My wife and I once ate at a restaurant where the service was clearly struggling.
I still left a 10% tip, but as we were walking out, the waitress called after us sharply, “If you can’t tip properly, don’t eat out!”
Instead of complaining, I asked to speak with the manager privately. I told him the service hadn’t felt careless — it had felt overwhelmed. I explained that the waitress looked exhausted and distracted, as if she were carrying more than just the stress of a busy shift.Continue reading…