Probably baiting him because he was bored and wanted to get someone in trouble. Pathetic? Yeah. But it happens. A lot.

If a server does not make at least minimum wage then the owner is required to compensate. Do some research before you talk.

102, I know that they are required to, but how many times does it not happen is the real question. I bet there are some places/times where the boss has forgotten or they maybe they try and get out of it.

119-- then it is up to the server to be diligent about that. I used to be a waitress in a college town. During Christmas break and summer, tips and customers would dwindle significantly (I worked at a 24 hour diner with cheap, greasy food, we mostly catered to college kids). I would constantly keep on top of what I made to make sure I was getting at least minimum wage. It is just as much as the server's responsibility as it is the person cutting your check.

#102 you're the only one that needs to do your research.

One in a million huh? Have you ever been a waiter? It's a lot more than one in a million. One in ten is probably more accurate.

#55- Why? It's actually a nice place. If you stay toward the southern end of the state that is... The farther north you go the crazier people get. :P

you've never worked waitstaff, have you? I really think you ought to, because for 5 easy, easy, easy hours a weekend you could be making $50, for doing basically nothing, right? So either you are filthy rich, or you know you are totally full of shit.

Servers are paid minimum wage. If a server can't compensate his low pay with tips to at least be minimum wage restaurant owners are required to fully compensate up to minimum wage. If you are ignorant towards this subject don't talk.

One: This is like the fifth time you've mentioned minimum wage differential, and I want to clear something up. Yes they are required to make up the difference, but most of the time they just fire the employee because they're costing them money. Two: I do more than refill drinks and walk ten feet from a kitchen with a tray of food. I'm a salesperson on a commission. I read my tables. Four ladies sitting around gabbin' away? Let me get you some cocktails and bread, and give me a wave if you need anything,as you're likely to want to sit and chat for a while. A family with three young kids? Let me get you crayons, pizza dough to play with, and put the kids' orders in early to keep them busy and entertained. I upsell from two glasses of house wine to a 50 bottle, cuz damn that's a fine Chardonnay. I carry a tray containing 20-40 pounds of food anywhere from five feet to 500 feet, sometimes dancing around kids running around and directing guests to the bathroom, and always giving them the right of way even though I feel my arms are going to fall off. All in the sake of guest services. I told myself I wasn't going to get in on this one, because while I feel for OP and always think that in my head, You've gotta keep it professional. endrant.

Although I don't agree with how 60 said it, because I do believe that waiting tables isn't easy, I do think that servers should get more than minimum wage, like $10/hr and tips should be done away with. Either that, or $10/hr + tips, but the tips are actually a bonus and not required or assumed so if a person doesn't pay the tips then they don't get lowered service or a chance of their food being tampered with or anyone upset with them. Personally I think everyone might be happier that way.

Hey #93, I don't think #60 would ever be hired as a server/waiter/waitress anyway. To be in the customer service/hospitality/retail industry, one must have people skills, empathy, a keen eye, patience (an absolute shitload of it!!!), and a generally welcoming and pleasant/positive disposition. I have seen no evidence of any of these traits, based on their comment of their observation as to what a server does.

I agree with this post. While OP didn't directly threaten the customer, that could be construed as a indirect threat. I think the situation could've been handled differently, like #61 suggests: by making his table a lower priority and focusing on the better customers. I'd say a more appropriate response would've been something like "just so you know, I provide better service to my tippers, so don't expect prompt service". And yes, all waitstaff should be tipped. In 95% of establishments, the waitstaff rely on tips for their wages, and often pool their tips. It matters. And not all poor service is the fault of the waitstaff directly. Sometimes other customers, the kitchen or other employees can influence the speed of service. I tip more based on the demeanor of my waiter/waitress, not the speed of service. But every single waiter/waitress deserves a tip regardless. But obviously you tip an amount based on the level of service and courtesy you're given. Good luck, OP, hopefully you can just move on and hopefully that customer will go bother someone else.

I agree with what you guys are saying, but I don't think that someone should get lesser quality service just because they haven't tipped. I understand that tips make up a huge portion of their salary but either way the law has it as an optional thing not a requirement, either this law should be changed so it is a requirement or the pay should be higher for servers. Unfortunately though tipping isn't a requirement and I don't think people should get lesser quality service for not tipping. I always tip and almost always above the recommended percentage but I still don't think that people that don't should be treated differently or have their service or food messed with.

I also agree that the table shouldn't get poorer quality service just because they told you they aren't going to tip. As a server, you smile politely and work your ass off for all of your tables. Often times the customer will notice that you went above and beyond to prove him that you deserve a tip and will surprise you by leaving a tip. Even if they don't tip, that sucks, but other tables will an your managers will notice. I've even had a table tip me for their check and someone else's because they noticed how rude and purely evil that table was and they were surprised and impressed by how professionally I handled it. Being rude or making smart comments back to your table or doing something disgusting to their food is never the answer in food service. Serving is a profession that should be taking much more seriously than it is by both servers and customers.

You do know that in the US, 20% is considered an adequate tip and 10% is considered a tip for less than stellar service? Should the tip system be overhauled? Yes. Should you use that as an excuse to tip shitty? No.

so #73 you give someone 10% tip for bad service then? awarding them for shitty service? you do know realize no one cares about what the US considers an adequate tip or not right?

The minimum wage tip compensation law. Do some research.

10% tip is average and more than that is for better than average service. Plus, maybe 62 isn't from the States.

I think it's a totally different system in the US compared to UK or anywhere else, Canada included. It sounds like the salary without tips is extremely low there and that isn't the case in other places. If you live in a place where they have a good base salary and the service isn't good then It's more than acceptable not to tip. I think that the economy isn't good in the states and that servers get ripped off maybe more than other employments.

Tips became expected when governments allowed restaurants to pay their staff ridiculously low wages based on the fact that people do tip to bring their wages hopefully up to minimum wage. Unfortunately most people do not actually tip based on service, many people either tip a fixed amount regardless of service, tip based on the appearance of the server in the hopes of looking well off or to try and get a number. I tip based on service, the service would have had to have been truly horrible or the server ridiculously rude for me to not tip at all. I tip usually a minimum of 10% and go up by how the service was and it is not that uncommon for me to tip 100-200% because most servers really do bust their asses off and work harder then most professionals I have seen.

That's what it SHOULD be but that is not what it actually is. Businesses, given the opportunity, will almost invariably take advantage of any situation to make more money. So, instead of paying their servers for waiting tables, they pass the bill on to YOU, the customer. If the server did work, pay them. Figure the average server handles 5 tables an hour, so to pay MINIMUM for this, you'd better toss on at least a dollar. Otherwise, they just worked for free. And they STILL have to tip out to the host, busboy, bartender, etc. at many restaurants. So when customers don't tip, they've actually made their server pay for the incredible privilege of serving their entitled ass. :P