Man asks server if she wants a $100-$200 tip. Then she sees what he actually tips her: ‘Played in my face’ 

Those who have waited tables know that a decent tip is a literal coin toss. Although servers rely heavily on gratuity for a large portion of their income, some customers disregard this, going so far as to tip-bait and switch.

Last summer, one server worked on her birthday, where two customers on her shift showered her with birthday wishes and kindness but ‘gifted’ her the remaining 75-cent change as her tip. A few months later, a Buffalo Wild Wings server was praised by her two patrons for going above and beyond, who rewarded her efforts with a big, fat $0 tip. 

Now, this server recounted how one customer practically rage-baited her, tricking her into believing he would give her a three-digit tip.

How Much Did This Customer Tip?

In a selfie post, server Jules (@user206744050) recalls how her customer “played in [her] face” through the on-screen text. Originally, she explains how her male customer asked her how she wanted him to tip, to which she responded enthusiastically, “20% or you could match the bill!”

However, this wasn’t quite what he meant, replying, “Nooo, like $100 or $200?” When the content creator excitedly told him “$200,” what he tipped her instead left her bamboozled.

“He proceeded to tip me $5,” adding in the caption, “This was on a $45 tab.”

Viewers Engage In Fiery Debate

Jules’ photo amassed 1.1 million views and sparked a fire-fueled division in the comments, as per normal, regarding tipping. Some weren’t very sympathetic.

“Just remember, the server that brings you your 8$ breakfast does the same amount of work as the one that brings you a 50$ steak. tipping by % making absolutely no sense,” one viewer commented.

“Tipping should be a nice little surprise, not an expectation,” another stated.

“Expecting a tip is already insane, but expecting one for a tab that wasn’t even fifty bucks is even more insane,” a third criticized.

Meanwhile, those who sided with her understood her frustration.

“The point of this is WHY mention $100-$200 to get there hopes up and then only tip $5. Thats cruel,” one commenter defended.

“But why ask? Just to be rude? Not ok. Just tip what you want and move on, don’t be a jerk,” a second echoed.

“These comments don’t get you but I do. That’s like bread crumbing for service industry workers,” a third added.

How Much Should You Tip Your Server?

As a general rule of thumb, those who boast about being good tippers usually fall flat. With that being said, what is considered a generous tip? UCLA posted a guideline to assist people: 20% is excellent service, 15% is average, and anything below 10% is poor.

Since Jules received an 11% tip on this bill, it would normally reflect the customer’s perception of her service, regardless of whether it was justified. And rarely, servers don’t always keep the entire gratuity and have to pay out the entire waitstaff. Unfortunately, there are bad tippers everywhere. So, if your server did a great job, treat and tip them nicely.

The Mary Sue reached out to Jules via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.

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