The practice of tipping has long been a contentious issue in society, and a recent dining experience at a Thai restaurant highlighted the strong feelings it can evoke. A Reddit user shared their story after leaving a tip that sparked controversy.
After enjoying a meal at the Thai establishment and receiving a bill totaling $197.55, the customer decided to leave a $13 tip. This amounted to just a 6% gratuity, notably below the standard tipping range.
The restaurant, dissatisfied with the gratuity, decided to take action. They imposed an additional $20 charge on the customer’s bill, increasing the tip to $33, which is about 16.7% of the total amount.
In a subsequent deleted Reddit post, the diner described how they were surprised by the automatic additional charge and reached out to the restaurant to request a refund of the full tip amount. The restaurant complied with this request, the customer reported.
Despite this resolution, the incident did not sit well with those on the internet.
Although some people agreed the restaurant’s decision to alter the tip was inappropriate, many criticized the customer for their initial low tip.
It’s widely acknowledged that tipping between 15-20% of the bill is the norm when dining out in restaurants, with a 10% tip generally reserved for subpar service.
While few defended the restaurant’s move, it was not surprising that Reddit users criticized the diner for initially leaving only a 6% tip.
One person commented, “$13 tip? … they probably had a hard time reading your scribbles and assumed it was actually an appropriate tip and not an insult … you should be ashamed of yourself, even more so airing this in public.”
Another echoed this view, stating: “You’re a lousy tipper, but the restaurant shouldn’t have done that. What they should have done is given you s****y service the next time you come in.”
Ultimately, a comment stood out as a comprehensive take on the situation: “Everyone sucks here,” the user noted, pointing out issues with the restaurant’s actions, US tipping norms, and the customer’s poor tipping choice.