A server went viral on TikTok after sharing why she’ll no longer tip certain service industry workers 20% of her bill.
Jenna B. (@jenna_michal), who works at a restaurant in Atlanta, recorded the hot take from her car. In her TikTok, which has amassed over 51,000 views, she says that she refuses to tip other servers 20% if she doesn’t feel as though they’ve earned it.
“I can’t be tipping y’all 20% anymore. I can’t because you guys don’t deserve it,” she says. I’m just going to be honest.”
“I’m a server,” she adds, “and, a lot of you servers, you don’t deserve 20%.”
Jenna’s main issue is with workers who she says fail to meet the bare minimum requirements for servicing their tables. For instance, she expresses frustration at workers who don’t supply frequent drink refills and who take “20 minutes” to retrieve condiments. Jenna also takes issue with workers who sit patrons at tables without silverware and who don’t ask whether tables prefer one check or multiple.
“Bro, this job is simple,” Jenna says. “Does it get hard at times? Yeah. But you’re really bringing people food and making sure that their drinks are full… It’s just not that hard.”
She then issues a warning to servers who don’t meet these requirements. “If you mess it up, I’m not tipping you 20% and that’s coming from a server,” Jenna says. “I’m not doing it.”
As a server herself, Jenna explains she’s “tired of busting my butt” to make sure her tables have everything, only to be met with subpar service at other establishments.
“If you sucked… I’m not tipping you 20%,” she says. “I can’t validate it anymore. I can’t do it.”
But the video divided fellow service workers in the comments section on whether this was the best route forward. Some workers said that they always leave 20% tips, simply as an act of kindness.
“I’m tipping 20% for bad service and 35% for amazing service. Life’s hard right now,” one person said.
“i’m a server but i will no matter what tip 20% as a baseline idc what the server does,” another shared.
@jenna_michal It’s at the point where if I actually have a good server, I’m tipping them like 30 to 40% because im so thrilled to actually see someone doing a good job. ##tippingculture##tippingservers##badservice ♬ original sound – Jenna B
Other workers, meanwhile, agreed with Jenna’s tough-love approach.
“I’m a server and I know I’m a good server and I go elsewhere and I’m like what the hell ?” one worker said.
“Literally same. In 2024 I’m done [tipping] 20% for literally every service I get,” another viewer shared.
A third service industry worker agreed, writing, “I am a server and there are many servers that just don’t… do it? i tip 10% bc it’s their living but like? do the work?”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jenna via TikTok comment.
