'You vanished like a part-time magician': Customer refuses to tip after getting neglected by his server, leaves $0 gratuity as a protest to modern tipping culture

No service, no tip. 

Since the dawn of the iPad turning days and expectant looks of your servers before they say, 'It's just going to ask you a few questions,' I mostly tipped on every food item I purchased. But as tipping culture morphed and grew with goliath expectations, I've shifted my automated tipping reaction to suit the server. With that in mind, I don't think it's crazy to imagine a world where people are tipped based on the quality of their service versus being tipped out of habit or guilt. 

Nobody deserves a tip for doing the bare minimum (or even less), a tip is meant to congratulate exemplary service. And in an era of dwindling face time, shortened attention spans, and diminished social interactions, the least a server can do when they're waiting your table is show up. So when the guy in this next story realized he'd seen the last of his waiter after he scribbled down their orders, he tipped accordingly… As one should.

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Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer Jesse Kessenheimer
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  • Tipping is infuriating, I get it. Whenever I leave the States, I'm reminded how silly the point-of-sale questions are. In other countries, they swipe your card and you get a receipt. That's all. That's it. You completed your purchase of food, beverages, and service, and now you're done! Hooray! But in America, there's the lingering guilt of leaving this waiter starved, even though on a Friday or Saturday night, they're likely pulling more than you do in a few hours than you do all week at your 9-5. 

    That's why I don't feel guilty anymore about tips. Unless someone's earned a gratuity, they're not getting it! I need money too!

  • "AITA for not tipping because my waiter didn’t 'wait' on me?"

    Cheezburger Image 10479359488
    via andresr

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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  • I went to a sit-down restaurant last night, and my waiter (let's call him Brad) took my order... and then disappeared. Didn't check in, didn't refill my drink, didn't even bring my food-some random food runner did.
    via Status_Jackfruit6397
  • Then, when the check came, Brad magically reappeared, circled the "suggested tip," and gave me a big smile like we'd been through something together. My guy, what am I tipping for? You didn't wait on me-you just took my order and
    via Status_Jackfruit6397
  • vanished like a part-time magician. So, I left no tip. Now my friends are calling me an AH because "that's just how restaurants work." AITA?
    via Status_Jackfruit6397
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  • Ok_Stable7501 It's fun to play dumb here. Hi Brad! Were you my waiter? I don't think I've seen you before. My waiter checked on me and refilled my drink. Be sure to tell me where to find him so I can leave the tip with him.
    via Ok_Stable7501
  • DavidNorek I'm a waiter with over 10 years experience. Tell your friends that I said you are 100% NTA. The server didn't take good care of you so he deserved nothing!
    via DavidNorek
  • Suspicious_Juice717 ΝΤΑ No service, no tip. Pretty straight forward. Dude should have at least asked you if everything was ok, or a refill. Bare minimum.
    via Suspicious_Juice717
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  • Huge-Singer-7049 Circling the tip amount was simply too cheeky.
    via Huge-Singer-7049
  • Bibliophile_w_coffee NTA. And I'd write why. Especially the didn't check on me or refill my drink part. That is not how restaurants work.
    via Bibliophile_w_coffee
  • Short-pitched Restaurants do work like that but we need to collectively take a stand. I go pick up food and I am given machines with 15,18,20% tip option. Tip for what? Because I came to pick my food? Restaurants need to pay a living wage to their employees and tip is for good service not just service
    via Bibliophile_w_coffee
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  • No- NTA I used to be a surver these people have entirely too much tip entitlement you get tipped for the services you render, and if you don't render me services, you get nothing
    via No-
  • Cichlidsaremyjam NTA. But in cases like that if there is a bus boy/girl around, I make sure to tip them something because you know they aren't able to avoid doing their job.
    via Cichlidsaremyjam
  • mtngr160 Have worked in food service. NTA. It would be one thing if you told us it was obvious that Brad had 15 tables and was one of only two servers on an incredibly busy Saturday night.
    via mtngr160
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  • Because in a case, like that, you probably are going to have a hostess, who tries to refill your drinks. Or a food runner who does that. You will probably have a manager trying to table touch as many tables as they possibly can.
    via mtngr160
  • The bartender themselves may run your drinks over. The bus boy may actually just be taking things from a nearby table and glacier Way to see if there's something they can get you.
    via mtngr160
  • Basically, the rest of the restaurant staff is going to do that they can to help those two massively overworked servers. But this? No. That is not how service should be handled. You
    via mtngr160
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  • should've seen Brad within the first few bites of getting your food so that if anything was wrong, they could get an immediately corrected. You should've seen Brad a little
    via mtngr160
  • further on to see if you were doing OK still or thought about the dessert or needed refills on your drinks. So no, NTA.
    via mtngr160

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