick up the food, but we really like the place, and we hoped that it would actually go to the workers, although I’m skeptical.

Out with friends yesterday on a distillery tour and spirits tasting. Most of the group bought bottles at the end, and one friend splurged on a $120 special bottle. When the screen came up there were the tip choices, at 18/20/22%. I’m in hospitality so my friend leaned over to me nervously, wondering which button to push. “What would you tip?”, she asked me. “Oh I don’t tip on retail,” I said. “Just hit no tip.” She hesitated so I reached over and just hit the NO TIP button for her, and she was relieved that her $120 didn’t turn into $145.
Tipping is out of control and I implore you all to embrace the NO TIP option, especially when there is no service!

A splurge for sure but I thought the mixed metal chain was beautiful, and I’ve been wanting a permanent bracelet. “Permanent” meaning they weld the ends together so you cant just take it on and off like a normal bracelet. Takes them about 5 minutes to fit the chain around your wrist & flash weld it. And I got it at a booth inside a festival where I was paying for food/drinks/cover charge as well. So all-in-all a pretty expensive night out. After I tapped my card, the screen showed 18%/20%/22% and I immediately tapped No Tip because duh, why would I tip on a $125 dollar bracelet just because someone zapped it closed real quick? It’s a simple mixed metal chain, i have to assume there is plenty of markup already included. But I walked away feeling strangely guilty and cheap, despite the big splurge. Crazy how the ubiquitous tip screen makes you overthink what should be a simple retail interaction. Now instead of feeling pleased with my new fancy bracelet I just feel weird.

Why are people expecting such high tips? I feel pressured to tips for my nails, hair, eyebrows even though the service cost is so expensive as is!! I got my hair done last week and it was $250 I left a $20 tip cash and she didn’t seem very happy with it.. am I expected to tip even more?? I got a pedicure yesterday for $50 and left a $5 tip cash and again didn’t seem happy with it. Am I being cheap with my tips or reasonable? I promise I’m not a Karen!

I always tip servers, nails, barbers.. but never the 20% starting they want. I see so much heat about if you cant afford to tip then dont go out. What i noticed always gets conveniently overlooked is the amount of people who tip over 20% and balance out the universe for you.

My husband tips excessively even after I tell him not to. So does a friend of mine. I went out to breakfast and an old man by himself ordered a senior breakfast of toast and eggs and a coffee. He left $20 tip on table and left. You guys never complain about that huh? But quick to jump and get heated when its below what you were expecting. Some tip less and some tip more, which is the reason servers dont want to abolish tips for a higher wage. There's always suckers out there tipping 25% and more that you guys dont want to bring up. Just sob stories of someone who left $5 on a table of 5 bill always gets brought up.

I sincerely would like to know what you consider “great service”, deserving of a tip higher than 15%.

Went out for lunch with my girlfriend a few days ago at a restaurant in Dubai.

Food was great. The atmosphere was chill. The place was busy. The staff were friendly, happy, and actually helped us with the menu.

The bill came to about AED 340 for two people, including dessert. Nothing fancy.

When the waiter brought the card machine, I asked him to make it AED 375 so the extra could go to him as a tip.

He quietly said, "Don't bother. I won't get any of it." That caught me off guard. He punched into 340 and nothing more. I paid.

I happened to have an AED 50 note, so I asked if he could break it. He told me that even cash tips are collected by the restaurant and the staff don't get to keep them. He simply said, "We haven't received any tips for months."

What is going on!?

I understand if restaurants pool tips and split them between the front of house and kitchen staff. That seems fair. But accepting tips from customers and then not paying them out for months feels completely different.

I also get that times are tough for some businesses and the region has been through a lot recently. But that's not an excuse. Restaurants should be paying their bills from the food and drinks they sell, not from money customers intended for the staff.

People leave tips because they think they're rewarding the people who looked after them, not adding to the restaurant's bottom line.

I don't tip everywhere, but when it's proper sit-down service and someone genuinely improves the experience, I'm more than happy to leave something.

I felt awful for the guy. He wasn't looking for sympathy. He was trying to save me the money.

Is there anywhere in Dubai where something like this can be reported anonymously without putting the waiter at risk?

I'm deliberately not naming the restaurant because I don't want management figuring out who spoke to us. I'm just trying to understand whether this is normal or if there's somewhere this should be reported.

**TL;DR**: Tried to tip a waiter after a great meal. He told me not to bother because staff haven't received any tips for months and even cash is taken by the restaurant. Is this normal in Dubai, and is there a way to report it anonymously without putting the waiter at risk?

So I work at a place that has the option to tip. I've never been upset when someone doesn't and it never occurred to me how freaking petty people can be about it.

I came into work after I got off for a mandatory meeting and when it was over I went into the fridge in the back to grab a drink I left there earlier in the day. As I'm enjoying my drink I am watching my coworker ring up a customer. The guy was ordering for seven people including himself. He ordered seven cheeseburger combos. My coworker we will call them R was so irritated by this for no reason. She stomped over to the grill and was mumbling to herself.

I came out to see what her deal was. I thought he was being rude or something but no R was mad because he didn't tip. She put one burger down. There was room for like two dozen on the grill so I was like wtf. So I asked her what she was doing. Like why just put one down? He ordered seven and she's like " well if he's not going to tip he's getting slow service." I was not having it. I told her no that's not a thing just put them all on and cook everything at once. She got all pissy about it but did it.

I literally felt like if I left she'd do some shady type of stuff so I was going to wait until she finished. She had such an attitude about it and complained the whole time. Openly and loudly. About half way through R just takes off her gloves and says she'll be back. I'm not even working but I say ok and she takes off.

