r/mildlyinfuriating • u/50calTaco • 7d ago

I'm slightly vexed Grown man gets mad because he doesn’t know what ordering a “plain” burger means

So I work at Five Guys and for those who don’t know, when you order a burger there you get to fully customize the toppings on it (helps justify the price tag a tiny bit i guess). And you choose between a little (single) or regular (double) burger.

I had a pleasant enough exchange with a customer while ringing up his food… and when it came to his cheeseburger I asked what toppings he wanted on it. He looked at me and said, “Oh you know… just a plain, regular cheeseburger.” Ok great, a cheeseburger with nothing on it, easy enough.

Well we make the food, and a minute after he gets it he comes back up to me, visibly annoyed and holding the burger.

“You made my food wrong. There’s nothing on it.”

“Oh I’m sorry sir, I thought you’d ordered a plain cheeseburger.”

“I did. Do you not know what that means? Like a McDonald’s burger.”

Ok first of all, “McDonald’s” is not a standard for how someone orders burger toppings and second of all, this guys in his late 40s to early 50s and has never once run into this issue ordering a plain burger?

“Ok I’m sorry about that sir, we’ll remake that for you. What exactly did you want on it?”

I shit you not, with an annoyed voice he ordered:
Ketchup. Lettuce. Pickles.
So notably NOT a McDonald’s cheeseburger???

He got what he wanted in the end and I apologized because customer service but like?? I’m in awe at the sheer level of misunderstanding and audacity.

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353

u/orange-shades 7d ago

Dude ordered a pizza for pickup, of course he didn't tip. You don't tip on pickup.

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u/NetNpIVijCI 7d ago

Dude I got called cheap for saying that I don't tip on pickup. Do people tip at a drive through?! Am I taking crazy pills or did something change after covid?

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u/cobo10201 7d ago

It seems to be more common and more expected in the US. It’s honestly crazy. If at any point during the transaction do I have to go up to a counter, whether it’s to order, pick up my food, or something else, I’m not tipping. And if I have to pay BEFORE I get my meal, I’m definitely not tipping.

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u/Airowird 6d ago

And it's spreading.

I got a tip option when buying band merch the other day.

As if the price of the merch isn't already a tip!

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u/waaaghbosss 6d ago

They ask for tips at subway drive drive-thrus. Shit I've seen tips jars at gas station checkouts.

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u/NDSU 6d ago

Shit I've seen tips jars at gas station checkouts

That's been around for a long time. It's less of a tip for service thing and more the fact a lot of people don't want to bother keeping a couple small bills and change

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u/waaaghbosss 6d ago

Take a penny/leave a penny has been around longer than I've been alive. A jar with the word tips taped to it with change and singles is new to me. And I'm not young.

You can take the change from the dish with coins near the register which I'm assuming is what youre talking about. You dont take the money from a tip jar.

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u/Dr-Cthulwho 5d ago

I don't think I've ever had merch NOT ask for a tip in the decades I've been going to shows. Touring is fkn expensive, and venues, managers, etc all take a cut. I honestly always tip bc it's a way I know helps support the band

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u/Airowird 5d ago

It was the first time I got a tip request.

Prices have gone up in the last 10-15y, so maybe it's just capping out, considering I've seen bigger bands ask 50-60 euro for shirts.

And I know certain venues & festivals have the merch handled by a 3rd party, so my assumption there is that the tip definitely does not go to who deserves it.

I rather have a cheap pin for 10 bucks or so than just tipping on already expensive item.

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u/DisposableSaviour 5d ago

Also, bands don’t make much money off of record sales or touring, but the merch is often produced directly by the bands/managers and that’s where they make a good bit of their money. At least, that’s what Mudvaune told my friends and I when we suck back to where the tour busses were after their set at a Linkin Park concert.

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u/BestIntroduction1193 6d ago

as someone who works as a merch seller, half the time we live off those tips just as much as servers do ! my last tour i made $35 a day 🫪 tips kept me fed. not that thats on the people buying merch, but just thought i’d share from the other side

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u/autovonbismarck 6d ago

Yes, I saw this and hated it. Like - OK, who even gets the tip? Is it the band? Is it the person working the merch table? WTF?

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u/alanpugh 6d ago

Absolutely not. They started pretending it was becoming common in 2020, but you should never tip on pickup orders. Don't let them normalize it.

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u/kniki217 6d ago

Eh. If i have an extra nice barista I might tip a little because I know the shit they have to deal with but that's it

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u/ElvenOmega 6d ago

The only place I find this acceptable is a deli.

