Redditor critcrabthrowaway and their husband are struggling with a moral dilemma about tipping.
The couple went out for a steak dinner and thought they left a reasonable gratuity for service they thought was mediocre at best.
But when their server confronted them about the amount, the Redditor’s husband pulled a maneuver that eventually led them to the “Am I the A**hole?” (AITA) subReddit.
They asked:
“AITA for taking back a tip after staying past closing?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“Last night, my husband and I went out to a very nice dinner at a steakhouse. The total was like 150$ for the two of us and we didn’t even get dessert.”
“We both prefer to tip cash so we used a card to pay for the meal, rounded to the nearest dollar for the tip there, and then left a 50$ bill on the table.”
“The restaurant did close at 10 pm and it was just after10:10 when we got outside. We both thought the 50$ was enough of a tip but the waiter disagreed.”
“He followed us outside and got very upset that we stiffed him. At first, we thought he’d only seen the card slip, so we explained that we’d left cash on the table.”
“He scoffed at us and said that he knows that but 30% isn’t high enough.”
“This is a very nice neighborhood so he likely did often get higher tips but we weren’t too thrilled with his service.”
“We had to wait for refills, even though there were only a few people (maybe like 10) in the restaurant. The food also took forever to come out. We’d have been gone before closing and had time for dessert but the food came very slowly.”
“He was demanding a higher tip, so my husband pulled out a hundred and asked for the 50 back.”
“He clearly thought he was going to get the 100$ so he gave it back. My husband put them both in his wallet and we got into the car and drove away.”
“I know waiters depend on their tips to survive as they get paid rubbish. Were we the a**holes for taking the tip back? My husband and I are conflicted on this.”
Strangers on the internet were asked to declare one of the following:
- NTA – Not the A**hole
- YTA – You’re the A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everybody Sucks Here
Redditors couldn’t believe the server’s attitude and declared him the a**hole in the scenario.
“Lol the audacity to chase patrons down after you already got a 30% tip. NTA. I support your husbands reaction.” – Hilary_13
“I know right? I was about to rush to Y T A after reading the title but the waiter was essentially bullying and harassing OP and her husband. If I were OP I’d report this incident to management.” – Animalime
“Yeah I work service industry and have for years and there’s no f’king way I’d chase someone down for a ZERO percent tip, let alone a THIRTY PERCENT tip. That’s so beyond unprofessional. There is no way his management is okay with this.”
“I’ve worked at some questionable places as far as customer service goes and even my management there wouldn’t be ok with me chasing a customer over a tip. I would absolutely report that to management because that person is unhinged.” – soft_goth94
“NTA in any way, shape, or form. First of all no waiter is entitled to a tip of any sort, ever. As long as it’s not something you are LEGALLY obligated to pay, it’s entirely at your discretion.”
“Secondly, $50 is very generous. Thirdly, depending on which state you live in, tipping may not be justified at all.”
“I live in a state with one of the highest minimum wages in the country (think around $14/hour) and it’s the same base minimum for tipped and non-tipped workers alike. So there really is no reason to tip waitstaff where I live, any more than there is to tip every type of service worker.” – GOTisnotover77
“NTA at all. How can someone be so entitled so scoff at $50 as a tip? Your husband is a lad.”
“I’d pay $50 to have seen his face when he finally clocked he weren’t getting sh*t lol” – VaultHunter93
“I was all ready to call you the AH, but to leave a $50 on a $150 dinner, and be accosted by the server is ridiculous. NTA.”
“Plus, 10 minutes after close is nothing. When I served, people would stay over an hour past closing and tip 10%.” – Talathia
“NTA. Who the hell is mad about a $50 tip that’s over 30%? Even if it’s not quite what he expected how is he going to chase you down and accuse you of ‘stiffing’ him as if he got nothing?”
“If you were there 2 hours he made $25 an hour for that time, that more than a vast majority of Americans make. How ungrateful.” – Logical_Grapefruit73
“NTA – Also you should have reported them to the manager, that is a firable offense. Working in service is difficult but this unacceptable.”
“I get if the waiter got stiffed over a $900 bill but getting a $50 on a $150 order is generous.” – BeefRage
“NTA at all. A 30% tip is incredibly generous, no matter the wealth of the clientele and tbh, sometimes the wealthier the person the cheaper they are up until a certain level of wealth.”
“These days I try to tip at least 20% and often 25% and most servers are totally fine and appreciate it. I would lodge a complaint with the management, that was absolute ah behavior on the part of the server.” – Avocadosarecool2000
“NTA. 30% isn’t high enough? You do NOT demand a bigger tip. For him to follow you out and confront you is astounding. If I owned that restaurant, that guy would be fired. I don’t blame your husband for doing what he did. Hopefully, it taught that guy a lesson.”
“I waited tables for 7-1/2 years so I know the importance of tips. That is absolutely no way to act.” – patjames904
Overall Redditors saw no problem with the couple taking back the server’s tip after his unprofessional behavior.
They also encouraged the couple to report him to the restaurant manager to either have him fired or, at the very least, ensure he won’t hound down customers again for any reason.