A user on TikTok sparked debate after posting a video joking he did not tip on a $100 meal, resulting in him being asked not to return.
In a video with over 496,000 views, TikTok user Keehlan (@keehlan) wrote, “Just got asked to never return to a restaurant after not tipping on a meal that already cost me $100?!”
“I already paid for the meal? Why would I pay more!” he concluded.
@keehlan ♬ original sound – Keehlan
In a follow-up, Keehlan clarified the original video was a joke.
@keehlan #duet with @keehlan ♬ original sound – Keehlan
“I made this video as a joke. I always tip lmao,” he wrote in the text overlaying the video. He then presented a restaurant bill, claiming he tipped 30% “this time” out of guilt.
Keehlan appears to be from Australia, where the standard tip percentage is anywhere from no tip at all to 10%, according to SBS.
American tip percentages, in contrast, usually range between 15-20%. This is largely due to the fact that employers in the United States are allowed to pay tipped workers substantially less than minimum wage, which is not true in Australia.
On TikTok, many users who appeared to not know the video was a joke mocked Keehlan.
“Great so their workers just aren’t gonna make any money, 100 bucks worth of food was still served,” one user wrote.
“You paid for the food…. But who served you and brought you the food?” another asked.
However, the comments section soon turned against restaurants that ask their customers to tip, with many saying the business should just pay more in the first place.
“Thhe fact that many people take the side of the employer who underpays their staff is really funny,” a commenter stated.
“Punishing the worker for how the system is set up is exactly what corporations want,” a second offered. “We are lemmings.”
“Why doesn’t the owner/manager pay the employees enough to survive??? Why do you need to pay someone who’s literally doing their job and nothing more!?” a further TikToker questioned.
The Daily Dot reached out to Keehlan via Instagram direct message.
Update 3:53pm CT Nov. 7, 2022: In an Instagram direct message exchange with the Daily Dot, Keehlan simply stated, “I think employees should be paid a fair wage.”
“Tipping culture sucks, also American food on average is very poor quality and already rather expensive,” he wrote.
