I bought fresh oysters at a seafood store on the harbor the other day. The gentleman behind the counter carefully selected the best ones, laid them out, shucked them, and placed them neatly in a container on the ice he’d especially crushed. He cut up some lemons and added those too. You could see he was carrying out his duties with care and enthusiasm. Naturally, I took my wallet out to tip him.
As I was about to reach for the money, I spotted a sign on the wall… “No tipping, please. We always provide great service for free.” I must say I found this rather strange since it's customary to tip where I come from. Anyway, not wanting to get on the wrong side of management, or offend the gentleman, I smiled, thanked him, took the oysters and proceeded to the till where I paid.
In many countries, it’s expected that you tip for good service. The actual amount or percentage varies depending on where you are in the world, and the level of service. But generally, it’s frowned upon to give anything less than 10%. Waiters and waitresses have been sharing the most infuriating ‘tips’ they’ve ever received, and wow are they going through the most. Bored Panda has put together a jaw-dropping list of the wildest ways customers have “thanked” staff for serving them. And some might make you want to pay a little extra at your next restaurant visit, to make up for other people’s bad behavior. We also spoke to customer service expert and best-selling author, Shep Hyken about tipping culture. You'll find that interview in between the images.
#1 I've Been Tipped Twice With Coins I Cannot Legally Use In My Country
Image credits: Mother_Harlot
#2 I Work As A Cabin Housekeeper At A State Park. People Usually Sometimes Leave Tips For Us To Thank Us For Our Hard Work, But Yesterday We Found This In A Cabin
I don't mind hearing about the word of God, but this is just evil.
Image credits: broseidon2234
#3 Racist Woman Leaving $0 Tip And Insults In North Carolina
Image credits: geocom2015
More than 2.2 million Americans work as servers in restaurants and other establishments across the country. For around 67% of them, it's a part-time job and they often do it alongside other jobs or their studies. Many of these servers rely on the tips they make to put food on the table. Some receive a basic salary too, while others only take home their hard-earned tips.
So when customers leave them with some of the examples featured on this list, it's safe to say that it's more than mildly infuriating. I mean really, who can pay their bills with a fake $50 note?
#4 Rude
Image credits: kenn_ahh
#5 Worst Way To Evangelize
Image credits: BisqueBoi
#6 This Guy Has Been Waiting For This Moment His Entire Life
Image credits: incurvatewop
The topic of tipping comes up often nowadays. But it's not only those on the receiving (or lack thereof) side complaining. Some customers and experts have raised concerns about the changing culture of tipping, with words like "tipflation" and "tip-creeping" doing the rounds.
"Tipflation is the rising expectation of higher tips," explains customer service experience expert and best-selling author Shep Hyken. "It used to be customary to tip 15% for good service and 20% for amazing service. Today, you’re seeing options at checkout for tips as high as 30%."
#7 My Coworker’s Shift Ended So I Took Over One Of Their Tables. Customer Did Not Like This And Left A Negative Tip
Image credits: ExtendedMacaroni
#8 One Of My Kids Sent Me This. This Is In The Atlanta Area
Image credits: ImTHATWynn
#9 I Got This As A Tip In My Bar. In Scotland
Image credits: michaelod30
Tip creeping refers to additional businesses where tips are now expected, explains Hyken. "People used to tip servers at restaurants, taxi drivers, hotel staff, and other traditional service-oriented businesses. Now auto shops, retail outlets, and more establishments ask customers to tip," he says.
In a post on his website, Hyken relays the story of how he bought a candy bar and paid through the store’s self-service checkout system. "I was surprised there was an option to leave a tip for the candy bar that I picked out and paid for on a self-service machine," he wrote.
#10 Thought It Could Be For Food…
My family is rather low on money and I got “tipped” 100 dollars at my job at a restaurant as a waitress and got so excited to have my own money since I’m young and can’t get a real job that actually pays well. Guess I got double screwed and also tipped nothing for all my work. I’m definitely not gonna by your advertising services now.
