Shut up and Tip
By Katharine Branham - info@katharinebranham.com
I’m still amazed when talking with restaurant employees on the matter of tipping. What’s up with the seemingly rich that love to stiff the staff? ‘People love to be waited on’ says a young man who has been employed for some of the top country clubs in my hometown of Houston. He also explained that a lot of the men would come in, with a lady friend, flaunting their money and acting like big-shots who want everything done for them. But then these same men stiff the very wait-staff who’ve gone the extra mile to help these guys impress their guest.
I happen to know firsthand what goes on behind the scenes in kitchens where frequent visitors stiff the staff. ‘Staff stiffers’ may leave laughing or thinking the waiter didn’t need a tip -- but they fail to realize that, on the next visit, the food just might visit the floor before it’s reaches their table. Please don’t think the staff won’t remember you. I worked in a restaurant for years; and when those ‘staff stiffers’ came in…well, let’s just say they reaped what they sowed. The details can be left to another article, but let’s just say ‘It’s in your best interest to leave a tip.’ Restaurant service staff work very hard; and when you don’t tip, it’s like if your employer skipped out on giving you a paycheck. So keep in mind that these people have to make a living just like everyone else.
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