iStockGuys, LOL is so five years ago. We all know the preferred method for laughing out loud at something is now "haha." These humans need to get with the times.
Oh, and they also need to stop leaving sh--ty messages for waitresses.
20-year-old Rutgers University student Jess Jones from Belmar, New Jersey was waiting on a table of eight people last week. After they paid their $112.03 bill, they not only left zero tip for Jess, but they wrote a taunting note on the receipt.
"LOL" was written where the tip usually goes on the check, and they also scribbled "1 hour for food," presumably because their meal took too long. Asbury Park Press reports that Jess posted the image to her Facebook page with the customers personal information blurred out to vent about the nasty message:
"Last night, I was stunned by this receipt that was left for me by a party of eight people. I would have preferred a '$0' tip than a 'LOL' tip, but as a waitress, bad tips and harsh notes are all part of the job. Even though they did wait an hour to eat, they remained satisfied with filled drinks and proper notice that the kitchen was a bit busier than normal. I've worked in the service industry for five years and I take pride in providing great service to my customers."
"Most of my paychecks are less than pocket change because I have to pay taxes on the tips I make. I need tips to pay my bills. All waiters do. We spend an hour or more of our time befriending you, making you laugh, getting to know you, and making your dining experience the best it can be. We work hard, and we really do care."
OK, we've all been in a situation where the food has taken too long or the service wasn't great at a restaurant. And that sucks and you might be tempted to lash out by tipping terribly, which is your prerogative. But to leave that kind of message? So, you're laughing at a human who you know depends on your tips for their income? Real classy.
We don't know the other side of this story, but unless Jess threw their food at the wall and then proceeded to go on an hour long rant titled "Hitler Had Some Good Ideas," there is just no reason to taunt someone like that. Next time, just leave no tip or ask to speak to the manager if your experience wasn't great. Or just suck it up and leave a normal tip and don't return to that restaurant. Off the top of our head we can think of 13 different ways these people could have handled this situation that didn't involve writing "LOL" on the check.
Basically, when in doubt, treat another human being with respect. Even if your hanger (hungry anger) tells you otherwise.