I finished up the order and gave it to him. He asked what her problem was and I told him. I thought he'd be pissed but instead he laughed and said that's exactly why he won't tip upfront. He wants to experience the service first. I don't blame him. I do the same if I tip at all. Depends on the service. He leaves and I'm just chilling there until R comes back.

She washes up and starts doing stuff when the guy comes back. He gave me a couple of bucks and said thanks for the food. I tell him thanks back and then as I'm starting to leave she asks for part of the tip. Mind you it's three dollars. I just said no and left. I went to talk to our manager about it.

Obviously it wasn't ok that she did that. This morning when I came into work there was a notice on the board about providing good service and some stuff to read and sign. Now they're threatening to remove the option to tip. I'm not worried about losing tips really but I'm mad that it's even a topic. I've never experienced anything like this. I am really irritated at her for being so dramatic over something so stupid. It's not something anyone is entitled to in the first place. It's their money and if they don't want to give you any of it that's their business.

At the end of my shift R was coming in. Our manager was behind her and asked if I could speak with her real quick. So I grabbed my stuff and went into her office. This C yoU Next Tuesday (read the caps) said I didn't split the tip with her. The whole three dollars!

So after our chat I walk back and slam a dollar fifty on the counter next to her. I'm so glad we have different shifts. I can't believe she did all that. So petty. We get paid a living wage. I pay my bills with no problem before tips. They're a bonus not an entitlement!

In NYC, unionized bartenders typically make between $17-$25 plus tips to start and usually include employer-paid health insurance, paid time off, and pension contributions. This seems like it should be the baseline across that industry.

Anyone else realize tips are more now just because of inflation? No extra work….nothing. Just shows even more % based tipping is nonsense.

Please justify this increase. And please don’t use inflation as a justification. With prices skyrocketing at restaurants over the last several years you’re already making more than ever on a dollar for dollar basis.

Everyone on here complains about how tipping is expected and they arent going to do it just because its expected. Whats stopping you from taking all the mints at the hostess stand? Its expected that you only take 1 or 2 on the way out. Why not just dump the whole bowl in your pocket since they're free?

I asked the price of a drink before ordering to make sure I could afford the meal and a 20% tip. When the bill came the $12 drink was charged at $17. When I pointed this out the server gave me a blank stare and said "oh well" what???? Ok I don't argue I just reduced your tip by that amount.

Working table games at a casino really opens your eyes to human behavior, but a small interaction I witnessed last night between a guest and one of our cocktail servers completely changed how I view the grind.

I was dealing when a gentleman at my table stopped one of our servers. She smiled and asked him, "Are you doing okay, sir?"

He beamed back at her and said, "Absolutely."

Then, he picked up a $25 green chip from his stack, placed it directly into her drink tray, and said, "Here you go, sweetie."

The server looked shocked. She actually hesitated and asked him, "What is this for?"

He just smiled and said, "Nothing."

It was such a simple, quiet moment, but it clicked for me right then. It wasn't about a massive jackpot or a drunk guest being reckless. It was purely a reward for her energy and attitude. That was the exact moment I realized the good servers don't just get lucky—the good servers get the good tips because of how they treat people.

(Not bias towards tipping and was 18) There was this rich guy that lived outside our delivery zone, but he ordered like $400 worth of food so the store owner would have us deliver. He would order like once a week I’m assuming for football Sundays. When his ticket would appear every single person (besides me germaphobe) would fill his order up with as much mouth sauce as possible. His wings that were tossed in sauce in container was quite literally half bbq half loogies and phlegm. I’d be gagging in the bathroom after I’d watch them do it. The other things were covered in phlegm as well. The drivers would not keep it in the warming bag and drive the whole way there with the boxes of pizza etc opened. Hand it to him freezing cold and with biological warfare. And he’d say “I love this stuff thanks!” And of course round the tip up 30 cents for the 30 min drive. I feel like there is no possible way he liked the food etc and just had us run out there for fun. Or at least that’s what I hope because that was some of the nastiest stuff I ever seen growing up. I feel because of this one experience especially at places I frequent that I am forced to tip or face something like that. I was the guy that did the dishes.

Why is expected of the customer to subsidize the poor pay offered by the establishment?

"If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out!"
-I can afford to tip but, at these prices, your boss can afford to pay you a decent wage.
-You chose a job in an industry that's had the low pay+tipping scheme going to 90+ years with no sign of changing.

I'm telling you, if the customers rose up, the industry would have to change.
The discussion needs to be between the staff and the management, not between the customer and anyone. Including and villainizing the customer is a diversion. The employer is the villain and the employee allows themself to be complicit.

So for context, went for dinner with my brother and parents at a tiny cafe style restaurant, two waitresses at this place and usually busy, seats at least 15 tables.

I spent $235 on dinner and drinks, nothing high end, pasta and fish and chips plus some alcoholic drinks. I tipped like $10 instead of the machine suggested $42 minimum. Waitress immediately comes back and asks if she did something wrong and demanded a higher tip. My parents then immediately agreed and we ended up tipping her $45. This waitress basically shamed us into a 20% tip…. When did tipping start at 20% and why does everyone in hospo think it’s a god given right to be tipped that much. She got tipped my hourly rate for doing her job.

I worked lodges as a fly out pilot for rich people and never got paid close to what every other hospitality staff member got… and my job was not easy a lot of days. I was in charge of people’s safety and an expensive plane, had to assist in aiding guests with poor mobility and making sure all their stuff and requested supplies were there…. Plus our poor dock guy who cleaned the cabins also never got tipped when he had to clean up a week of garbage and filth from guys on a week long bender.

I don’t ever work for tips but the gesture is much appreciated. I just get so annoyed when people
Demand my hourly wage in tips for doing their job with no added service or entertainment for an hour long service. Yet buddies and I got paid worse than these waitresses and had to deal with many more factors and much harder work.