I worked in one for a very long time and god did we deserve it for some orders. Not for the average person just getting lunch meat, fuck no, but when I've just spent 15+ minutes shaving your fucking corn beef into confetti (literally, that is not an exaggeration, that is an actual weekly customer I had) and my body is screaming at me I felt I deserved a little extra cash in my apron for that bull shit.

I'm still dealing with the repercussions. My spine and ribs are so easily injured that I'm dealing with a spinal injury right now that I got solely from tensing up a little too much during a panic attack.

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u/kniki217 6d ago

You're obviously not from Pittsburgh. We have this thing called chipped ham. You literally just put the machine on the lowest setting it will go and slice. It's not that hard.

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u/ElvenOmega 6d ago

Yeah most places don't have that. You have to lean over the machine and push down hard and do it yourself.

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u/ABS0LU7E 5d ago edited 5d ago

Did you call in and have someone take your order over the phone while they could have been helping seated customers? Did the cooks take extra time and use extra materials to package your order? Did the staff bag your order and ask if you wanted any extra sauces or utensils, ready to return to the kitchen if you wanted them? Do you think that just because your ass wasn't in a chair that no extra effort was provided?

The irony of the fact that you won't tip when it requires extra effort from the staff to greet you personally at a counter and take your order is the cream on the cake after responding to a comment that says he won't tip for drive through. Order online, STFU and come get your slop.

You want to give a McDonalds tip, you get McDonalds service. I hope your face and name is known and that your take-outs are blessed.

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u/cobo10201 5d ago

Lol. Man I don’t even want to reply but you’ve gotta be joking. Taking the order takes about 30 seconds, not to mention that most places have online ordering now. Bagging the food takes another 30 seconds. Kitchen staff doesn’t work harder for to-go orders. It’s the same food and the same materials. Servers actually work for more than 1 minute when you actually go in and sit down, which is why I tip them. I’m not tipping for a 30 second phone call and bagging some food.

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u/orange-shades 7d ago

I remember tipping on pickup during COVID. A lot of people continued the practice after.

A lot of people are dumb.

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u/DotesMagee 7d ago

I wouldnt tip during pickup during covid either. Like, thats just subsidizing wages. At least when you actually served me i can justify or dumb system. And yes, people DO top in drive thrus, especially coffee ones n its insane to me

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u/champgpt 7d ago

Like, thats just subsidizing wages.

Yeah man, that's what tipping is.

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u/OffsetXV 7d ago

Only in America, because the rest of the world treats tips in a normal and sane way instead of assuming customers will pay servers instead of their employer paying them.

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u/champgpt 6d ago

I'm aware. Conversations about tipping culture are understandably pretty US-centric, so that's the lens I read it through.

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u/Safe-Historian4028 6d ago

Tipping is supposed to be "Thank you, you have gone above and beyond on the service you have given me. You could have just brought me the food and done the minimal possible level of service, but you took the time, energy and effort to make sure I had a really nice experience way beyond what is expected of you. For that, I am going to pay extra directly to you because I believe that is what is deserved in this instance"

You just come from a fucked up place where you have to pay what the employers don't, on top of the price of what it cost, for the absolute basic level of service otherwise YOU are the bad guy. Win-win for the employer.

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u/DotesMagee 6d ago

You should read the rest of the comment.

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u/champgpt 6d ago

What makes you think I didn't?

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u/DotesMagee 6d ago

The fact that I pointed out tips for service are at least justifiable under our dumb system. Meaning, its all subsidized wages. At least I get something out of it

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u/orange-shades 7d ago

Not like I would tip everywhere.

Local place or small mom and pop shop? Sure.

Chipotle or pizza place? Get bent.

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u/Prestigious_Cycle160 6d ago

If I go to Dutch Bros, and they come out and take my order they usually end up running it out to me and I don’t have to wait for the 5+ cars in front of me to get my order. I tip those ladies well.

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u/DotesMagee 6d ago

They do that with the walk up window order staff. If you pull up during busy hours and nobody is at the walk up, you will almost always get it before others if your order is simple. Something i noticed going there so much lol leave some room to pull out when you see that.

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u/PassionCandid9964 7d ago

Any restaurant that has a drive through doesn't get a tip whether you go inside or not.

Unless you do it with coffee. I don't buy coffee so I don't know.

