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A Buffalo Wild Wings server was left disappointed with his tip after he says he went above and beyond for the table. But should the constant demands, disturbing comments, and complaints have been a telltale sign he was going to get stiffed?
In a viral video, Buffalo Wild Wings server and TikToker Jacob Bowman (@notjacobbowman) says he started out by greeting the table and getting the customers their requested waters with lemon and orange slices.
When he asked if they were ready to order, he says one of the customers started listing all of the wing sauces on the menu in order from most to least spicy. Bowman says he awkwardly confirmed that the restaurant did indeed have each sauce while silently begging the customer to simply make a choice. The table, he adds, ordered 30 wings and kept making changes to the sauces they wanted and the amount of wings per sauce. He claims they even decided at one point that they didn’t want any sauce at all.
After over 10 minutes, Bowman says the sauces were finally selected. But then, he continues, the customers added Bottomless Appetizers. Bowman says he felt like their “slave” for the night.
Mind you, this is his second to last table, and he had already busted out the mop, ready to close the place down.
It Gets Worse
As part of the Bottomless Appetizer deal, the customers ordered onion rings and queso with a chili upgrade. Bowman brought these out along with the wings.
One of the women then ordered Shortie Shots. When he brought the drinks, he says the woman who ordered them immediately put one in front of an underage woman at the table. This upset Bowman, as he can get in trouble for serving a minor. Still, he says he decided to let it go.
He gave the woman the benefit of the doubt that she was simply putting the drink where there was room because their table was overflowing with food, including seven Southwest Ranch sauces.
Bowman says that during this entire interaction, the customers assured him that his service was a 10 out of 10. He says he checked on the table every few minutes.
A Disturbing Comment And Telling Complaint
Later, he says, he offered them dessert when they were almost done with their meal.
Bowman says a man at the table disturbingly responded, “’I usually eat my ice cream off my women.’” However, as he was still working for a tip, he recalls gracefully responding, “I can get you something to go if you like.” This, he recounts, caused the table to erupt into laughter.
The server, based on his service, assumed he was guaranteed a 20% tip. But then the man, Bowman claims, started complaining about a 55-cent charge on the bill. The 55-cent charge was for the chili upgrade they ordered.
Bowman says the man told him, “’Some people don’t have that 55 cents in their budget.’” The man, per Bowman, proceeded to lecture him about finances. This is despite the fact that the upcharge was clearly stated on the menu.
Bowman acquiesced and took the charge, along with a few others, off the customers’ bill. He says he wished them a good night before they left, and things were “all smiles,” “rainbows,” and “giggles”—until they weren’t.
How Much Did They Tip?
“They start to walk out,” he says. “I look at the check: This s— says zero dot zero zero with a big a– signature, and he did the total.”
He expresses frustration with the fact that the man put in the extra effort to write three zeroes and a period instead of just one zero or a line through the tip section. He says he would’ve even been happy if the man had put just 10 cents.
In the comments section, viewers commiserated with the fed-up server.
“Tipping NOTHING?? that’s crazy,” one said.
“55 cents is a crazy thing to complain about,” a second wrote.
“Omg your crashout is so valid, I work at Dave and Busters n people be doing the MOST like this,” another added.
Is It Ever OK Not To Tip?
Experts who spoke with CNBC say there are five times it’s OK not to leave a tip:
- It’s not necessary to tip a plumber or repair person. As a general rule, you don’t have to tip anyone who makes a salary or works a trade.
- It’s not necessary to tip someone behind a counter, as they typically make a wage. However, this is a controversial take, as service workers like baristas say tips are essential to their pay.
- It’s not necessary to tip at an open bar. The tip was covered by the host when they booked the bartending service. Still, tips are always appreciated and may get you better service.
- It’s not necessary to tip if there’s a built-in gratuity fee or service fee. If you are unsure whether a fee on your bill goes to servers, bussers, or other staff, you can ask for clarification and make the decision on whether to leave a tip based on the answer.
It’s not necessary to tip if you received bad service or the server was rude. Still, an etiquette expert recommends never leaving less than 10% and tipping based on a sliding scale. The scale should start at 20% for normal service, go higher for excellent service, and go lower for poor service.
BroBible contacted Bowman via TikTok comment and direct message.
Content shared from brobible.com.