An Open Letter to the Couple Who Stiffed me Last Night

Dear Cheapskate and Girlfriend,
Last night, when you came into the brewery where I serve, you seemed friendly enough, and I therefore was very welcoming to you. I was more than happy to serve you even though you were somewhat difficult, and I had my doubts when you based your drink order off of what came with a free refill. So I took your order, grabbed your drinks from the bartender (who I later tipped out for his service) and served you the $15 appetizer you ordered, followed by your $11 and $15 entrees, all the while refilling your drinks. When the hostess told me that it was your girlfriends birthday, I went out of my way to get you a dessert, and find a manager to comp it to you. I then spent about five minutes looking for a candle for the dessert. When it came time for you to leave I again went out of my way to help you, by grabbing enough to-go boxes for the piles of food you ordered and didn't eat. I printed the check and left it with you, telling you to have a great night. You smiled and thanked me for my time. Your bill totaled $45.81, but had the dessert you ate not been free, it would have been over $50, which should have resulted in a $10 tip due to the excellent service you received, from everyone to the host who greeted and sat you to myself to the busser who cleaned up your mess. On the tip line on the credit slip; however, you wrote "Fantastic service but we college kids are poor. Thank you thank you" and you stiffed me. I have more than one qualm with this situation. First and foremost, I as well am a college student and the tips I receive while working pay my bills. Great story but do you think that your compliments can be put towards my rent payment? It is true that I receive an hourly wage, but I do not see a dollar of that $3.90 as it all goes toward taxes. So really, your tips are what put food on my plate. What- did you think I'm waiting tables because I'm a rich college kid? Second, each and every minute I spent with you, putting your food into the computer, or refilling your drinks is a minute I lost on my other tables- ones which did in fact tip me- twenty to twenty-five percent actually. Had I not been wasting time on you, perhaps their tips may have been even more. Third, you probably assume I just didn't make money off of you, but I actually lost money because I tipped out the busser $2.57 to clean your table. Oh no- they don't work for free either. You left that note on my slip with no amount of shame or guilt. And while a ten dollar tip does not make or break my evening per se, imagine if everyone who walked in those doors had the same horrible thought process as you. Tipping your server is not just something nice to do, it is a social norm. you were right with one thing- my service was fantastic, and deserving of at least a 20% tip. So in the future, if you'd like to eat out, here are some suggestions: Skip the $15 fondue appetizer, spend $10 of that on a tip, and pocket the other $5. Or go to Del Taco. They have an awesome $.99 menu, none of which requires tipping the person handing you your food. Or even forfeit the $5 of drinks you ordered, get water, and tip me 10%. Any of the above options would have been much less of a waste of my time, and made you look less of an ignorant prick.

Sincerely,
Brooke