A TikToker’s criticism of “inflated tip options” spurred discussion of the subject on the platform, where tipping is a hot topic.
Posted by @onswin, the short video shows him staring off camera as cinematic music plays, relying on a text overlay to do the heavy lifting. Since its posting on March 16, the video has been viewed more than 1.2 million times.
“The barista looking into my soul as a I look at three inflated tip options on their filthy iPad and choose no tip,” the text overlay on the video reads.
Most of the discussion around tipping related to this video is not about typical scenarios, such as a sit-down restaurant where waitstaff rely on tips to make up the difference between their small hourly rate.
“They have the ipad and it’s like 15-25% tips for literally putting a bagel in a bag,” one commenter wrote.
“Tip for waiting in line placing the order myself paying myself and picking up the order myself?” another commenter wrote. “Yeah I think not. Tips are for waiters and drivers.”
“Would you like to tip 25%, 35%, or 50%?” a third joked.
Others had more specific reasons and experiences that lead them to tip where they can.
“I still tip because I know what it’s like on the other side,” one commenter wrote.
“I can tell no one in the comments ever relied on tips to pay bills,” another wrote.
“I always tip my baristas and servers. Customer service is no joke,” a commenter wrote.
Some argued that the onus should fall on companies rather than customers. “Imagine shaming people for not tipping, but not shaming companies for underpaid labor,” one said.
“Companies should pay them. not customers,” another said.
Another side to the discussion came from workers who expressed that they disliked having to ask for tips in the first place.
“As if we want to ask y’all to tip us,” a commenter wrote.
“I get embarrassed having to tell people it will ask you a tip question i didn’t put that there,” another commenter wrote.
“You guys are blaming the employees as if we’re not literally trained to show you the iPad with the tip option,” one commenter wrote. “Tip earners are paid less because we earn tips, it’s all twisted against the employee bruh. We get no money and the customers think we’re money hungry.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @onswin via TikTok comment.
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