Customer refuses to tip pink-haired waitress because tips are 'only for normal looking people'

By Fusion Staff  |  March 18, 2016 | 1:57pm
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A customer at a popular Des Moines burger joint refused to leave a tip for a waitress, writing on the tip-line of the bill that tips are “only for normal looking people.”

Taelor Beeck, described by local station WHO-TV as a “popular waitress” at Zombie Burger, was working a table that had racked up a $17.26 bill when she found the note.

“At first, I felt really upset, I felt attacked, I almost felt like I was back in middle school all over again, like being bullied,” Beeck told the station. “I felt like a burning anger inside of me.”

Here’s a screenshot from WHO-TV.

“I mean I can’t pay my bills if people don’t tip me,” Beeck told the station. “That’s how I make a living.”

Iowa’s minimum wage is $7.25, the same as the federal minimum wage. Beeck’s Twitter feed also indicates she sells tee shirts on depop.com to support herself.

Zombie Burger’s parent company, Orchestrate Hospitality, released a statement in support of the worker, UPI reported, saying “zombie burger is a place that celebrates individuality.”

The non-tipper has not been identified, but Beeck said she doesn’t plan to change her style.

“It’s the way that I can express myself artistically and it’s really important for me that I’m allowed to do that, and it’s OK if people don’t understand it because it’s just who I am,” Beeck said per UPI.

Rob covers business, economics and the environment for Fusion. He previously worked at Business Insider. He grew up in Chicago.

 
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