25+ Servers Who Didn’t Let Crappy Tippers Get Away With It

There are plenty of ways to dig into a problem while appearing professional, polite, and like customer service is still your number one priority.

All they were doing was trying to improve their service for future guests. Who could be mad at that? The OP also takes a lot of joy in the moments of panic that the customers show when they realize that their lack of a tip was very much noticed.

Calling someone out doesn’t always look like an insult. Sometimes, all you have to do is seem patient, gracious, and understanding.

When it comes to a tip, adding on a few coins is often more frustrating than anything. Still, you don’t know what the customers are going through, right? This server found that simply returning the tips with a smile and going on with their business was effective enough.

This person had a similar idea to the last server we heard from. However, it seems like she took it up a notch in a hilarious way.

A tip of $0.78 on a $125 bill would be laughable if it wasn’t so frustrating. You’ve probably heard the phrase “kill them with kindness,” though. This server did and ran after the table to ask him to keep the tip, all under the guise of caring. We’re sure it got their attention!

Sometimes, if someone isn’t tipping, it can be really tempting to go with embarrassing them about it. This bar stepped fully into that temptation.

If you left this dive, leaving no tip or one that’s insultingly low, an employee would ring the bell. When they did that, the bar stepped in to help out. Getting booed out of a bar isn’t most people’s favorite way to end the night. You’d definitely tip better next time if you come back.

There are some tips that aren’t just insufficient, they’re insulting. Offering your server two measly cents after they’ve waited on you all night? Absolutely not okay.

This person knew a server who had just that situation. Fed up with it, she wasn’t just going to let the situation pass by without a word. Instead, she decided if they were tipping so low, they must need that valuable two cents more than her.

There are some moments when it’s hard to keep your cool. Still, blowing up isn’t an option. What about a heavy dose of sarcasm as a middle ground?

This server really knew how to lay it on thick when they needed to. The feigned gratefulness probably really caught these guests off-guard, and it would definitely make others pretty aware of what they did. Maybe they’ll remember this next time they leave only a few coins on the table after a meal.

Servers aren’t the only ones who get a lot of their salary through tips. This person was a caddy, and it wasn’t the customers hoarding tips — it was the boss.

If you worked all day and then realized your tips had been stolen, you’d be understandably upset. This person bid their time until they were already quitting and then took quiet revenge. Apparently, the terrible boss worked at getting them off harder than we’d expected.

There are plenty of people who try to romance their waiter or waitress. However, you shouldn’t forget that first impressions matter a lot.

For instance, if you want your waitress to be impressed by you, why wouldn’t you leave a solid tip? In case anyone’s wondering, your number doesn’t make up for the rest of the 15%. Yet, it did give their server a way to contact them.

Sometimes, it’s not just that you didn’t leave a tip that makes you a bad tipper. If you act passive-aggressive, you’re going to leave a negative impression too.

This woman left behind a pile of quarters with a note that was completely unnecessary. It was the moment that this server snapped, and they just chucked them back at her. Maybe it’s not professional or responsible, but it probably felt a bit cathartic for a second.

In a loud restaurant, you might not catch every word, especially if you’re called to from across the room. You rely a lot on context clues to fill in the blanks.

With the right tone, this server managed to say what they really wanted to say to this couple without them noticing. The tables around them did notice, so they were quick to apologize to the other guests, but those were fully on board.

If you didn’t leave a tip on your card and leave $0.14 on the table, your server is probably going to think that it’s the measly tip you’ve left behind.

This lady didn’t leave a tip and then chased down the waiter for those last $0.14. At that point, we can’t blame this server for being fed up. So, he gave them back to her — one rolling coin at a time.

Everyone has their love language. However, it’s not usually the servers that are interested in your number in lieu of a tip.

This waitress used it as a chance to give this guy another opportunity, though. After all, in the modern era, it’s not too late to tip after you leave the restaurant. If you want to impress her, go ahead and leave a real tip behind.

In the United States, at least, a lot of people in the food service industry rely on tips to make up the majority of their earnings. So, minor or non-existent tips have an effect.

So, when someone gave this bartender a sad tip, he was sure to let them know that it’s something that has an effect on their bartenders and waitstaff. Maybe this will shake someone awake to what they’re doing.

As we’ve said, if you leave your number for your server, you have to be prepared for whatever you get in return, if you get anything at all.

When this waitress reached out with this comment, this guy probably thought that he’d pulled off the meet-cute that he was hoping for. Yet, she was just texting him really quickly to let him know that tipping very little isn’t cute at all.

When you’re trying to impress everyone on a night out, you might try to spend big. However, you then might try to make it up by saving on the tip that your friends can’t see.

Given that this waitress knew who this person was, she took personal measures when she had the chance to get off of work. It seems like they must have said something to him, too, because he didn’t come by to do it again. It seems like this waitress got the last laugh.