Image credits: les_gyaru
#11 The Jerk That Left A Meme For A Tip
Image credits: Jenni-o
#12 Decades Of "The Customer Is Always Right" Has Created The Most Entitled Idiots In Human History
Image credits: CocoPazzo
Tipping is a hot topic in the U.S. right now, with President Donald Trump recently announcing a plan to do away with taxes on tips. Under the proposal, workers' tips would be fully theirs, regardless of their occupation.
"Eliminating taxes on tips would particularly benefit service industry workers, such as restaurant staff, delivery drivers, and gig workers who rely on gratuities as a significant part of their income," reports NDTV.
#13 Was Tipped $1, I Live In The UK. This Is Worth Nothing
It's worth like 76p and it would cost more to get it exchanged. I'm also never going to the US.
Image credits: WeirdoWolfBoy
#14 Well, It May Be A Tip But She’s Just Trying To Make A Living
Image credits: imgur.com
#15 My Sister Got This While Waiting Tables
Image credits: RekNepZ
The Economic Policy Institute reports that in December, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a proposed rule that would allow restaurants to take the tips that servers earn and share them with untipped employees such as cooks and dishwashers.
"But, crucially, the rule doesn’t actually require that employers distribute 'pooled' tips to workers," reads the EPI site. "Under the administration’s proposed rule, as long as tipped workers earn minimum wage, employers could legally pocket those tips."
The Institute estimates that under this rule, employers would pocket $5.8 billion in tips earned by tipped workers each year. "This is 16.1 percent of the estimated $36.4 billion in tips earned by tipped workers annually," it explains.
#16 Group Of Rich Girls From Stanford Came To My Bar, Tried A Million Samples, Held Up The Line, And All Tipped Like This
Image credits: zuzuofthewolves
#17 Someone Left This In My Tip Jar
Image credits: NVSuave
#18 "Why I Have Not Tipped!!!"
Image credits: oblivionkiss
The Institute warns the restaurant staff are already being robbed. And have been for a while. It cites research on workers in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, which finds that 12 percent of tipped workers had tips stolen by their employer or supervisor.
"Further, recent research shows that workers in restaurants and bars are much more likely to suffer minimum wage violations—meaning that they receive less than the applicable minimum wage—than workers in other industries," notes the EPI report. "For tipped workers, some of these minimum wage violations occur when an employer confiscates tips."
#19 Learn English? How About Learn How To Write
Image credits: jager__bombs
#20 My Friend Waited On Two Underage Kids Who Tried To Order Drinks
Stiffing servers has always made someone a bad person, but during a pandemic when benefits have run out and restaurant employees are struggling more than they already did? Despicable.
Image credits: bortsimpsonson
#21 My First Nasty Note
Image credits: katzandwine629
#22 Deciding Not To Tip Because Waiter Didn’t Wish Her Happy Mother’s Day
Image credits: -megaweeniemonday-
#23 This Is Disgusting And Makes Me So Angry! If They Feel That Way Then Maybe They Should Stay Home And Make Their Own Food
Image credits: Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery
#24 Sorry I Politely Asked Your Crotch Goblin To Not Throw Sugar At Other Guests
Image credits: Saelem
#25 Bless Your Heart
Image credits: Rothmus
#26 What Even
Chatted up this really cute guy at my bar all night. He left this as a note, great tip, but I just don’t see the point. Like just because you wrote that doesn’t mean we don’t have to tax the tip still uhhh sir what.
Image credits: WiTch_POlluTION53
#27 Someone Left A Handful Of Antidepressants For Us As A Tip
Image credits: starburn017
#28 I Was Tipped At Wisconsin State Fair, I Don’t Get Paid Enough To Deal With This
Image credits: amorprincess
#29 Don't Be A Religious Jerk
Image credits: Panaboon
#30 Pizza Delivery Driver Got Tipped With A Baggy Of Coins Containing Loose Tobacco
Image credits: Skorpyon87
#31 If You Leave This As A "Tip" For Your Waiter You Can Go To Hell
Image credits: pm_me_your_taintt
#32 Got This Today As A Tip, Would This Be Valid Anywhere? And Yes It’s Sticky
(Very VERY MILDLY lol I’m glad I got anything at all!) I work as a caricature artist so maybe I annoyed someone real bad.
