Waiter Adding a 227 Percent Tip to Customer's Bill Backed: 'A Little Extra'

A post about a waiter who allegedly put a 227 percent tip charge on a customer's restaurant bill has gone viral on Reddit.

The post was shared six days ago by user thetownslore on Reddit's "r/mildlyinfuriating" subforum, where it has received more than 52,000 upvotes.

The poster shared what appeared to be a screengrab of a message from the vendor, dated June 30, which outlined the bill. A note posted with the image reads: "The Waiter charging me $87 for what should have been a $7 tip despite me writing the total at the bottom ($45.23)."

Was this an intentional overcharge or just a mistake made by the waiter? Life coach Tarla Makaeff told Newsweek: "I always suggest giving someone the benefit of the doubt; most people are doing their best and have good intentions. It's possible the waiter was tired too, wasn't focused on the amount at the bottom, and assumed this was simply a very generous tip."

Two-thirds of U.S. adults have a negative view about tipping, according to a 2023 survey by Bankrate, a personal-finance website. Around a third (32 percent) said they're "annoyed about pre-entered tip screens," while about another third (30 percent) feel "tipping culture has gotten out of control."

A 2017 survey by the Discover card company found that the average tip for "perfect service" at a restaurant in the U.S. was 20 percent. The figure dipped to as low as 6 percent for "bad service."

The message from the restaurant in the latest Reddit reads: "Hi there, I noticed a 227% tip on your recent bill. While some are tipping a little extra these days to support businesses and workers they love, I want to make sure this tip is correct."

The message then showed a "$38.29 bill + $87 (227% Tip) = $125.29 total."

A final note in the message reads: "If that's right, you're good to go! If not, you can talk to the merchant directly to fix it."

In a later comment, the poster wrote, "I always put in the total," to avoid any issues and "never had a problem with this before." Admitting that her "handwriting was a little sloppy," the poster added that she thought "the total would dispute it if the waiter had doubts..."

In another later comment, the poster wrote that she has worked as a hostess in the service industry before. She added: "I'm not blaming this guy in any way, but it was just an inconvenience on my end because I was on the phone for over 30 minutes at a time with my credit card company and calling back [and] forth on a holiday (4th of July)."

She wrote that the restaurant was closed for the two days over the holiday, "so I went through my credit card company as [the] next best option."

'Completely Understandable'

Makaeff said: "It's completely understandable that the poster was upset by an $87 tip on a $38 bill, especially when they wrote the $45 total at the bottom. They said their handwriting was sloppy, and the dollar sign could have looked like an 8."

However, if the waiter was unsure about the tip, "they should have spent an extra moment to confirm by looking at the total," Makaeff added.

Etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts told Newsweek: "Mistakes happen to all of us, but how we handle them is the key."

She said any issues should be addressed with the waiter in "a polite way" and "if there is no resolution, ask to speak to the manager with your concern/discrepancy."

'Simply a Mistake'

The latest post has sparked debate among Reddit users. Some posted that the incident was just an honest mistake by the waiter.

Jpotter145 wrote: "I think it's simply a mistake. Do you know how many checks a restaurant has to manually key in each night? A $ can easily look like an 8."

CrispyJalepeno noted: "Honestly, [the waiter] probably just slipped a little while trying to hit 7 and then never looked to make sure it was right."

Independent-Life-212 commented: "I manage restaurants. While it could possibly be theft, it is more likely an accident. Call the restaurant to correct this, but jumping to accusations of theft is pretty s***** of you."

'Not an Accident'

Others were more understanding of the original poster's frustration.

PanzerWatts wrote: "The OP has stated that [she] totaled the amount below the tip line...If it's happened multiple times from this server, it's not an accident."

Tarentia posted: "As someone who works at a job that receives tips, I would never see a tip like that and just agree to it...No one with any common sense would think they just got tipped over 200%."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system.

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