After receiving “subpar” service and experiencing an unusually long wait for his $4.75 lunch at a local Beefside Family Restaurant Monday, customer Gus O’Connor opted to give waitress Carla Hyams a reduced 10 percent tip in an attempt to communicate his dissatisfaction and raise awareness of the areas in which he felt her performance was lacking.

Hyams, 49, who has been serving tables at the popular eatery for 13 years, expressed enthusiastic gratitude for the “immense personal growth” the gesture will afford her, adding that, in the long run, the experience will make her a better waitress.
. . .
“If he hadn’t withheld that 50 cents, I’d make these mistakes over and over for the rest of my career,” said the 49-year-old server.
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O’Connor said his overall goal was not only to receive better service, but to help Hyams become a role model for her two teenage children, Tyler and Michael.

“Ten Percent Tip Teaches Waitress Valuable Lesson,” The Onion, October 19, 2006
Wasn’t it Hemingway who left a $50 tip when he got lousy service for an inexpensive lunch, and when the waitress gushed “Thank you!” he said, “You ought to see how I tip for good service.”