Rant: hearing a kid say "you just work here" made me rethink tipping

I was dropping off a package at a diner last week and overheard a teenage girl tell her friend about how waitresses don't really need tips because "they just bring food." It got me thinking about how people see service jobs as less than... but I've been on both sides, working my mail route and waiting tables back in college. The work is different but it's still hard on your body and your time. Has anyone else felt like we've lost respect for the actual effort behind basic service jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

jackson.matthew1mo ago

But doesn't this all kinda come from the same place though? That kid thinking the waitress "just brings food" is exactly the same attitude that makes people treat service workers badly day to day, not just at tip time. The money part matters because it's how a lot of these folks pay their bills, but you're right that basic decency is the real missing piece here. I just think the two things are tied together - when you don't respect the work, you don't tip well AND you act rude to the person doing it. So maybe we can push back on both at the same time, you know?

keithbutler1mo ago

Respectfully, I gotta push back a little here. That kid's comment was rude for sure, but I'm not sure tipping culture is the right place to hang this. In my experience, the real problem is how we treat people in service jobs day to day, not just what we leave on the table. A waitress who's on her feet for eight hours carrying heavy trays and dealing with cranky customers is doing way more than "just bring food" that girl thinks. Your point about hard work still stands, but maybe we focus less on the money and more on basic decency. Tip what you can, but more importantly, don't talk down to people who are working for you.