Gratuity ≠ Guarantee
I’m a seventeen-year-old woman, and I’ve just finished serving a guy in his late thirties, maybe early forties. He’s just paid for his meal in cash, and I’ve given him his change.
Customer: *Places the spare coins into the tip box.*
Me: “Thank you, sir!”
Customer: “You can show your appreciation by giving me your number.”
Me: *Shocked.* “My… number?”
Customer: “Or your Instagram. I know you kids these days prefer that over actual texting.”
So he does know I’m kind of a kid. Eww.
Me: *Laughing nervously.* “No, thank you, sir.”
Customer: “What?! You think you’re too good for me?”
Me: “No, I—”
Customer: “—so this is how you treat someone who tips you?”
Me: “Sir, tipping is to show appreciation for our service in the store. It’s not for emotionally manipulating underage girls to give grown-a** men their phone numbers.”
Customer: “You don’t look underage—”
Me: “—Furthermore, your change in coins came to fifty-four cents. Even if your tip was just for me, and not evenly divided between all the employees, do you really think fifty-four cents is enough to get my phone number?”
Customer: “You’re right! You should give it to me for free!”
Me: “Why?”
Customer: “Because I’m a nice guy, you b****!”
Mr. “Nice Guy” sulked to the side until his food came out, and thankfully, he took it to go instead of eating it in the store. That was the first time I ever had to stand up to a creepy older dude who felt entitled to me, but sadly, it was not the last.
