With time and experience in the service industry, spotting a bad tipper can become an innate skill for some.
One Texas Roadhouse server, Liz (@lizbezler on TikTok) has drawn over 340,000 views with a video outlining how she can tell when a customer is not going tip well, if at all.
In the video, Liz models a conversation with a hypothetical customer who insists upon getting an espresso martini, despite the restaurant not having the equipment to make “fancy drinks” like that, she says.
“Welcome to Texas Roadhouse, I hope everybody is doing awesome, my name is Liz and I’ll be your server today,” she says in the video, portraying herself. “Can I go ahead and get any drinks started?”
Portraying the customer, the poster highlights that customers like this have often looked at the menu, but decided to ask for something that is not included there.
“Yeah, so I was looking at your menu and I know you guys have a lot of rum drinks, I see on your menu that you have giant rum sweet drinks, but I was just wondering if you could make me an espresso martini,” the customer, also portrayed by Liz, says.
As the server, Liz lets the customer know that they cannot prepare the beverage as requested.
The hypothetical customer then responds that this beverage is the only thing she drinks, and instead requests an “extra-extra-extra kicker” in a different rum-based drink, as the last time she ordered it she found it was not strong enough for her. She ends her request by mentioning that if the drink does not taste good, the waitress is simply not going to receive a tip.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Liz via TikTok direct message, as well as to Texas Roadhouse via email regarding the video.
The takeaways
Based on Liz’s video, some clear signs a customer will be a bad tipper are:
- asking for items not on the menu
- persisting to ask for items that are not available
- explaining that they will not tip under certain circumstances
What happens if you don’t tip your server?
If you choose not to tip your server, there’s a high probability they will end up paying out of pocket for your meal.
This is because many servers earn tipped wages. This means that their employer, the restaurant, only has to make up the difference to get them to minimum wage, which not equal to the amount they would be paid if tipped by a customer.
While the tipping system has attracted a lot of controversy from people who disagree with the practice of having customers make up the difference, it is widely agreed that it is best practice to tip servers if in doubt that they are paid a tipped wage.
Many service industry workers have made clear that customers who act like they are not going to tip, or who say so outright, will not receive good service.
Viewers weigh in
Several viewers aired their frustrations with the tipping system in the video’s comment section.
“If I get an $40 plate I’m tipping the same as a $20 plate,” one commenter wrote. “Literally doing the same amount of work. Plus servers these days don’t even bring out the food most of the time.”
“I just don’t get why if a dish costs more than another I have to tip more,” another said. “I could buy one $12 plate or a $30 plate and would have to tip more for the $30.. why.”
“My thing is if you work for it I tip you good but if your an awful waiter/waitress and I never get refills or have to ask for one after my glass has been noticeably empty for awhile you get no tip,” a third said.
@lizbezler Based on a true story 😭 #texasroadhouse #comedy #crazycustomersbelike #difficultcustomersbelike ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – dg cria
On the other side of the issue, several viewers shared what their experience in the industry is like with these kinds of customers.
“When someone would demand their drink ‘extra strong’, I loved telling them that we measure the liquor in every cocktail & they can PAY for an extra shot in the drink if they’d like,” one commented.
“Me when my table asked for more sugar for their sweet tea.. i told them there are sugar packets on the table.. and she said she didn’t want to deal with opening them and to bring her a bunch of ramekins full of BAGGED sugar, she still asked me for more..” another said.
“If you tell me this before the service begins, you will not get much attention,” a third said.
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