Viewers were divided in the comments section about a worker who changed a customer’s tip amount by one cent.
In the video, Paige (@paigeeleaa) shows a customer’s receipt, including their meal cost, tip, and signature. The person’s meal came out to $138.18, and they tipped $21.82 (which amounts to about a 15.7% tip), evening their total out to exactly $160.
Paige zooms in on the receipt and proceeds to enter a tip that is exactly 1 cent less than the person wrote in, bringing their total to $159.99 instead of the even $160 they were going for.
It is unclear from the context of the video whether Paige did this because she was unhappy with her tip, or if she just likes to mess with people who are specific about having an even bill.
@paigeeleaa If you know… you know #serverlife #offbalance #ocd #20percent #iykyk #fyp #bankaccount #waitress ♬ Star Wars – The Imperial March Theme – Geek Music
For context, tipping etiquette dictates a 15% to 20% tip at sit-down restaurants if the service was good and 25% if the service was excellent. Even if customers aren’t too happy with the waitstaff, it is still recommended to tip at least 10%, Bankrate reported.
It’s important to note that waitstaff are legally allowed to be paid below the federal minimum wage since the expectation is that tips will pad their lower wage.
Tipped workers are currently allowed to make as little as $2.13 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The federal minimum wage for other workers is $7.25 an hour.
About 15% of adults in the United States are unfamiliar with tipping practices and are unsure about who or how much to tip, Bankrate reported.
The TikTok struck a nerve, earning more than 2.4 million views and over 2,300 comments.
“If you know… you know,” the caption read.
Commenters were divided about Paige’s actions. Some thought she should have been content with the tip as it was.
“I don’t get it you just shorted yourself a penny,” one person said.
“What’s wrong with $22 for like an hour of waiting one table. You still have other tables that tip,” another asked.
“My question is why are servers against customers having an ‘even’ bill?” a commenter wrote.
Others said the comments section didn’t pass the vibe check and that “everyone should do 6 months in the service industry.”
In response to a person who said they would dispute the charge if a server did this to them, Paige said that there “was no malicious acts involved just a little laugh and one less penny in my pocket.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Paige via TikTok comment.
