Waiters who disappeared mid-meal and never came back, diners who waited more than half an hour just to get the bill and above all — couples or people eating alone in restaurants who see servers ignore them in favor of larger tables expected to leave bigger tips.
This string of complaints was at the center of a heated discussion on Reddit's r/tipping subreddit, where users debated the age-old question: How bad does the service have to be for you to leave zero tip?
The question addresses one of the most divisive issues in the restaurant industry — the culture of tipping. It has spread to many places around the globe, especially in the United States, where service workers often expect a tip even for pouring a drink at a bar or ringing up an order at a fast-food chain. In many U.S. restaurants, customers are prompted on a screen to select a tip amount before they even tap a credit card or phone to pay.
On Reddit, users shared stories about times they chose to leave no tip at all or left only a token amount to signal disappointment. One user described being "eating alone for lunch and the server 'forgot' about me and spent all her time at a table with a large party."
After finishing, they said they waited 20 minutes for a check and had to flag down another server. To that comment, another replied they'd tip "1 cent to make a point."
Leaving a penny or a very small amount is known as “tip trolling,” a deliberate move meant to tell servers their service fell short. As one user put it: “If service is bad enough for the tip to be zero, the server already knows they messed up. If not, they are in the wrong business.” Another agreed, adding: “If I leave a 5% tip, that's pretty much a message that says you suck.”
For many, the central issue is lack of attention. “If I have to wait 15 minutes for water, and 15 minutes for a check after asking for it in a non-busy restaurant... then my tip is going drastically down,” one user wrote, recalling how he once sat as the only lunch customer and still had to wait a long time for the bill.
Another Reddit user said he left no tip after a waitress “accidentally” charged his card 50% more than the bill and insisted the difference could simply serve as her tip. “I said no, please fix it and I'll decide your tip. She argued, I had to ask for the manager before she finally fixed it and I specifically wrote 'no tip' on the tip line. I still called back to speak to the manager to complain about her because with the attitude, I knew I likely wasn't the only one she was pulling that with."
One user said he withheld a tip because the waitress drove him mad: “10 minutes for drink orders, another 20 to order food, the food came to us cold so I know it died in the pass. Even trying to get my check, I could see her across the room literally standing around, all smiles joking with a coworker for a good 5 minutes. Then she played with her phone before deciding to come over. Easiest guilt free zero I've ever written in my life."
Another user said that because of rising food and dining prices, he has stopped tipping altogether: “I pay only what I'm legally obligated to pay, this is a business transaction. Stop begging and feeling entitled to my money it's so cringe worthy. Prices have gone up 50% in recent years. A couple goes out and spends more than $100. I’m not leaving another $20 just for someone who brought dishes to the table. I only pay what I owe.”
Others took a different view. One user said he feels sorry for service workers and that it would take extremely rude behavior or even “physical violence” for him to withhold a tip entirely. Another stressed: “I always tip $0. Servers need to discuss their wages with their boss, not me."
In another case, a waitress confronted a table that chose not to tip after their dishes arrived late, with some diners eating while others waited long minutes. The waitress argued that it wasn't her fault "the food runners screwed up," but the diners replied that she was “the face of the restaurant” and their experience was poor.
A Newsweek report noted that restaurants across the United States often add service charges automatically to the bill, especially for large groups, but those charges are not considered personal tips for the waiter. “They can't force you to tip if you make it optional,” said Bruce McAdams, a professor at the School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management at the University of Guelph. “But if you state there is a service charge and add it to the bill, it is legal and the customer is required to pay.”
Surveys show most Americans would prefer not to be forced to tip and want the choice left to the customer. According to Newsweek, a September 2024 survey found 73% of respondents wanted tipping to remain optional, while only 22% favored making it mandatory. At the same time, in many places tips make up a significant portion of servers’ pay, and without them they would earn only the minimum wage set by their employer.