How to Be Hated by Restaurant Staff, Part 3

Don't say 'thank you,' don't tip. It's okay - if we wanted money, we wouldn't be servers!

So last night I gave last call, closed out the register, locked up the liquor and was in the middle of doing my paperwork, having a nice chat with a lingering (in a good way) customer (an older gentleman who was discussing his days in the Army with me) when...
"You're closed already?"
I look up to see a man who truly looks like he needs a drink. Unfortunately, I feel like I need a drink and a nap and a chance to eat my dinner, which has been growing cold in the server station for the last thirty minutes, so I tell him that yes, I am already closed out for the night.
He looks really disappointed and starts to walk away, when I realize that I haven't done my good deed for the day, and I decide that making his night better will be it.

"Sir!" I call, "What were you planning on ordering?"
"Gin and Tonic," he says, walking back towards the bar.
"Okay sir, your drink is on me tonight. With lime?"
"Or lemon, if you don't have lime."
"Sure, no problem."

I unlock the cabinets, pull glassware, uncover my ice, pour liquor, unlock the fridge, pull garnish, reassemble my bar gun, fill the glass and set it on the counter.

Before I go any further, what do you think this customer did?

He picked up the drink and walked away. No 'thank you,' no tip, no nod of appreciation, no NOTHING. I have never been so insulted in my entire life. I bought this complete stranger a drink, out of my own pocket, after we were closed (which required a ton of unlocking and extra work) and he didn't even have the common courtesy to say thank you?
My customer at the bar just stared after him as he walked away, and remarked on the rudeness of people these days.


A while back, I had a man who yelled at me, in front of a bar full of customers, because there was an automatic gratuity on his bill. At our establishment, auto grat is put on for parties of 8 or more, or if a bill goes over $50 for a single person. I know that sounds excessive, but you wouldn't believe how often you get screwed over at a hotel bar. Anyway, I explained the reasoning behind the gratuity - many customers mistakenly believe that we are hotel employees and make the same wages, but we are, in fact, paid just like any other restaurant employee, just over federal tipped wage.
I took the gratuity off of his bill (around $80, just for him) and he left me zero. He explained to me that he doesn't believe in tipping unless the service was exemplary, and while my service had initially qualified as such, the pretentiousness of putting a gratuity on his bill undid all of that. Nice.


Last night, I must have served a dozen beers to two guys at my bar who paid cash for every round and never tipped.
It was just that sort of night, really. *sigh*

Happy Tip Stiffing