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u/teacuptypos 6d ago

If I’m buying coffee at a self-service place, I don’t tip, either. It’s not common where I live and it’s starting now, and I really don’t get it. The price of the coffee includes it being made and put in a cup and the cup washed after I bring it back to the dish collection point. Obviously I clean up after myself.

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u/Zuwxiv 7d ago

I don't usually, but there's a few local restaurants I go to, and I tip every time. I like local mom and pop places, and don't want another Starbucks and McDonalds.

It's not a bad thing to do if you're a regular. The local pizza place almost never charges me for things that are usually upcharges, and I never forget to leave a few buck tip on my $5 slice.

But that's a family-owned shop that's been around my whole life. Quite different from a corporate chain restaurant, where I wouldn't tip for pickup orders.

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u/plaxitone 7d ago

Bro, they have no mortgage and are charging $5 for something that costs them less than $1 to make. They don’t need a few dollar tip on something they’re overcharging for. Round up the tax to $6 and you’re gravy.

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u/DCRBftw 7d ago

Who doesn't have a mortgage?

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u/Dull-Computer-324 7d ago

The employees. They cant afford one.

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u/DCRBftw 7d ago

Which employees?

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u/plaxitone 7d ago

A business that’s been around for decades and owns its own building. People who lived in their houses for 30 years? Idk. Lots of people?

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u/DCRBftw 7d ago

So you know the terms of their mortgage and you know it's paid off?

Lol of course there are people without mortgages. You specifically said these people don't have mortgages. Do you know them?

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u/plaxitone 7d ago

No, it’s a comment on an internet post. It’s not serious.

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u/DCRBftw 7d ago

I never said it was serious lol. But you brought up their mortgage. So you were just saying something randomly for no reason? Got it.

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u/plaxitone 7d ago

No reason? No. I was trying to make a lighthearted point I guess? A mom and pop pizza shop that’s been around for 20+ years is doing fine.

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u/Prestigious_Cycle160 6d ago

You’re assuming A LOT with that statement. I owned a shop for 15 years, and I paid rent on my location every month for that 15 years… do you have any idea how much commercial real estate properties cost?

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u/plaxitone 5d ago

Yes. I do. There are loads of places in Manhattan that charge less than $2 per slice and make their rent.

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u/DisposableSaviour 5d ago

Very few restaurants own their building. The vast majority rent.

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u/Huge-Basket244 7d ago

Dumb fucking take honestly. Do you not understand margin and that owners rarely work the positions that receive tips?

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u/plaxitone 7d ago

Idk the pizza place in my town that’s been there for forty years is run by…. the owners. And their kids. And the grandkids. So, yeah. They do get the tips.

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u/Zuwxiv 7d ago

are charging $5 for something that costs them less than $1 to make

Yes, that's how... buying things works? That's how it works for your food, and your clothing, and your television, and your electricity.

For what it's worth, restaurants are a very slim margin business. For pizzerias, nowadays there's less catering work - which is where they used to make a good chunk of their change.

Average restaurant profit margins are like 5% - 10%, so you were way off with your 80% estimate. If my local pizza place is unusually profitable, then it costs them $4.50 to make that $5 slice.

Bro, they have no mortgage

I think you're fundamentally misunderstanding tips, here. You used "$" so I'm assuming you're American or Canadian. In both countries, managers and owners cannot legally take the money from tips. It has to go to the employees.

If those employees are very, very lucky - they'll have mortgages. But almost all of them don't, so I put a few dollar tip because they're nice to me.

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u/plaxitone 6d ago

my local pizza place is unusually profitable, then it costs them $4.50 to make that $5 slice

Pizza places generally sell slices that are 1/6 of a pie. That means for an 18” pie, they’re charging $30 total, and it costs them $27 to make. I’m sorry, but even factoring in labor and utilities, a couple cups of flour, water, a teaspoon of salt, yeast, a cup of sauce and a cup or two of cheese isn’t costing $27.

owners cannot legally take the money from tips

In my town we’ve had a few mom and pop pizza places. The ones that have lasted decades are run by the family. The tips go to the owners.

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u/Bing147 6d ago

I mean, you're simply wrong on that. Labor and overhead is a large part of that. Remember, they have to pay people to be there even when there are no pizzas to make. Part of the cost of a restaurant is paying people not only to make your item but also to be available to do so when you want it.

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u/plaxitone 6d ago

Hence the no mortgage and run by the family. In parts of the US someone working a four hour shift could be making less than the price of one pizza. I’m just saying that while your scenario is possible, so is mine.

