Tipping is the most debated part of dining out.
Whether it’s about how much to leave or how servers approach the topic, the etiquette isn’t always clear, and it can lead to uncomfortable moments for both diners and staff.
Saydie Dorton (@realslimsaydie) recently shared a story on TikTok about a bad dining experience at Texas Roadhouse that left her questioning the tipping process entirely.
In her video, which has garnered over 82,000 views at the time of writing, she shares an unusual case where she would consider not tipping, even as a server herself.
What led to the tipping dilemma at Texas Roadhouse?
“If my server brings up a tip at all, they’re not getting a tip from me,” Dorton starts.
This may seem surprising coming from someone in the service industry, but she quickly explains her stance through a personal story.
Dorton recalls going to Texas Roadhouse with three friends and noticing the server’s visible frustration as soon as they were seated.
“The server comes up to us, and she’s just like visibly like angry that we’re in her section,” Dorton explains. “I think it’s because she perceived us as like pretty young… I don’t know if she thought we were like teenagers, like weren’t going to tip well, but like attitude from the jump, like, ‘What do you want?’”
Despite asking for bread only once and generally not being demanding, Dorton says the service didn’t improve. She describes it as “foul,” though she was still willing to leave a small tip because, as someone in the industry, she understands that everyone has bad days.
But what pushed her over the edge was how the server handled the bill.
What made the situation worse?
“She… slams the check on the table and in all caps with a pen, like bold font, ‘Tip is not included’ and [the word] not is underlined three times,” Dorton shares. “I was floored.”
Faced with the dilemma of whether to tip at all, Dorton wrestled with two options. “I didn’t know if I should not tip her and prove her point that like we weren’t going to tip because we’re young,” she says. “Or tip her 20% and make her feel like this behavior is OK.”
In the end, she left 20% because of her own background in the industry, but the experience left a sour taste. “Food was still bomb though,” she concluded.
Should poor service ever justify skipping a tip?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, tipped workers rely heavily on gratuities to reach the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
This raises the question: In what situations, if any, is it justifiable to reduce or withhold a tip, particularly for servers?
CNBC consulted etiquette experts Thomas Farley and Elaine Swann on this matter. Swann explained that while 20% is the standard tipping rate, she personally wouldn’t go below 10%, even for bad service. She also emphasized evaluating whether the issue lies with the server or if it could be attributed to management, the kitchen, or other factors beyond the server’s control.
In instances where the service is so poor that skipping a tip feels necessary, Swann advised addressing the issue with management to ensure the feedback reaches the appropriate parties.
Viewers agree with the server
In the comments under the video, users criticized the server’s behavior heavily and thought Dorton was much too generous in the end.
“I would have wrote ‘and it won’t be’,” one user sarcastically wrote.
“I go out to eat with the preparation to tip accordingly,” shared another. “But I will NEVER tip bad service. I will generously tip good service, I will tip mid-service, but never poor service.”
@realslimsaydie I see both sides I think people in my comments are thinking that this is what I’m doing lmao
♬ original sound – Saydie 💌🪩💫
“Oh u so much better than me,” wrote a third.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dorton and Texas Roadhouse for comment.
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