A waiter has shared how he confronted customers who didn’t leave him a tip at a bakery. Although he was warned he could be fired for his bold move, he thinks it was justified

While some contend that America’s tipping culture has spiralled ‘out of control’, others depend on it to feed their families and pay their bills. That’s precisely why one waiter felt compelled to confront customers who failed to leave him the customary 10 to 20 per cent gratuity.

He described how he went above and beyond to deliver ‘top’ service to his table – only for them to leave without ‘thanking’ him by leaving a few dollars. Taking to Reddit, he said: “Two men came in for dine in. Their meal goes smoothly and I box up their leftovers. As I’m dropping off the check, I ask, ‘How was everything tonight?’ One of them says, ‘The duck was a bit dry.’

“To which I respond, ‘I’m sorry to hear that – I’ll let the chef know’. Naturally I would have liked to have given a discount at the very least, but my manager was busy and they were anxious to leave.

“So, I drop off their cheque and move on. As I’m cleaning up the table, I see that they both left a $0 tip on a $65 (£52) bill. Ouch.”

He continued by recounting how he encountered the same customers at a local bakery several days afterwards – and chose to challenge the “tipless wonders” directly. He added: “As I’m idly waiting for my order, I notice someone behind me shifting uneasily.

“I suddenly recognise him as the very same customer from the restaurant. Lo and behold, the man he was eating with shows up next to him.

“The cashier hands me my order, and as I turn to leave, I say, ‘Be sure to tip these folks better than me, alright?’ I walked away from their ashen faces, laughing inwardly.”

While he was pleased with his act of ‘revenge’, his parents condemned him for violating “decorum”.

He added: “When I told my family about this, they said this was a terrible breach of decorum, but I’m not so sure. It is the customer’s prerogative to tip what they want, even if it’s a nominal amount, but no tip at all sends a strong message.”

Responding to his confession, one user said: “They suck for not tipping, but you could get fired if they go back to the restaurant and tell management about it. Or write a Yelp review saying you said something to them days later not in the restaurant.

“If they were bad to you at the restaurant and you said something then, even though there’s a risk of getting in trouble it wouldn’t be the same.”

Another user added: “I love the idea that anyone who’s willing to not leave a tip then exists in a state of perpetual guilt and anxiety that the server who they have forgotten about will one day have the pettiest of revenges.”

A third user said: “Unprofessional and they probably won’t tip you again next time because of that comment.

“You’re not entitled to other people’s money. Not everyone is going to tip you.”