LA Server waits on family that racks up $280 bill. Then they leave him a tip—and he refuses it outright: ‘I know that’s not for me’

The restaurant industry can be a brutal job. The constant carousel of catering to a customer’s every need is exhausting. Sometimes, the compensation for your efforts can fall short. But how bad does it have to be in order to reject a tip? For this Los Angeles-based server, it would be one that didn’t break double digits.

“G– d–, Black people, y’all need to learn how to f—- tip,” server Ethan (@ethanwaree) shouts at the beginning of his video. Then, he vents his frustration about a recent shift waiting on a group of people with the same skin color as him.

“My first g– d– table, I come in…everything’s groovy,” he says.

Throughout the entire time serving this group in particular, he was on his feet running back and forth to ensure his table was taken care of.

“They got drinks in, they got appetizers,” he says. “Then, I get the entrees and I get another round of drinks. They got three rounds of lemon drops.”

Upon reflection, the lemon drops should’ve been a telltale sign of the impending low tip, but he didn’t think anything of it in the moment. When it was time for the customers to pay, the alarm bells rang loud and clear.

How Much Did The Table Tip Him?

“‘I hope it don’t decline,’” he recalls one of the women saying.

After the woman covered the $279.84 bill with a card, he saw her pull out a singular, crisp $10 bill and place it on the table. Immediately, the content creator’s blood boiled, hoping he wouldn’t be gifted around a merely 3% tip.

“I know that’s not for me,” Ethan recalls his thoughts in the moment, exasperatedly. “They can’t be done. They must be looking in their purse for two more g– d– $20s.”

Sure enough, it was all the tip they left and he didn’t hesitate to express these feelings loud and clear when one of the women tried to hand him the money.

“I don’t want it,” the server remembers responding. In the end, the server does end up with the measly tip, courtesy of his co-worker. 

Needless to say, he is still fuming. “Don’t f— come back here anymore, bro,” he raises his voice. 

Servers Enter The Chat

Ethan’s rant racked up over 534,000 views, where servers of different racial backgrounds chimed in with their similar stories.

“Left a $20 tip on [an] over $900 tab. my tip out from my sales on that group was $37. verbal tips were great though,” one viewer commented.

“$0 on $126 the other night and they RAN me,” a second recalled.

“I got a $2 tip on a $160 tab one time. Oh I was HEATEDDD like don’t even tip at that point,” a third recalled.

Even an Illinois-based server shared about a female guest who promised to “take care of her” only to give her $17 on a $150 bill.

However, others defended the women, arguing it’s not a blanket statement.

“I don’t even trip anymore. I realized some tip less or not at all and some tip overly well. At the end of the day I’m always good,” one commenter remarked.

“I honestly believe they have learned how to tip like everyone else, it’s luck of the draw!!! Bad tippers versus great tippers!!! I have received my best tips from them,” another stated.

But a third proposed a solution that would solve poor tipping in general: “Why didn’t you add gratuity? I say gratuity should be added automatically on all cheap customers!!!!!”

Could He Add Automatic Gratuity?

For servers, receiving a tip below 15% is seen as inadequate. When waiting on a large table, the chances of customers stiffing can be great. Depending on the establishment, servers can include 15%-22% gratuity for tables of six or more people.

This service charge usually ensures the server, along with the rest of the waitstaff, is paid for their time and energy. On the other hand, there are restaurants where the fee is mandatory. Ultimately, it truly boils down to how big the table was and Ethan’s workplace’s automatic gratuity policy.

Poor Tip Patterns

In the restaurant industry, there will always be a fair number of good tippers and bad tippers. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory. Since every server has a unique, personal experience, they may notice certain patterns in their patrons. The Mary Sue has reported on a plethora of these customer observations, most notably teenagers, rejected flirts, and religious patrons who have tipped poorly or skimped altogether. Thus, each encounter is not a one-size-fits-all.

While there’s no recent study about racial differences in tipping, there is recent data about tipping percentages in each state. Toast reported in June that California ranks No. 1 in the least overall tips (17.3%), making Ethan’s state the current champion with the least generous tippers.

@ethanwaree

♬ original sound – アジアンマッサージ リラクゼーション ヴィラ 千歳店 – ガラスコーティング 洗車用品 カーフィルム コンパウンド

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

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