Server Complains After Tourists Only Leave A 10% Tip On $700 Check After Saying They Were ‘Over The Moon’ About Her Service

She was insulted by how little they left her. However, other people are saying the tourists are not to blame: U.S. tipping culture is.

waitress, bill Olena Yakobchuk / mummyz / Shutterstock 
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In the U.S., tipping service workers is considered an exceptional method to thank employees for their hard work. While it is certainly not required, it is viewed as rude not to offer them an additional gratuity, especially if you thoroughly enjoyed their service. A generous tip is considered at least 20% of the total bill. 

Tipping has become a normal custom in the U.S., but many European nations do not encourage tipping service workers. This can provide a recipe for disaster and discomfort when European tourists visit the U.S. and leave a sit-down restaurant without leaving an exceptional tip. 

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RELATED: Server Complained That She Only Got A $10 Tip From A Table Of 21, But Wound Up Making Thousands More

One American waitress complained after a group of tourists tipped her 10% on a $700 check.

Madison Tayt, who works as a waitress, took to Twitter to vent about the European tourists refusing to abide by American tipping customs. “I f–king hate Europeans sometimes on God,” Tayt wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “This table just left $70 on a $700 check after chilling for HOURS.” 

When the restaurant manager asked the customers about their service after noticing their low tip amount, they claimed that they were “over the moon” with Tayt’s service. However, their decision about how much they chose to tip remained the same. 

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“He explained the customary tip is 20% and they were like, ‘ok’ and left.” She shared a photo of the check in question adding that Europeans need to be banned from traveling to America until they "learn how to act."

RELATED: Bartender Shares How Many People Gave ‘Zero Dollar Tips’ On A Saturday Night — But It Was ‘Additional Gratuity’

Photo: Twitter

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“I understand a lot of the qualms with European’s behavior in restaurants comes from cultural differences (camping at tables, being a little brusque or forceful, etc) all of which id be willing to overlook if they at least tipped appropriately,” Tayt added.

RELATED: Server Complains About Having To Tip Out Cooks $25 — 'I Only Went Home With $15'

Tayt’s tweet sparked a conversation on Twitter surrounding the American tipping standards and the customer service industry. 

Some people criticized the group of tourists for failing to provide an acceptable tip. 

“The solution is simple if you come to America you need to tip at least 20% otherwise go back from where you came from. You can’t afford to visit here,” one user commented. 

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“20% is customary anywhere in return for good service,” another user wrote. 

Others believed that the tip Tayt received was plenty, and since the tourists were likely not expected to tip where they were from, they did not intend to be insulting. 

“A $70 tip and you’re whining??” one user replied. “10% is standard in Europe,” another user pointed out. 

However, other people blamed the restaurant industry for failing to pay their employees enough money to make a living, therefore heavily relying on customer tips. In the U.S., restaurant employees who receive tips are entitled to a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour. 

RELATED: Man Faces Backlash For Saying 'Tipping Is Optional' And It's Messed Up To Shame Non-Tippers

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“Interesting that you’re mad at the customers and not that you can see the $700 bill the restaurant gets and are yet fine with them not paying you a fair wage,” one user commented. 

“It's hard for Europeans to comprehend how little U.S. waiters are paid. Here we don't have a special minimum wage for tipped workers. And most waiters are earning more than the minimum wage anyways,” another user shared. 

Many Twitter users noted the flaws in the U.S. minimum wage for restaurant employees and encouraged Tayt to demand change from her employer, not from customers who she believed did not tip her enough. 

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Despite the obvious changes that need to be made to ensure that servers are paid properly and well enough to make a living, customers can continue to help them out by at least leaving a tip for their service, even if the tipping culture has gotten out of hand. 

“If you don’t like our horrible tipping system I completely understand that and agree that the burden ought to be on the restaurant owners,” one Twitter user defended Tayt. “But if you’re not willing to participate then you should not go to a table service restaurant when you are visiting the United States.” 

RELATED: 'For What?' Man Complains After Being Prompted To Tip 20% For Takeout Pizza Order

Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.

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