TikTok creator @captain.t.roll posted a video describing an experience he had with a server at a restaurant he visited with two friends. The video accumulated 1.2 million views and more than 14,000 comments. According to the creator, he and his friends paid for their food and left what he considered a reasonable tip. However, when he received the receipt, he noticed a note from the server explaining why they were unhappy with the amount.
The creator began by saying that he and his two friends went out to eat at a restaurant that had recently opened. He said they ordered appetizers, entrees and dessert, which meant their server made several trips to their table throughout the meal.
@captain.t.roll The entitlement is crazy. This server is saying that my tip is too small and that if I can’t afford a big tip, I need to go eat fast food. They even went so far as to write a negative message on my receipt. #receipt #tipping
♬ original sound - captain.t.roll
The creator suggested that the number of times the server had to visit their table may have contributed to the tension. However, he pointed out that serving customers was part of the server’s job and said the workload was to be expected, particularly at a newly opened restaurant.
The Server Felt They were Entitled to More than $11.00 Tip Between the Three Friends
While recording the receipt, the creator showed what he and his friends ordered and said their bill came to $220 before tax. He then showed that he left an $11 tip, bringing the total to $251.35.
The creator said he believed the $11 tip was fair. However, according to him, the server felt differently and wrote a message in red at the bottom of the receipt.
The message read, “If you can only afford a 5% tip then maybe you should consider eating fast food and stop wasting server's time. This is our JOB!”
Reactions to the video varied. Some commenters agreed with the creator and argued that tipping is not mandatory. Others believed the $11 tip was too small considering the size of the bill.
One commenter wrote, "I would ask back for the receipt and adjust it to $0.00 tipping. . . DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO BULLY, GUILT, OR PRESSURE YOU INTO TIPPING. . .TIPPING IS NOT MANDATORY."
Another commenter echoed their decision and wrote, "Normalize leaving 0 dollars, tipping is NOT mandatory."
On the contrary, this commenter said he should've tipped more based on his bill total. They wrote, "You had a bill for $220 and left an $11 tip?????! Yea you're in the wrong the server has every right to be mad."
The video sparked a broader debate over tipping expectations, with viewers divided over whether an 11-dollar tip on a 220-dollar bill was reasonable.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in the video, which are based solely on @captain.t.roll’s account of his experience at the restaurant and the receipt he shared on TikTok.
