Man Cuts Delivery Driver’s Tip After Terrible Service But Girlfriend Accuses Him Of Being Cruel
When does bad service justify cutting a tip?
OP relies on grocery delivery to make life manageable. No car. Busy schedule. It’s a system that usually works well. And when it works, OP shows appreciation.
For a recent 30-item order, placed right after returning from Thanksgiving, OP tipped 25 percent upfront. Around $35.
It was cold on the East Coast, and OP figured the driver deserved it. Untill things started to unravel.
The delivery driver couldn’t find the apartment. Not unusual at first, but OP had detailed instructions saved in the app that most drivers follow without trouble. Instead of one quick clarifying call, there were three.
During those calls, the driver reportedly sounded irritated, dropped f-bombs at someone in the car, and acted like OP was the problem.
Eventually, the groceries arrived. But eight items were missing.
Not small things either. Items OP needed for work the next day. And yes, OP had been charged for them.
After trying to contact the driver with no response, OP requested a refund for the missing items. Still frustrated, OP went back to the app and reduced the tip from $35 to $3.50.
To OP, the interaction felt chaotic, unprofessional, and incomplete. To OP’s girlfriend, the reaction felt extreme. She argued that even if reducing the tip made sense, cutting it down to almost nothing was too harsh. The driver still delivered the majority of the order and drove out in cold weather.
Now OP is stuck wondering if that frustration went too far.
Scroll through the screenshots below to see the full exchange and decide where the line should be drawn.
Let’s dig into the details
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We gathered some interesting comments from the Reddit community
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“NTA. It’s be the general attitude towards the delivery that cost them their tip.”
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“I don’t blame you for dropping your tip. You’re paying for a service and that service should be GOOD.”
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“Tips are to be earned so if you’re being a shi**ty person to your customer why would you expect a good tip?”
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“NTA. You are not obligated to give a tip. Given his penchant for obscenities, he was not acting like a professional.”
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“Lmao NTA at all. They didn’t get their payment because they didn’t do their job.”
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“Tips are based off of how well the service provided is done.”
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“This isn't like when you screw over the server by not tipping because the kitchen messed up, but the servers service was great.”
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This Redditor had a similar experience
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“If the service wasn't proper then you don't tip. NTA.”
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OP started with a generous tip, expecting smooth service. What followed felt disorganized and disrespectful, especially with missing items and poor communication.
At the same time, reducing a tip so drastically can feel like a strong statement rather than simple feedback.
The real question here is how much bad service should affect compensation, especially when someone still completed part of the job.
Do you think OP’s reaction was fair, or did frustration take over? Share your thoughts in the comments.
