Waitress Gets An Unexpected "Tip" After Making Dumb Jokes At A Customer

Tipping is a common social practice in many parts of the world, especially in industries like hospitality, dining, and personal services. At its core, tipping involves giving a small, voluntary amount of money to someone in appreciation of their service.

While it may seem like a simple gesture, tipping carries social, cultural, and even economic significance. In countries like the United States, tipping is deeply ingrained in everyday life, with customers typically adding 15–20% to their restaurant bill to reward good service.

In contrast, places such as Japan often discourage tipping, as excellent service is considered part of the job and not something that requires extra payment. These differences highlight how tipping customs reflect broader cultural values and expectations.

Beyond expressing gratitude, tipping can also play an important role in workers’ income, particularly in industries where base wages are low. For many servers, delivery drivers, and hotel staff, tips make up a significant portion of their earnings.

As a result, tipping is not just a polite gesture—it can directly impact livelihoods, but the OP of today's story chose not to tip. No rush because he gave details on why he didn't tip this particular waitress.

The OP was working out of town, which meant days and a lot of fast food. One day for dinner, he and his colleagues went to a TGIFriday's for something slightly better than drive-through burgers, but the OP got what he didn't bargain for.

Here is the full story below in the OP's own words

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She made the same dumb joke numerous times even though it never got a laugh

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The two guys the OP was with disagreed with each other

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The OP added this edit later on to further clarify things

I wrote "NO" on the tip line specifically to reference the joke she kept making. It wasn't just a flat "No, I won't tip you." At the time it felt like she would put it together that there wasn't a tip because of the joke. Yeah, probably didn't connect for her, but it seemed clever when I did it.

We've gathered some of the most upvoted comments from other Redditors for you to read through below

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She was clearly annoying the OP

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This Redditor can't stand when a waiter does that

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That can quickly annoy anyone

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The OP left this in the comments....

IMO part of the service is verbal. It's too long ago to remember if the food delivery was good or bad, but the tip was based mostly on the joke. In hindsight I should have tipped less rather than nothing, but it was really getting on my nerves and it felt justified at the time.

The OP doesn't deserve to be singled out

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Yes, tipping is optional

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It's the OP's choice to tip or not

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She chose a low paying job

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Overall, tipping is more than a financial transaction; it is a social norm shaped by history, culture, and economic systems. Understanding when and how to tip can help individuals navigate social situations respectfully while supporting those who provide valuable services.

According to the OP, this happened a couple of years ago, but he still gets divided responses when it comes up. Well, he got a verdict this time, and it is "not the AH."