While some argue America's tipping culture is 'out of control', others rely on it to put food on their tables and keep a roof over their heads. That's exactly why one waiter made a comment to customers who don't leave him the recommended 10 to 20 per cent tip.
He explained how he went out of his way to provide his table with 'top' service - only for them to walk out without 'thanking' him by leaving him a few dollars. Taking to Reddit, he said: "Two men came in for dine in. Their meal goes smoothly and I box up their leftovers.
"As I’m dropping off the check, I ask, 'How was everything tonight?'. One of them says, 'The duck was a bit dry.' To which I respond, 'I’m sorry to hear that — I’ll let the chef know.' Naturally I would have liked to have given a discount at the very least, but my manager was busy and they were anxious to leave.
"So, I drop off their cheque and move on. As I’m cleaning up the table, I see that they both left a $0 tip on a $65 (£52) bill. Ouch."
He went on to explain how he bumped into the customers at a nearby bakery a few days later - and decided to call out the "tipless wonders".
He added: "As I’m idly waiting for my order, I notice someone behind me shifting uneasily.
"I suddenly recognise him as the very same customer from the restaurant. Lo and behold, the man he was eating with shows up next to him.
"The cashier hands me my order, and as I turn to leave, I say, 'Be sure to tip these folks better than me, alright?'
"I walked away from their ashen faces, laughing inwardly."
While he was impressed with his 'revenge', his parents slammed him for breaching "decorum".
He added: "When I told my family about this, they said this was a terrible breach of decorum, but I’m not so sure.
"It is the customer’s prerogative to tip what they want, even if it’s a nominal amount, but no tip at all sends a strong message."
Commenting on his admission, one user said: "They suck for not tipping but you could get fired if they go back to the restaurant and tell management about it. Or write a yelp review saying you said something to them days later not in the restaurant.
"If they were bad to you at the restaurant and you said something then, even though there's a risk of getting in trouble it wouldn't be the same."
Another user added: "I love the idea that anyone who’s willing to not leave a tip then exists in a state of perpetual guilt and anxiety that the server who they have forgotten about will one day have the pettiest of revenges."
A third user said: "Unprofessional and they probably won't tip you again next time because of that comment.
"You're not entitled to other people's money. Not everyone is going to tip you."
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