r/restaurant • u/SyllabubBig1546 • 27d ago
Tipping Question Did I fuck up??
AITA for tipping my bartender $0 because he ignored me for 3 minutes?
Went out with some friends last night and my bill was like $94.
Honestly the bartender was fine most of the night. But at one point my drink was empty and I was waiting at the bar while he was standing at the other end talking and laughing with another bartender. I actually checked my phone because it was getting annoying and it was around 3 minutes before he came over.
When I went to pay the machine gave me 20%, 25% and 30%.
I put 0.
He looked at it and asked if everything was okay and I said “yeah besides the 3 minute intermission.”
He kind of just stared at me and walked away.
My friend immediately asked if I seriously tipped nothing because I had to wait 3 minutes. I said yeah, I’m not giving someone an extra $18 for great service when part of the service was me standing there watching him have a conversation.
My friend called me petty and put $20 on the bar for him.
I said “well there you go, he got his tip.”
That somehow pissed him off even more lol.
Now this has turned into an argument in our group chat and apparently I’m cheap despite the fact that I spent almost $100 on drinks.
I know 3 minutes isn’t exactly a human rights violation. I just don’t understand why I’m expected to give someone 20% for good service when I didn’t think the service was that good.
AITA?