The debate over tip etiquette continues to rage on social media as one TikToker called out tipping culture” after he was asked to tip on a pick-up order he placed through a pizza restaurant’s website.
TikTok user @thejmancomesquick posted the video to the platform from his car after placing the order for his pizza, and it amassed around 151,000 views as of this writing.
@thejmancomesquick #tipyourserver #tipculture #tipsandtricks #justthetip ♬ original sound – TheJManComesQuick
“What is with everyone thinking that they deserve a tip now?” he asks into the camera in the beginning of the video. The TikToker explains he called his local pizza place to place an order that he intended to pick up himself but was redirected to the restaurant’s website. But after placing his order online, he says he received a prompt at checkout asking whether he would like to leave a 20% tip. “For what?” he exclaims.
“What did you do? Like 20% is when people like come to your table, and they wait on you, and they pick things up, and they bring you things. Like what 20%? What’d you do? Directed me to your website?”
“It’s crazy,” the TikToker says shaking his head as he ends the clip. Viewers shared their own thoughts about tipping for pick-up orders or at drive-thrus in the comments.
“Tipping has gotten out of hand,” agreed one person. Many shared their own experiences with what they believe to be out-of-control tipping practices at restaurants, coffee establishments, liquor stores, and even doctor’s offices. One user recounted, “Went to Peet’s drive-thru the other day. They took my card and swiped it. Then they stick this giant screen out the drive-thru window asking for a tip.” Another said, “The liquor store close to me has a tip jar. You want me to tip you for taking my money? Fat chance.”
Yet another person claimed that the same thing happened to them while placing an order at Domino’s. “Domino’s does this!” They said. “You place your order and if you pay at the store for pick up they ask if you want to tip.” Even a few workers chimed in with one person saying, “100% agree! As a former waitress/bartender, we had to give good service to get a good tip!”
Some commenters pointed out that although they agreed that tipping culture may have become unreasonable, they still like to tip generously for pick-up orders. “I try and give a little extra because most places are short handed. Just appreciating the one that show up even when I pick up,” said one user.
“I see your point and agree,” another person said. “But if you think about it someone is preparing you a hot meal. Restaurants just need to pay employees more!”
Many users pointed out that it wasn’t the fault of the workers asking for tips because, “Big corporations don’t want to pay their employees enough so they expect tips to help after already inflated prices.” But when one user made the point that they “stopped tipping a long time ago. If everybody did it would make them pay livable wages to their employees instead of trying to get us to cover it,” many others responded by pointing out that, in the end, workers and customers would be the ones who continue to suffer as restaurants would likely just raise their prices to cover higher wages for their employees.
American wages have been stagnant since the 1970s, according to a June 2022 CNBC report, but, at the same time, productivity continues to increase, so tipping is often encouraged as a way to close the gap for workers in the food industry. Food & Wine magazine suggests that customers tip a minimum of 20% even on a pick-up order, arguing that the money will go to the person who put the order together.
Some workers also tried to make their case for tips. One said, “I work at mrs fields and we go out of our way to satisfy the customers if they are nice to us and we get straws [and] papers put into our tip bucket.”
The Daily Dot reached out to @thejmancomesquick via TikTok comment.