Image credits: suhlone
#33 Dollar Bill Stamped With "Message" Received As A Tip
Image credits: reddit.com
#34 I'm A Server And I Wear A Mask At Work Every Day. Someone Left This Note On A Receipt Tonight
Image credits: thequietthingsthat
#35 This "$100" Tip I Received Tonight
Image credits: sailboatnanners
#36 A Customer Left This On My Coworkers Receipt. I’m Sorry, But How Insecure Does This Guy Feel?
Image credits: FrostyRonan
#37 Negative Tip?
Image credits: AlmostGaryBusey
#38 Love Notes From People Who Bring Their Own Drinks Into A Restaurant (Tx)
A gentleman decided to pour his own wine into our wine glass after finished the wine he ordered. Asked him about he confessed he poured it. The partners reasoning was “I thought since we could drink on the sidewalk we could bring our own drink in here” I took the glass and let them finish their food I just dropped off.
Image credits: orik42
#39 It’s Always The Extra Nice Customer Who Asks For Extra Sides When You Check On Them
I’m done with this industry.
Image credits: chasekopsch
#40 Well, No Tips For Today
Image credits: reddit.com
#41 This Is The Tip My Friend Got As A Waiter
Image credits: retooq
#42 My Coworker Got This As A Tip On One Of Her Checks, Any Clue What It Is Or What It's Worth?
1 free entry into heaven.
Image credits: Maceofspades67
#43 Got This As A Tip
Image credits: pizaste
#44 While We Were At Olive Garden Last Night, My Friend Found This On The Ground And Wanted To Leave It As A Tip... So She Did This
Image credits: msmarisock
#45 This Is Not A Tip! I Work Part Time At An Automatic Car Wash, And Some Douches Handed Me This
Image credits: 6oclockbandit
#46 The Way This Table Left A Tip For Me
Image credits: lukelovesu
#47 Me And Other Server Agreed To Split The Tip On A Party Of 15. They Tipped A Dollar
Image credits: Specific_Path_4077
#48 This Came Across My Table This Morning And Upsets Me Greatly! This Just Happened Here In Madison At A Local Restaurant. Even Though I Probably Will Not Know Who Wrote This And Instead Of Writing A Lot More About This Person
Image credits: Do Good Tour
#49 This Pos Is Proudly Bragging On Facebook About Not Leaving A Tip
Image credits: Hazy-Bolognese
#50 Using Having Kids As An Excuse Not To Tip Servers Who May Also Have Kids To Feed
Image credits: snguyenx96
#51 The Person That Left This “Tip”
Image credits: reddit.com
#52 The Guests Knew The Assignment
They tipped in Cash.
Image credits: w0lfgangpuck
#53 From A Party Of 7 People And They Were There For About 2.5 Hours
the “thank you!!” above the tip line is from me, i write it on all receipts, the “thanks :)” at the signature line is my tip i guess. almost cried and walked out after this
Image credits: imnotready4anything
#54 Karen Makes A Worker’s Life Miserable And Refuses To Tip
Image credits: ElonOcean
#55 Comps $90 Off Bill, Chased Screaming Child Around, Waited Hand And Foot And Got This As A Tip
Image credits: schent5
#56 This. Is Not A Tip
Image credits: l_boogie858
#57 Thats Messed Up
Image credits: ayefoodie
#58 Had The Money For The Burger And The Beer, But Too Broke To Tip The Server
Image credits: dickrickleton
#59 “Your Tip Is On The Table”
Image credits: luvpeachy
#60 A Lovely Tip... $0.06
Image credits: Brandon74130
#61 Well At Least I Still Make $2.13 An Hour
Image credits: ttaylor0murphyy
#62 Please Help Mi Wit This Mystery
customer told mi I had pretty eyes
Image credits: all_da_weiwei
#63 Why Blame Me?
Like OK, yeah, I guess it could be annoying? But there was nothing wrong with the food, the speed, or the service. Just admit you were never going to tip.
Image credits: skewed-perceptions
#64 Customer Left Their Server... A Condolence Card
#65 These Kids Need U
Image credits: mishelriver04
#66 $1 Tip On $500+ Bar Tab
Image credits: damniyam
#67 Idk If It's More Infuriating That She Did This, Or That She Feels The Need To
Image credits: lesibean
