I’m a senior in high school that’s trying to up their grades, manage sports, be on newspaper, prepare for college and hold a job. Now, I’m not complaining because I love all the things I participate in but it makes things so much easier when my waitressing job is going well. Sometimes though, it’s not. Sometimes, we get angry customers or for whatever reason, we just don’t get tipped. So please, be considerate and don’t be mean to the working person.

Now, if you’ve never had a job working as a waiter, then you might not know that we only get payed around $3 an hour because our tips are supposed to make up for what we aren’t paid. That’s absolutely OK, but not everyone fully understands that waiters and waitresses pretty much live off tips.

Living off tips can be an extreme struggle because the tips are never consistent and depend on the people you’re serving. As a waitress, it’s pretty much law that customer needs come before anything else. We have to put on a smile and be cooperative, which usually isn’t a problem. But, just like the customers, we’re human too. We can’t help having a bad day or accidentally screwing up—we aren’t perfect. But that shouldn’t stop you from being a decent person and helping the struggling workers with saving for college or supporting their families.

We aren’t asking much. We’re only trying to make ends meet and save up for family or college or bills just like everyone else. Regardless, the reason shouldn’t matter. Additionally, please don’t think that your tips go unappreciated. Because, as a waitress, regardless of our mood or how long your food takes, tipping the full 20 percent is needed because we do live off of our tips.