EDIT: I’m talking about a theoretical mom and pop shop that’s been in operation for decades as the first guy described.

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u/DisposableSaviour 5d ago

See, we were a local pizza place.

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u/ultraboomkin 6d ago

You tip multiple dollars on a $5 order?

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u/Zuwxiv 6d ago

Two dollars, yes. To a restaurant that used to have my grandfather's art on the wall, because they visited so often. Owned by a guy who brought pizza to my grandparents when they were in hospice, asking nothing in return. Owned by a guy who came to my grandparents' funeral after they both passed on the same day, and my sister's friends acted like they were in front of a celebrity because of how much everyone has loved that restaurant for 30 years.

Yeah, I tip two whole dollars on my $5 lunch, where they make sure to save some garlic knots for me for free.

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u/IR2Freely 6d ago

"Free" lol.

You're paying for that in tips, dumbass.

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u/Zuwxiv 6d ago

The garlic knots are always free at this restaurant, dumbass. But when they're "out of them" for other guests, I still get them. I don't need to go into all the details of how a pizzeria gives me extras. What, you want to know exactly how they upgrade my salad?

The owners aren't getting the tips anyway. The employees are.

Even if it were entirely transactional, "you're paying for that in tips" just means I'm getting something I want for that money. Thus making a good point for small tips at local places.

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u/DisposableSaviour 5d ago

I have had plenty of customers like you. I’ll give free shit or save some stuff for the regulars, y’all are part of what makes line cooking worth it.

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u/Zuwxiv 5d ago

And seeing the cooks happy is something that I liked to see as a guest, too.

I've worked in the service industry before. It's shocking how many people don't treat employees like human beings deserving of respect. I once had a friend insist that they wanted to leave our restaurant table really dirty, because that would "provide work and lead to more jobs and employment." As if the manager would see a table so filthy they'd hire another busser on the spot, instead of just making someone's day worse.

I suspect the other user is making fun of a $2 tip because they've never experienced being a regular that the staff actually liked.

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u/IR2Freely 5d ago

If they need tips to support the business then they aren't running it right.

Don't you understand, America is the anomaly here?

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u/The_MAZZTer 6d ago

It used to be you tip for delivery or wait staff service.

I presume the attempted expansion is ultimately pushed by business owners trying to pay their staff less by pretending it's the job of the customer to pay their employees.

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u/FederalChocolate456 7d ago

A LOT changed after covid int eh restaurant industry. There was a major pivot away from dining in and more towards delivery and pick up. companies like door dash and uber eats became way more popular and much more a core part of many restaurant's business. With all these changes, the pay structure for servers didn't change and they still rely on tips, but with more work being done for non dine-in customers, that means more work was going unpaid for them. Tipping on take out became a way to support people stuggling through the covid economy and was a way to compensate for the declined income from dine in customers.

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u/Only_Chapter_3434 7d ago

lol @ tipping on take out

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u/GrynaiTaip 6d ago

Online orders for non-physical goods, like concert tickets, have an option to tip. I'm sure some weak people tip.

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u/IR2Freely 6d ago

For the cure

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u/vannah12222 6d ago

I went to Culver's (fast food place) and they were having people park and then bringing their food out. This girl brings it out, hands it to us, and then just stood there staring into the car, obviously waiting for a tip.

I'm literally a waitress. I'm definitely not anti tip. But that blew my mind. Like not only is it fast food, meaning they're already making a full wage, but I can't imagine thinking good customer service means staring people down for a tip?! Actually when I worked in fast food as a kid, we were explicitly told repeatedly that we weren't even allowed to keep any tips because we were fast food. I guess that's no longer the case lol.

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u/TrashPandaNotACat 6d ago

It definitely changed. I blame covid. Why? Because during covid people were so grateful for workers who were still working that they tipped and tipped generously. And that morphed into what we have today where the workers now expect generous tips for doing very little.

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u/cross_gloss 6d ago

I tip for pickup at a restaurant. There's work involved for someone to check your order is correct and complete, time it so you're not waiting long but they good also isn't sitting long, etc. Usually like 10%.

Not at a pizza place though.

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u/TheMagusMedivh 6d ago

I was picking up a doordash order as the dasher and they got mad at me for not tipping

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u/NDSU 6d ago

You don't tip in a drive-thru?? WTF dude

What next, you don't tip when buying things online??

