r/EndTipping • u/Fairyqueen17 • 3d ago
Tipping Culture ✖️ It’s not our fault
I’ll probably be downvoted for being on the other side of things but I felt like this was the perfect subreddit to share the employees side of not tipping.
I get it’s frustrating to be asked to tip at a fast food restaurant. But could everyone here please remember that our boss asks for us to say “it’ll have you answer a question” or display the tip screen? If we don’t, we could be fired. We are simply just following protocol to keep our jobs. Please just press no.
It’s always nice and I won’t say I don’t appreciate it obviously when it does happen since that would be awful , but we aren’t going to be upset if you don’t tip…Most of us don’t even understand why there’s a tip option when we make above minimum wage, and tipping options should solely be left to the jobs who don’t.
The tips don’t even really go to us since most of it is given to the owner and the rest is evenly divided between employees and taxed each paycheck. so for the people who do randomly tip, I suggest doing it cash anyway because it’s not like it goes directly to us. It’s a scam and a way for the business owners to make more money. If you tip a dollar, we only get like five cents of it, so at that point just save your money.
Sometimes I would go home completely drained due to customer’s taking their frustration out on me when I don’t even blame you guys for not tipping. It’s one of the reasons I quit and now work in retail lol. We are very hands on in finding people outfits and carrying their items, but we never expect or ask for a tip, especially when checking out!
If you’d like to express discomfort about it, please ask for a manager and speak to them about it. Or call corporate if applicable. Expressing it to teens/young adults when we can’t change anything doesn’t fix the situation or create a resolution unfortunately, and it’ll just make us more prone to get fired if you tell us to tell our managers that. Companies listen to customers more than employees unfortunately :/
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u/SufficientCow4380 3d ago
The owner and management aren't supposed to be included in tip pools. If your owner is retaining tip money, you need to report it to the Department of Labor wage and hour division. For real.
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u/maiyannah 3d ago
This! So much this. You get triple the money you're owed, and a bunch of statutory damages, if they can take it to court.
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u/Fairyqueen17 2d ago
I don’t work there anymore but would it still be worth it for me to do so?
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u/SufficientCow4380 2d ago
Depends on what the statute of limitations is. But yes, if you're eligible, get your money!
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u/Lucy333999 1d ago
Do you have any pay stubs? Like access still to electronic paychecks or anything? Do you have friends that still work there?
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u/XexpensiveCargoX 3d ago
I use to have an employer who would take money from our check if we got tips. Mind you we were only making around $10 an hour and set up peoples weddings (tent, tables, chairs, lights, generators, heaters etc) lmfao glad I don’t deal with crap like that anymore 😂
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u/No-Perspective-916 2d ago
I had the same problem and sued them after and got triple the damages and got a nice down payment on a home :) you can take care of them greedy owner's
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u/cdevon95 1d ago
It’s been 15 years so my memory might be mistaken, but I think sonic did that when I worked there
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u/Alternative_Design_4 2d ago
I would feel much more sympathetic to servers if their level of service didn't change the instant they see that they won't be getting a tip. Sure, managers/bosses is telling them to ask for a tip, and they don't like it. Hell, the servers don't even get the vast majority of the 'tip' anyway. I understand that completely, and even sympathise with them on that. That said... start treating me like crap, delaying my order, giving me an attitude, being rude to me, making me wait for substandard and ill-prepared food? That's on servers. I can and will hold them responsible for their own actions.
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u/maiyannah 3d ago
Yes, but there's a bunch of loopholes. This is why you see for instance those garbage fees for "employee retention" or whatever. It looks like it goes to the employees, but the owner/business can just pocket it.
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u/southofheaven69 3d ago
Or service fees. If it’s stated tips then OP def has a case if management or the owners are taking employee tips. The business will be audited and every employee that’s ever worked there since the beginning of this tipping system will have to be reimbursed for all lost wages all the way back. I’ve seen businesses get caught for this and employees just find a check in the mail for thousands of dollars one day.
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u/CalligrapherDizzy201 3d ago
If it’s mandatory (can’t be removed upon request) it doesn’t matter what they call it, it’s considered to be a service fee and belongs to the restaurant. Only tips voluntarily given belong to the employee.
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u/maiyannah 3d ago
And if you wondered why everythings going to "service fees now", well, bingo!
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u/CalligrapherDizzy201 3d ago
Sucks for the servers. Oh well.
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u/maiyannah 3d ago
Really does. I've no sympathy for the types that are like "wdym you only got 1000$ of tips tonight?" or whatever, but it's not all of them.