Depending on the type of server you are, you might have a few different ways to get subtle revenge on difficult guests and bad tippers.

This bartender didn’t bother chasing the customers out or making a scene. However, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t get sweet revenge over a minor inconvenience. All they had to do was “accidentally” leave a bit of condensation on the bar counter.

The same bartender from the “water puddle” tip had another idea for us to keep in mind if we ever find ourselves serving a rude, ungrateful, or poorly tipping customer.

This one was another case of subtle revenge. Did that person who tipped you poorly (or not at all) last time come back to the venue? You might have to serve them, but you can lower your usual standards a bit. After all, what are you working for — a tip you know isn’t coming?

We’ve heard a lot of stories of revenge here. However, it’s important to note that there isn’t always a lot of room to get revenge when you have to rely on holding down to your job.

This person found themselves taking a lot more revenge earlier on in their experience as a server. As they gained experience and perspective, though, they realized it put them in an even worse mood to focus on a small tip like this. It might not be fun, but they started to just take it in stride.

It seems like there are a lot of people who see an attractive server at a restaurant and decide that now’s the time to shoot their shot.

You might want to actually tip her for her service if you want a chance with her, though. This woman was just about fed up with people leaving their numbers in place of that extra 5% tip. Thankfully, she knew exactly what she was going to text them instead.

We’ve already talked about how insufferable people who want to act rich can be to servers. After all, if they’re not saving publicly, they’re probably saving money on the tip.

It was even worse for this server when they made a big deal out of a little tip. This server wasn’t going to say anything, but they were definitely going to make sure that everyone knew exactly how “generous” they actually were.

There are some times that you have to really temper yourself not to take immediate revenge. In a tough situation, a second opinion is often helpful.

This server took to Twitter to get some advice on what to do when she was stiffed on a meal by someone she knew. Who wouldn’t take the chance to directly call these people out on their behavior later on?

If you wanted to leave a 15% tip on a $400 meal, that would be $60. To put that into further perspective, $5 is a tip of a measly 1.25%.

With this little tip, this server bided their time and made the decision to follow up with them. After an unfair review, they decided to get revenge. Does the couple want a reservation? Sorry, the restaurant seems to be booked out until forever ends.

As we’ve said more than once now, servers are limited in what they can do to take revenge on rude guests and bad tippers. After all, they’re at their job and have to remain on their best behavior.

This person was pretty sure that the group didn’t leave a tip because they thought it was automatic. Still, not willing to put that much work in for nothing, this server talked to management about future large tables and leaving them out of the situation.

If you pay with a card, you have the chance to add a gratuity to your receipt. Too many people just don’t fill this out. Technically, it’s better to fill this in, even if you were just going to leave a whopping $0 behind.

After a while, this server picked up a handy tip. Running after the party, they just asked them to finish filling out the receipt. It seemed like it worked most of the time!

When a table wants all their change back down to the penny, you can’t force them to give you a tip. If they just want to pay for the meal and leave, they’re allowed even if it isn’t courteous.

So, there’s no miscounting their change or not giving it back. Still, it’s up to the server how they give that change back. For some petty, subtle revenge, this server opted for giving their change back in the most inconvenient way possible.

They say to treat people the way that you want to be treated. Well, this server took that idea to heart when they noticed a bad tipper.

In their thinking, it’s not worth it to make a huge scene at the moment. Instead, they make a note of how low of a priority their tip was. When the guests came back in, they returned the favor by making their service less of a priority.

Sometimes, getting angry and yelling doesn’t get through to customers. Generating a little sympathy, though? That might just get them to feel a bit guilty.

With the right words and the right panicked tone, this server learned a trick to pull once in a blue moon. It serves as an excellent way to make sure that the guests know the server noticed and to make sure anyone the guest was with knows what they did.

There are some things that waiters and waitresses do to give you just one more chance to give them a proper tip. That’s what this server did.

When they saw that the tip was only $5, they sent it back to the table with the tip still inside. This gave them a chance to add to it if they wanted to, but it seems like they just didn’t take that opportunity.

We promise that no matter how cool you think you are, you aren’t so cool that your waiter or waitress won’t notice they’ve been stiffed.

As if that’s not enough encouragement, we’ll add the moral of this story to the list. After all, if your friends hear a server say that you didn’t tip them, they probably aren’t going to be quite as impressed with you. This person had zero regrets about airing out what this customer did.

There are definitely times that you take revenge on a customer as a server, and it doesn’t result in a tip. Yet, it does result in a change.

With these regulars constantly coming in and never bothering to tip, it’s understandable that this waitress was frustrated. While he may not have come back with a tip in hand, she never had to serve them again, knowing that there was no tip waiting for her at the end of their stay.