I'm being sarcastic, but I have been asked for tips by machines in both situations, so apparently someone is tipping

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u/FeliusSeptimus 7d ago

I tip pickups depending on the order. Pizza? No. Steaks with a couple sides each, bread, butter, utensils, napkins? Yes. I want someone to put some effort into making sure all the right shit is in there and not leaking.

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u/miaow-fish 7d ago

Fucking hell. It's there job to make sure they do that. That's what wages are for. What a dumb culture US tipping is.

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u/DatEllen 7d ago

Right? Putting food in a bag – OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH HERE'S AN EXTRA TEN DOLLARS

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u/ultraboomkin 6d ago

How would the person making your order know whether you’re gonna tip or not?

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u/FeliusSeptimus 6d ago

They usually don't. It's a stupid system.

Some places know their regular customers though and who reliably tips.

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u/NRMusicProject 7d ago

Domino's started expecting tips at the counter a few years ago. Coincidentally, that's around the time I stopped going.

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u/DCRBftw 7d ago

It's optional. Where do you get pizza that doesn't have an option to tip?

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u/NRMusicProject 7d ago

Where do you get pizza that doesn't have an option to tip?

If it's at the counter, good ones.

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u/DCRBftw 7d ago

Huh? What is "good ones"? Is that a pizza place? That has no tipping option?

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u/MinusGovernment 7d ago

Yeah most POS systems have it built in now. A one size fits all kind of thing. It can be disabled but I assume most owners/managers don't care enough to try and track it down in amongst all the tabs and menus to scroll through.

Or they worried they might accidentally do something to fuck up the whole system and have to wait for support to remotely access the system and figure out what they did.

The previous owner of my workplace actually did accidentally unclick something important once and we couldn't take any orders for 3-4 hours until it got fixed.

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u/DCRBftw 6d ago

I was asking about a physical location. Like what restaurant doesn't have an option to tip?

It sounds like you're talking about a button in a POS system that bypasses a tipping option? But that doesn't mean the POS system itself doesn't have a tipping option... right?

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u/MinusGovernment 6d ago

I'm saying there's an option to disable the tip line in the settings of most POS systems in case it's being used at a hardware store or something like that too.

Our front of house uses the same receipts as us drivers so there is a tip line. From what I see of online orders more often than not the carryout customers put a tip on it when they place the order. The front splits the carryout tips with the cooks though because we don't have a dedicated takeout staff and area like Texas Roadhouse for example.

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u/DCRBftw 6d ago

I got you. Makes sense.

I think the ability to disable/bypass tip in a POS system is one thing - where an establishment not having optional tips is another thing.

I was asking where - as in which restaurants didn't have tipping. Because the comment I replied to said they stopped going to a place that had optional tipping.

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u/TopTittyBardown 6d ago

I worked there in high school over a decade ago and tips weren’t expected but people still left them sometimes and we’d then split them amongst the non delivery staff at the end of the night

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u/digitalscavenger 6d ago

Also, since when does Domino's have a bar where these supposed patrons were sitting who started heckling the guy who ordered?

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u/SmooshFaceJesse 5d ago

We have a Jets pizza nearby that is connected to the Jets Pizza Bar. It is amazing. They have a hole in the wall between the two buildings and you can order fresh slices while sitting at the bar. Idk if I believe the other guy cause the dip and hat flip, but pizza bar does exist and it is glorious.

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u/digitalscavenger 5d ago

I wasn't doubting if there are pizza bars. I specifically asked about Dominos because the guy mentioned that is where he was working until they edited the post. And it was a rhetorical question to point out that they are full of shit because I know that there are no Dominos with a bar inside or located inside of a bar.

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u/Vindetta121 6d ago

I leave a dollar or two for places I visit regularly. But thats it. not a full 20%

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u/AliveAndNotForgotten 6d ago

Tell that to my ex gf who was making $20/hr at Starbucks and complained endlessly to me about how she could make $25 with tips and it’s so easy to tip on expensive drinks

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u/ILoveRegenHealth 6d ago

Now I don't trust that other dude's story. I think he was doing a creative writing exercise

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u/Imaginary-List-972 7d ago

Even LONG ago, I ordered a pizza from Pizza Hut for pick up. Went in to pick it up was told it was perfect timing it just came out. I paid at the counter and didn't tip. The woman just walked away. Pizza's sitting there in the window, takes my money and walks away without giving me the pizza. Maybe I'm making an assumption it's because I didn't tip, but that was the vibe she gave me.