An Open Letter to the Customer That Left a Nasty ‘Tip’ at a New Hampshire Restaurant
UPDATE: Turns out, the "tip" was an inside joke between one of the bar staff and a significant other, according to an update from Tuckaway Tavern's Facebook page. For more details, click here.
Dear Unknown Customer,
Did you get a good little laugh out of this move? Did what you did make you feel like a big, bad, tough rebel? What exactly possessed you to do it? Do you have a high-paying job that requires you to wear some corporate suit in your corner office that, for some reason, causes you to turn your nose at the food service industry? Because they're beneath you? Because what you did sure makes it seem like that's the kind of person you are.
I'm just glad that the Executive Chef of Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, Bobby Marcotte, stuck up for his staff and called you out the way he did.
Normally, I'd try and give you the benefit of the doubt in a situation like this. Maybe you had a really bad day or you're going through a really tough time, and for whatever reason, you made a massive mental error and your frustration got the best of you. But this is inexcusable. This is worse than rude -- it's just downright nasty.
It's interesting that while you were sitting down being served incredibly delicious food -- you were being SERVED -- that you didn't mind the job your waiter or waitress had at that moment, did you? You had no qualms or bad things to say about how that man or woman makes a living to pay their bills and stay afloat on a daily basis when they were the liaison between the chef that cooked your meal and your mouth, did you?
But suddenly when you receive your bill and it's your chance to show appreciation for everything that man or woman did to ensure you had a delicious, warm meal and an enjoyable experience -- suddenly in that moment, that person was beneath you? And so beneath you that you don't even consider what they did for you that afternoon, "real?"
There are plenty of businesses in Northern New England and across the country that have had to alter their hours or even shut down for days at a time because they can't get a full staff on board. For whatever reason, there are people who are content with collecting a paycheck from the government instead of earning one in the workplace.
And even having that bit of knowledge, your way of commending that man or woman WHO SERVED YOU and is actually keeping their nose to the grindstone and truly earning their paycheck is to tell them to "get a real job?"
First off, exactly who are you to classify what job is real and what job isn't? Secondly, who are you to judge the job and/or career that someone chooses for themselves to support their family? Keep a roof over their head. Four walls surrounding them. Who are you to judge the life decisions they make to better their situation?
And finally, of every first-hand experience I've had with the staff at Tuckaway, there hasn't been one time where I was left with a bad taste in my mouth (both literally and figuratively). The staff, no matter how busy, no matter how young or old, is second-to-none. I recently used their catering services and not only was the entire process super easy and convenient, but every staff member I dealt with in the experience was nothing but polite, helpful, and patient.
So, I highly doubt your "tip" was the result of terrible service where you were insulted, belittled, and basically treated the way you treated that server in your four-word statement on that tip line.
I sincerely hope that not only does this huge hiccup in your judgment become a massive learning experience for you, but that you also realize how much you wronged that poor server and go back in person to apologize and give them the tip they deserve. You have the chance to make a terrible wrong, right again. Make the right choice instead of making this moment part of your legacy.
And as a total aside, thank you to all of the servers inside of every single restaurant across Northern New England and everywhere in general, who I'm sure are working understaffed and exhausted just trying to make ends meet while dealing with abuse like this. There are people out there that see what you're doing and appreciate it more than you know.
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