Slowly, bit by bit, nearly every place you might get food from has started to set up little tables that only exist to be pointed toward you. On it, there will be a list of percentages that often exceed the classic 10% tip that many of us have grown accustomed to.

TikToker and ex-server Antidietpilot shared the businesses and services that she would not be tipping for in 2024. She gave her arguments for this stance and netizens debated her points in the comments section. Bored Panda has reached out to Antidietpilot via email and will update the article when she gets back to us.
More info: TikTok

These days, you can find requests for tips all over the place

Image credits: Dave Dugdale

But one TikToker and ex-server decided that enough was enough and that things were getting out of control

Image credits: @antidietpilot

“I’m not tipping at the drive thru.

I’m not tipping for fro-yo.

I’m not tipping for Auntie Anne’s – yes, they ask for tips there now.

And I’m not tipping on to-go orders. I know the hostesses have such a huge problem, and yes, I have been a hostess and a server in a past life.”

Image credits: @antidietpilot

“Anyone who sets their own prices, I will absolutely not be tipping you. The whole point of tipping a service professional is that you’re paying the business like double or triple what the employee is actually making during that service. So if you’re both the business and the servicing employee, why would I pay more on top of that, if you’re going to obtain the full 100% of what I pay? Doesn’t make any sense.

If you need a medical qualification or license in order to administer the service to me, I’m not giving you a tip. It goes against the code of ethics to accept tips for these types of procedures.”

You can watch the full video here

@antidietpilotI said what i said♬ original sound – Justice

Tipping doesn’t work the same way everywhere

Image credits: Bhefan Tedjo (not the actual photo)

There was a time when the normal tip ranged from 10 to 20 percent, generally in a sit-down restaurant with waitstaff. Some folks might also tip their barbers, mechanics, or really anyone else who does a service for them of some sort. Depending on where you are, a tip would be expected, considered a nice bonus or even seen as insulting and returned to you.

For example, unless it’s presented correctly, servers in Japan will try to give you your cash back, even exciting the restaurant to make sure. If you still insist on tipping in Japan, make sure to enclose it in a special envelope. Because it’s a touchy subject, Japanese workers appear to appreciate some discretion from the customer.

In some parts of Europe, the staff might round up your bill and keep the change as a tip, which does save you the trouble, but it takes away the ability to withhold a tip if the service was terrible. However, if you still want to include a bit more, no one will be running down the street later, assuming you left the cash there by accident.

Now, some places will attempt to suggest a tip to you

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

What has changed, however, is that the “suggested tips” that might be placed in front of a customer can now go as high as 30 to 40%. And if that wasn’t enough, Employees in places where the customer just picks up the food have also started requesting gratuity. This is not to say that they don’t work hard and don’t deserve more, but as some people have already noted, why should you get 30% of the value of my purchase? If all you did was hand me a sandwich and bottled water over the counter.

This is exactly the point Antidietpilot in the above video. She isn’t saying that we need to completely give up tipping (although one can find arguments to that effect on the internet as well) rather, people need to push back against this concept showing up everywhere. The best method would simply be not to tip at all, particularly, as mentioned above, in cases where you are being served directly by the owner themselves.

One counterpoint to this idea comes from service staff themselves. Some research suggests that tips do help a server’s mental health. After all, it is a job that can feel pretty demeaning at times. You have to be on your feet constantly and no doubt every single day there is at least one customer that goes above and beyond to be rude and annoying.

Ultimately, owners and managers simply need to pay people more

However, as with so many things, proper compensation can make up for many of the difficulties one can run into on the job. Unfortunately, tipping culture has been a way for restaurant owners to outsource the task of paying their staff to the customer and making everyone feel bad in the process.

Staff are put in the uncomfortable position of being caught in the crossfire of this issue. On the one hand, most would agree that they deserve better pay, on the other hand, it can be hard to swallow losing out on money (in the form of tips) just to slowly start to change things. But at the end of the day, we really shouldn’t be constantly psychologically pressured into leaving tips at every single establishment.

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