An American waitress has gone viral after sharing on her social networks her indignation with the tip that some Spanish diners had left her. “My God, sometimes I hate Europeans,” she tweeted, complaining that a group of customers had spent too many hours at the restaurant where she worked to leave a $70 tip for a total bill of 700 dollars. “We should ban Europeans from traveling until they learn how to behave,” she added.
Cultural differences have caused this type of controversy on other occasions. In the United States, when paying the bill in a restaurant, the ticket includes three percentages —generally 15%, 20% or even 25% of the total bill— which are the tips that are recommended to be left. In Europe, on the other hand, the custom is to leave what the diner considers appropriate if they feel satisfied with the service.
This is because in the US the minimum wage for waiters is really low and workers are heavily dependent on tips. For this reason, the country has often boasted of having a much more attentive service in cafes, restaurants or bars than in other countries, because the employee must work hard to be left a good amount as a bonus. Here, by contrast, the salary (although it is not always well paid) does not depend on the tip.
The problem, as so often happens, is that these cultural differences give rise to misunderstandings and indignation like the one this American waitress expressed on Twitter, the social network on which her complaint has gone viral.
“My God, I really hate Europeans sometimes. This table has only left $70 for a $700 bill after spending hours in the restaurant,” the woman explains. “My boss has even asked them how the service had gone and they have said that they were delighted with me. Then he explained to them that the usual tip is 20% and they said” Okay “, but they left anyway,” she adds.
Later, still outraged, she tweeted: “We should ban Europeans from traveling until they learn how to behave.” And she confirmed that the clients who had caused her such discomfort were Spanish.
The tweet, which has accumulated more than 31,000 likes and 16,000 retweets, has generated mixed reactions. Some agree with what the waitress denounces and complain about the lack of generosity and manners of European citizens. “They are the worst eaters,” say some.
Others, on the other hand, assure that they are charging against whom they should not: “The problem is the salary you receive. If you have to rely on the tips that customers leave you to survive, then your boss is exploiting you.” And this user concludes: “If they don’t trust the generosity of diners to manage their businesses, they shouldn’t do it with your work either.”