As we’ve mentioned before, a lot of waitstaff just have to hold their tongue because their jobs are on the line.

If it’s your last night at a place, though, and you already have a new job lined up, you might not care as much about offending the guests. In this case, the OP was completely clear on why they were happy not to be serving him anymore, and it seems like he actually learned something.

When you go out for drinks or food, the person serving you probably doesn’t have any control over the prices. Therefore, haggling is just going to make this a long night for everyone involved.

After quite a few times of, honestly, tiring and frustrating treatment, this customer set up his own downfall. In the end, it was playing his own album and the other patrons’ honest reactions that gave this bartender a slice of revenge.

Once again, servers are at their jobs when you come in and treat them poorly or refuse to leave a tip on an extravagant bill.

That being said, that doesn’t mean that they have to do everything that they’d do with a nicer customer. For instance, this person just decided that those that didn’t leave a tip didn’t need to be thanked. You do what you can to make it through a tiring shift.

If a table starts out by being as difficult as possible for a server, it’s reasonable for that server to be frustrated. To stiff them on top of that is expected but still rude.

So, while the server might do their job, they aren’t going to go out of their way to help you. While it definitely led to a steep cost of parking, maybe this table should have kept better hold of their personal items or have been kind enough for the waiter to try and chase them down.

When you work at a popular establishment, you’ll likely run into people you know and have to wait on them. It’s just part of the job.

This server already didn’t have a high opinion of this guy, and it only got worse as he showed he was still terrible. When one of the girls found out what was happening — thanks to this waiter’s Oscar-worthy performance — she was quick to get onto her companion for doing this.

This person didn’t have a story of their own to share, but the one they’d heard their grandmother tell was one that definitely deserved a spot on this list.

This was a situation that was slowly building. Is there anything worse for a server than a horrible customer who becomes a regular? It seems like, at some point, this grandma just couldn’t hold her tongue, and we can’t blame her. The mean costumer’s husband definitely got a kick out of it.

College might be fun sometimes, but any student will tell you it doesn’t get more stressful around campus than right before finals.

Treating yourself to some food and a night out isn’t too bad. However, mistreating your server really isn’t the way to go about it. If you do and then leave your notes for finals behind, there’s no guarantee that your waiter will do anything but clear it off with everything else you left on the table.

Not leaving a tip is already pretty rude. If you were to do something rude like leave a little smiley face next to the non-existent tip, it’s just adding insult to injury.

As for this group, they probably should have also grabbed all of their stuff if they wanted to be rude like this. Once again, if you leave your things all over the table, the waiter doesn’t have to help you out when it comes to returning things left behind.

There are little inconveniences that servers can cause people while seeming kind and apologetic. Those minor inconveniences are often the form that revenge like this takes.

Would it stop this family from leaving a $4 tip when they ate out? No, not really. Would it probably annoy them that they couldn’t take a full-sized drink to go? Well, that’s what these servers were banking on. If they had to be annoyed, so did the customers who pushed them over the edge.

There are some servers who take revenge at the moment or just don’t pay as much attention to the table the next time they come in.

This person went the extra mile. If they didn’t get the tip they wanted, they were going to find out the email address of the non-tipper and sign them up for as many annoying email lists as they possibly could.

To start off, let’s point out that servers don’t often have the luxury of calling a rude customer or poor tipper out. After all, they’re at their place of employment.

That’s why this person doesn’t go to any extra lengths to call these customers out. However, they don’t bother working as hard for a tip that won’t come when the patrons return later. They just put their focus on other paying customers.

There are plenty of bad tippers out there who know that they’re tipping low. They also might know that the people they’re dining with wouldn’t approve.

That’s why this server wasn’t about to let them keep it a secret. But they weren’t going to lose their temper either. In the end, they usually either heard them get an earful for it or found a tip hidden under another person at the table’s plate.

We’ve talked a lot at this point about insultingly low tips. But there’s something even worse — there are also people who just don’t tip at all, no matter what.

When this couple left a whopping $0 on the table after their $50 meal, this server couldn’t just say nothing about it, especially after an evening of being mistreated. Still, the OP didn’t get mean or raise her voice. All she did was thank them for their generous tip.

Some people tip low, and you can possibly explain it away. Maybe the meal was more expensive than they expected, or they didn’t realize other money had come out of their account until they went to pay.

Then, there are some people who are clearly trying to be rude to their server. When the OP swung back by the table to get the bill, they were confronted with someone who left a small tip in the most inconvenient way possible. That’s not something this server was about to put up with.

When you mess with your waiter or waitress, don’t forget that they aren’t the only employee bringing you your meal. The chefs have to make it too.

That’s why this server knew that their real allies here were in the kitchen. It might not be much, but subtle revenge like this does take the sting out of a table that’s nothing but rude and is known for not leaving tips.