What do you do if you are a regular customer somewhere and you are treated differently because you don't tip?

Question

When I eat somewhere, I pay the price presented by the menu. Part of what I am paying pays for the employee's wages. Tipping is always optional. You never have to tip regardless of how great the food and service was, and you should always receive great food and service no matter what since that's what the employer hires the employees for.

Have you ever been treated differently for being a regular customer at a business you never tip and they recognize you for being a stiff? If so, what did you do about it?

Personally, if I were a manager and noticed customers were treated worse because of this, I would immediately fire the employee(s) responsible. I pay them a steady wage and I expect them to provide such an excellent service that the customer will want to come back. I will not tolerate the service being anything less than excellent for a paying customer simply because the customer does not make a non-required charitable donation to one of my employees. Because, at that point, the donation is required in order to receive good service, which in turn will hurt my business.

If this has ever happened to you, how did you handle it? If this has never happened to you, how would you handle it?

Answer 1

I agree with you that tipping is optional. Some people provide terrible service and I don't feel that they have earned anything extra. However, every place is different but some wait staff are paid only $5 an hour or another wage below the state minimum. This is why people think a tip is mandatory. If no one tips that person will not be making enough money to survive. I do not think it is appropriate to treat a customer differently because they don't tip but sadly that is the reality. I do not think managers or business owners care that much because they are going to make money regardless of if you tip the other employees or not.

Answer 2

Servers that feel unnappreciated are likely to quit or take a job elsewhere. Management is happy to see people getting tipped, because they need servers! And what do contented servers do ? They bring in more customers! What do Disgruntled servers do? They run customers off! If this is your regular hangout, you might see it close if people stop tipping. Gratuity is reserved for a job done well.

Tips are not given traditionally, when the service is poor. You can reserve a modest tip for holiday time, many people do this, because they cannot tip year round. Also, tipping high percentages is not expected. Most people cannot tip this much, even if you cannot tip 10% it is common to leave what pocket coins you have especially if all you had was coffee & a donut. If you had a nice lunch around $8 - 12 then you can probably leave $2 as a minimum. If all you can afford is $1, then leave it every time unless it sucks! If you insist on going against Tradition, then you can expect your service will not be traditional , and you might even be thought of as rude or inept for ignoring this custom.

Answer 3

let me give u a tip i have worked for tips for 12 years u r the kind of customer thats ketchup is the one i forgot u only make it hard on people that work 4 tips in some cases we have 2 pay 2 work there in another we make 2 dollars an hour in the luckiest one its 5 an hour remember u get what u pay for u payed for the meal not any service can u tell me what my whole months wages would be on 5 an hour wiht customers like u all day with 2 kids 2 feed n no help thats why u r treated different c u can afford 2 go out n eat meanwhile i dont know how i 2 pay the light bill now can u understand why treatment would be different

Answer 4

If you don't like tipping, you should explain to the management staff why you think they should raise the prices to include paying the staff the standard minimum wage instead of the drastically lower minimum wage designated for 'tipped employees'.



That way, you don't have to feel bad for not tipping and you won't be treated poorly for for your lack of tipping either! Problem solved!



Edit: What I am hearing is you want the food, and quality service for a price that doesn't include the cost of the service. This is not a reasonable stance. Assuming you live in the United States, every state has federal minimum wage for non-tipped employees, and a different, lower wage for tipped employees. When you enter an establishment with employees working at that lower wage (usually around 2-3 dollars an hour) there is an implicit understanding that you acknowledge that the burden of paying for the service you receive is squarely on your shoulders - hence, that salary is not being included in the base cost of your purchase.



So again, your choice is this. If you do not want to pay a tip your choice is to either avoid businesses that employ tipped employees, or to pay a higher base cost so that the employer can pay they employee themselves and thereby absolve you of the responsibility.



Asking for service to be included for free, and to expect that person to do so cheerfully is asinine and laughably ignorant.



Compare the US to Europe...many restaurants offer you the option of picking the food up yourself from a window, and clearing your own table for a lower cost, or should you choose, you can have a waiter, but the meal with have a higher price up front and the restaurant then pays that waiter accordingly. Still, the service is not free.



This isn't about a lack of professionalism on the employees part, its about your lack of understanding of decorum and elementary economics.

Answer 5

You can either tip or expect to have less service than the person who tips based on service. This is a truth of the free market.



People will put more energy into where they get better results.



So while you have the right not to tip. They have the right to give minimal service or to go the extra mile. If they are dropping your food on the floor in front of you, or not getting it to you at all. It is a major issue and you should complain. If they are just refilling your drink less often. Well, you get what you pay for.



If you become a manager, you will find that employees will work differently depending on whether they like/hate, respect/disrespect or fear/look down on you.

Answer 6

I agree with Samantha. You are totally wrong sir. Servers make a Measly $4.25 an hour from our employer--the same one that You think you are paying to "Pay Us". Wrong! We get taxed on a certain percentage of YOUR bill- and when you leave us nothing- or a crappy tip--- it is coming out of OUR pockets! If you can't afford to tip at least 15%- stay home and eat. No wonder you get treated badly. You don't deserve our time or effort- and You're taking up space that other appreciative /paying customers would use instead. Wake up and get with the 21st Century. Put yourself in the server's position for a minute. If we worked 8 hours a day- with no tips= for 4.25 an hour--you would've made a whopping $34 for the day. Get REAL buddy!

Answer 7

I suppose you balance out all the generous hearted people in the world spreading your penuriosity, sadness and anger. Your logic is faulty and sour. Your heart must be barren and dry. They talk about you behind your back wondering how you got this bad!

If I was the owner I'd 86 you from the premises and everywhere else you go.

*edit*

So even though you say that 'you don't tip' twice and you're 'recognised as a stiff' you keep going back even though you're 'scared to eat somewhere', eh?

Hahahaha. You're some good entertainment but you're not really bright!

Perhaps you should carry that whip with you from your other silly question just to teach everyone a lesson!

⫸

Answer 8

Why are you complaining.......no tip no great attitude and staying on top of the cooks to get your food out hot and timely with all the extras it needs with the correct condiments coming out to you when you want them and not after you have already ate half your meal with the proper utensils that are needed ......if your going to give out minimum then your going to get minimum.

This is a profession as old as time and has always been the way to tip.

Common sense would tell you that human nature would be to give the extra attention to the people that appreciate your efforts and will show their appreciation with a tip.

Places are provided for people who don't like to tip they are called fast food places and you don't even have to get out of your car ......

Answer 9

Tipping is never ever optional!! Wait staff often make just a dollar or two. They live off from tips. That entire situation would never happen to me because I always tip. I tip the basic required 15% for adequate service. I tip 20% or more for exceptional service. If the service is poor, I complain to the manager and things are always corrected, therefore I still tip. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to go out to eat. No exceptions!

Answer 10

You can't expect any sympathy or respect from others who treat service workers with compassion and gratitude. Without any anger or hatred, you really should eat at home, drink at home, buy your newspapers at a store and never contact any worker who depends on tips to supplement their income.



You will be off the hook and they won't have to work hard for bitter old ingrates.

Answer 11

You stop tipping until they start treating you the way they used to.