There are a lot of unspoken rules when it comes to dining out in America—don’t snap your fingers to get a server’s attention, don’t tip with compliments instead of cash, and if you use a gift card, then tip on the original price of your bill, not the discounted price.
Recently, Raw Critix (@rawcritix) posted Part Four of a series of videos titled, “Things you’re doing at a restaurant that make servers want to punch you in the throat,” to explain how disrespectful it is to short a tip when using a gift card. His series of profanity-laden rants included topics like customers who fake gluten allergies, demand straws while the server is setting the drinks down, or complain about food after eating the majority of their meal. The gift card video was viewed over 250,000 times as of publication.
Raw Critix filmed the video while sitting in his car. He began by giving an example of a customer with a $150 gift card and a final check of $175. Then, he elaborated on how messed up it is to tip on the remaining $25 balance instead of the original $175 total.
“You f*ckers really think that’s the way to go about it? Your original f*cking bill was $175. You’re supposed to tip based on the $175, not the fact that you had a f*cking coupon, and it brought your total down,” he said.
“If you got a bill for $175, you know what that means? That means you were getting lots of drinks. You were getting some big f*cking meals. You were getting attentive service. You were making sure you were getting your refills topped off so you never have a drink go dry. You’re getting recommendations … and all of that ends at $175, right? And when you use your gift card, you’re going to suddenly tip on the amount left over?”
“If you’re in the United States of America and you go out to eat, you’re tipping based on not only the amount of service, and you judge that amount based on the total amount of the bill. It really isn’t that hard, people … You’re tipping based on the original amount,” he elaborated.
The video sparked a debate in the comments section, with some claiming that tipping culture has gone too far and others arguing that tipping a server is part and parcel of eating out in the U.S.
“Tipping should be based on service not $ amount why should it matter if it’s 40$ or 300$ you’re at work regardless why should my bill determine tip,” one said.
“Ya tbh it’s embarrassing the way people treat servers they expect sm. I’ve started to remember ppl wen I serve so Ik who to give my attention to most,” a server countered.
“Some of us literally only have $5 extra to give. Sometimes that $5 could stop us from eating for the next week and that trip was a treat,” a diner explained.
“We have to Tipout of our sales so if u don’t tip we still have to pay a certain percentage from your bill,” another wrote.
@rawcritix Don’t be these people at a restaurant! #restaurant #serverlife #servers #servertiktok #fyp #viral #trending #foryou #rawcritix ♬ original sound – Raw Critix
Most complained about tip creep and how tipping seems to be required everywhere.
“Tips are out of control. Min 18% on most machines these days,” a viewer said.
“This tipping culture is out of hand,” a second agreed.
Requests for tips are everywhere, especially as businesses began using checkout kiosks, delivery apps, and iPad registers. Since tipping left the confines of select services, people have become stingier with their tips. Now, fewer people claim to “always” tip when dining out, according to Bankrate.
There are many factors that have caused people to tip less. These include inflation and cost of living, but a growing factor is the widespread demand for tips. A survey by PlayUSA found that 54% of respondents claimed to feel pressured to leave a tip when checking out on an iPad.
Though fewer people are generous tippers than before the pandemic, tipping 20% when dining out continues to be the standard.
The Daily Dot reached out to Raw Critix via email for further information.