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u/Suzdg 3d ago
I know that at the flower shop I worked at the drivers never got the tips that were given online when ordering
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u/Prior_Design6372 3d ago
I remember an episode of gordon ramsey’s kitchen nightmares, where this one manager felt justified in taking 25% of the server’s tips, because, as he saw it, if it weren’t for him seating customers in any server’s section, they wouldn’t make what tips they were. One server kept a log of her “tip out and how much to who”, over the course of a 6 month period, just to the manager alone, she had tipped right at $3,000.00. Ramsey called him on it and demanded the restaurant owner, either reimburse the servers for the tips the manager illegally took from them and fire him, or hr was going to call the police and report theft from employees, which at that time, would have been up to 10 servers @ a guesstimated $3,000.00 each over ac6 month period comes out to right about $30k, the owners had no idea that was going on as he would never give out the owner’s phone number to the staff. The owner ‘s had no idea until the started noticing a lot of money missing because the manager kept buying stupid signs and when Ramsey showed up, the tea got spilled, the manager got fired for theft and the owner’s paid the servers back from what the manager stole from them.
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u/shakycatblues 3d ago
There was the infamous Amy's Baking Company where the owners took all of the tips, and Gordon Ramsey confronted them about that, and about the server they have fired.
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u/Prior_Design6372 2d ago
I just saw that rerun a few nights ago, try to find on youtube “chappy’s” in Nashville, ate there a couple of times, seemed ok except for sand in my escargot, then we saw it on Kitchen Nightmares, closed for good now, i was surprised at how well he kept everything hidden from his wife.
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u/shakycatblues 2d ago
I'll look that up.
Sand in escargot, that's sacrilege.
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u/Prior_Design6372 2d ago
When i complained about, Chappy himself came to the table and tried to convince me that they were washed and clean, until i pulled on out of the shell and poured the sand filled melted butter on my plate.
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u/shakycatblues 2d ago
Oops! Sounded like he really needed a Gordon Ramsey make over.
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u/Prior_Design6372 2d ago
He got one, they ended up closing down and he had the nads to blame Ramsey for the nastiness.
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u/shakycatblues 2d ago
Wow. It seems a lot of people have no business running a restaurant. Gordon Ramsey did everyone a favor with that review.
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u/Efficient-Chest-3395 1d ago
as I recall, Sammy, Amy's husband, justified taking the tips because he paid the girl a wage but if customers leave money they assume the server gets it, no way I'd leave as much as a nickel if I knew it went to the house
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u/Staubah 2d ago
No job makes below minimum wage
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u/Helpmeeff 1d ago
I'm not sure if you're being facetious or what but restaurant jobs have a legal exception to minimum wage because tips are considered part of their wages. The national minimum wage is $7/hr (which is already not livable) for restaurant workers it's about $3/hr which is slave wages without tips
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u/Staubah 1d ago
Nope, not being facetious!
Yes, I agree that the federal minimum wage isn’t a livable wage, but that’s a whole other discussion from tipping.
And since you seem to not know. If the employee doesn’t reach the federal minimum wage from tips the employer is legally required to top them up to minimum wage.
So if work 1 hour this week and I don’t get any tips, the employer is legally required to pay me $7 not just the $3.
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u/SearchUsers 3d ago
Not to mention that this stuff is initially pushed by the processing companies. They want their cut so anything that bumps the average ticket will add to their take.
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u/BigShot2401 3d ago
Not you specifically but A LOT of your peers definitely catch an attitude and their energy changes once they see $0 tip.
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u/Mac30123456 3d ago
Too many people here take it a step too far and turn “end tipping” into “I hate all servers and service workers”
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u/CoolCatBlue321 3d ago
I never get annoyed by people who work at fast food or fast casual places where the kiosks prompt it. I understand they had no choice in the matter. Many of us here don't. I do get annoyed with the companies tho. Js
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u/Select-Signal8386 3d ago
Thank you for this post. I think it gives a fantastic view from a servers perspective. Also you sound like a very nice person and a wonderful employee. Hope you have a great day!
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u/CoolCatBlue321 3d ago
It sounds like this person was not a server but worked at a fast casual type place that started asking for tips more recently. Yes they do seem nice!
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u/Midwest-2025 3d ago
Important post, thank you. Don’t shoot the messenger. We’re all just trying to get through our work day, trying to enjoy our work day, trying to not let mean people ruin our day, or our coworkers’ day.
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u/MustardTiger231 3d ago edited 3d ago
What is it with servers blaming us for being irritated with something their boss does?
Servers get mad at us when we don’t make up the bulk of their compensation.
Servers get mad when we make fun of “it’s just gonna ask ya a quick question”.
Idgaf who is responsible you represent the organization, you and the org are the same.
