20 year old Jess Jones, a Rutgers University student who worked at D’Jais Bar & Grill this summer didn’t receive a nice tip at all. Jones was working there to pay for school and bills. Graduating from Manasquan High School in 2013 Jones has been waitressing for about five years.
While the party of 8 Jones had been waiting on paid their $112.03 bill by credit card, she found that the tip left for her was “LOL” (laugh out loud) They left her no tip! On the side of the receipt was written “1 hour for food.” The day after the rude tip was issues, Jones went to Facebook to share with her friends and family. She posted a picture of the receipt as well.
Soon after, Asbury Park Press shared her story and published the photo of the receipt. It said that Jones stated”Last night, I was stunned by this receipt that was left for me by a party of eight people,” Jones wrote. “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.”
Also she explained that servers in New Jersey earn $2.50 an hour. For non-tipped workers in the Garden State, the minimum wage is $8.38. Jones also explained that her paychecks are small because she has to pay taxed on tips. Jones went on to say “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.”
Mayor Matt Doherty heard the story and explained his feelings through his own Facebook. “If you visit Belmar please treat the hardworking men and women in our service industry with the same respect you would expect at your job. This is ridiculous,”
Jones’ last thoughts were “With that said: Please be good to your waiters. I know it’s annoying when things aren’t right. I know how aggravating it is to receive a hefty bill when all night you’ve been wondering why the table that came in after you was served before you. But waiters are mere messengers most of the time, and it’s wrong to shoot them, however bad the news.”
I bet these 8 people who not expecting to get so much attention for their tip of laughing. Waiting is hard and fun all into one job, these people work hard! Shout out to Jess Jones for handling everything so well!
