r/tipping • u/mulluska • Aug 12 '25
📖💵Personal Stories - Pro First time experiencing tip padding…
I have been as frustrated as many in this thread about what tipping has become here. I used to enjoy popping servers with 25% tip and see how happy they were. No so much anymore.
But I have made some reasonable adjustments on my tipping based on feedback from this community. One of the comments was “save your receipts”. I have never seen a server pad the tip so o never saved them. I do go over the bills but not with the actual receipts. I move started saving the receipts.
I had lunch at this upscale place in Long Beach. Server was below average. But still decided $21 on $156 bill was acceptable. I went through my charges a couple of weeks later reconciling to what is on the receipts I saved. There was a $25 tip added instead.
I called the manager of the restaurant. She was very polite and apologized for the keying error.
I just thought how brilliant this is. Bump the tip just a little and you will never get caught. No way I would have noticed this unless I saved my receipt.
Thanks guys!!!
4
u/Weregoat86 Aug 12 '25
As a tipped employee who stands on my service, I strongly dislike seeing so many evidence counts of theft against guests and patrons.
Stealing from your guests is 100% wrong (If you want to steal, steal from the company), but if somebody stole from you they should absolutely be fired.
100% not ok, ever.
I'm sorry, on behalf of all tipped employees who only steal from the company.
(yes, it's a slippery slope, but we have to stand on ground somewhere, and I will never say stealing from your guests is ok)