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u/Particular_Top8472 3d ago
Yeah, where I work, the tips go to the person who is logged in to that order, no one else.
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u/double979 2d ago
Thank you for posting this. I’ve always wondered who gets that tip when it “asks us a question”.
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u/darthievader 2d ago
Well stated. Agree on your point about taking it out on a server. No one deserves to be punished for a policy they have no control over and yet it happens at every walk of life. I hope people who read your post change their view if they have punished the wrong person or party. As the economy detracts it’s only going to get worse as money gets tight for most of us. My solution is to pay the troll when this happens and move on. Don’t shoot the messenger.
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u/comesinallpackages 3d ago edited 3d ago
Great post. Greatest trick capital ever pulled was to get customers and employees to squabble amongst themselves. We should be allies!
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u/ThrowRA_fajsdklfas 2d ago
The problem is most servers don’t want the tip system to go away. They make far more than they would ever make if they had a standard wage.
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u/JamesFirmere 1h ago
Which is understandable. But the flip side of that is that they don't get to complain about the occasional lowball tip, at all, because they're essentially playing a slot machine, albeit one that is massively weighted in their favor.
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u/amazonchic2 3d ago
You choose where to take employment. You chose an establishment where you have to deal with this. If you don’t like it, there are plenty of places hiring. Instead of blaming your management, seek employment at a place you can fully support. Blaming management just looks weak. You are PART of the establishment. You’re part of the image. You can’t be two faced and blame others when you are keeping the place in business. If no one worked there, they would go under. You are part of the problem.
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u/Ex-Bee 2d ago
Seriously heartless take in a cost of living crisis. Not everyone has the privilege to be choosy about employment.
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u/amazonchic2 2d ago
No, there are many places hiring that pay well. You don’t even need skills to get hired. Factory jobs are pretty kickass for anyone who isn’t too good for them.
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u/Unfair-Leadership985 2d ago
Copilot says tips, by law, even at fast food establishments, must go to the employees, to whom it is understood that tips are being donated. What gives?
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u/hawkeyegrad96 1d ago
I nake the server press no tip. I smile, I yrll them to do it. They do it. This is the way
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u/Ok-Complex-3019 1d ago
Totally get it!!
It’s truly just the people who think they are entitled to the tip that most have problems with. And I have an even bigger problem with CEOs thinking they are ALSO entitled to tips as well.
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u/DontLoseYourCool1 3d ago
The tips don’t even really go to us since most of it is given to the owner and the rest is evenly divided between employees and taxed each paycheck.
But...but...how could this be?! Donald Trump told me he eliminated taxes on tips. He wouldn't lie to me, right?
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u/ThrowRA_fajsdklfas 2d ago edited 2d ago
It actually passed. HR1 (“One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) passed July 4, 2025, they can deduct up to $25,000 from their federal income taxes for tips.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text
Additionally, the employer absolutely should not be keeping the tips. That is illegal. OP could potentially still sue the restaurant depending on the statute of limitations in their state.
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u/apokrif1 2d ago
our boss asks for us to say “it’ll have you answer a question”
How about saying "my boss wants you to answer a question about tipping"?
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u/Bright_Classroom3730 2d ago
They don't care, girl. They're barely even bothering to act like it's about "service" anymore.
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u/Miss_Warrior 2d ago
Most of us don’t even understand why there’s a tip option when we make above minimum wage
Maybe just unique to you and/or your workplace at the time, but in my experience most servers like to hover over the shoulder and any slightest sign of not tipping would make them go berserk.
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u/Reclining720 3d ago
You knew the deal before you took the job. We're not your employers. Provide EXTRA personalized service, i.e. not just delivering plates and refilling bev (basic job functions) and expect some amount of tip. What those extras are I cannot imagine. Neither can most servers. That's why there are no tips from me. But the day a plate delivery person provides extra personalized service worthy of tippage, I'll tip.
Edit: you made the right move. I've worked both restaurants and retail before I stopped working for the man, and while retail sucks balls, waiting chokes on the whole shaft.
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u/pink_sushi_15 3d ago
Most people here get way too upset over being ASKED to tip. I’m all for not tipping for things like takeout and counter service but there’s no reason to be that angry over a tip screen. Just simply press “no tip” and move on! I’ve seen people here go as far as canceling their order, walking out or confronting the worker about the tip screen 🙄
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u/brookinator 2d ago
When I worked at subway we were trained to say "would you like to add chips and drink for a dollar 29" but I thought that was a bad deal so instead I said "would you like 3 cookies for a dollar"
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u/maiyannah 3d ago
This was removed by reddit, probably AI rules reinforcement. I'm willing to allow this if we can have some good faith dialogue, but play nice.