Gratuity is part of the price of a meal. If you have a problem, ask for it to be corrected, ask for a manager, or LEAVE. And unless you got your own drinks, utensils, condiments, and went to the kitchen to get your own meals, you were provided service. PAY FOR IT. The only time it is acceptable to leave NO TIP is when there is NO BILL. Poor service does not equal NO service.
It’s very simple people, the MINIMUM you should leave for a meal is $2 per person, REGARDLESS of the level of service. If things are so bad you can’t even do that, you should get help from a manager or LEAVE.
A 20 cent tip is an arrogant and deliberate attempt to insult and humiliate, which says something about the customer’s attitude. The only thing worse is you people who like to leave nasty notes and sneak out. The objective is to have a nice prepared meal and a good experience. If things are not going well, immediately demand better. Don’t stay and torture staff and management, insult and treat people poorly, and then at the end unilaterally renegotiate the terms of payment – and on top of that make a point of insulting someone. That is a DICK MOVE.
If you disagree, feel free to explain to me in the comments how being waited on hand and foot is only worth 20 cents an hour.