Gemma, who posts on TikTok as @gemma.moro, is a server who recently changed her appearance for a shift in hopes of making more money in tips. The video received 476,000 likes and 1,070 comments.
“Guess who’s pandering for her tips? ME!” Gemma says at the beginning of the video. Gemma explained that she had been having a difficult time saving money while going through a major move. She decided to experiment with her appearance at work to see whether it would affect her tips.
@gemma.moro The results speak for themselves #rant #server #pigtails #serverhairstyles
♬ original sound - Gemma
For the shift, she wore her hair in pigtails and applied a full face of makeup. She said she was willing to try different approaches to increase her earnings, including changing her appearance in a way she believed might appeal to male customers.
Gemma also made a deal with herself: If she made more than $300 during the shift, she would stop at Taco Bell on her way home.
As the shift continued, Gemma said she believed the changes to her appearance were helping her earn more in tips. She ultimately reached her $300 goal and celebrated by going through the Taco Bell drive-thru.
Servers in the comment section shared their opinions with Gemma
The video prompted other servers to share their own experiences with changing their appearance at work.
One server wrote, “As a server, I did pigtails, light makeup and fake freckles. I made the most tips ever that night, one commenter wrote. Another added, “Ngl I did this yesterday and I'm just a host but my restaurant does to go orders.”
“I’m a server at a Waffle House, and when I wear pigtails, I make $200 in ten hours,” another person added. Someone else chimed in, “I make 13 an hour and average about 50 bucks a night in tips. Sometimes I make a little less sometimes I make more (I only work 4-5 hours and we're not a huge restaurant). All I do is my makeup and not care about my hair. I just put it in a ponytail and take out my bangs and that's about it. And even when I'm on the brink of crying I still give customers the best service I can. I have like 3 customers I absolutely hate because of the way they treat me but unfortunately they're regulars so I see them all the times.”
Overall, however, commenters were most happy that she got her Taco Bell at the end of the shift. The video ended with Gemma sharing what she ordered from the restaurant, prompting commenters to debate her choice to order a burrito without red sauce.
Gemma’s experience led her to suggest that other servers experiment with their appearance to see whether it affects their tips. However, the results she described reflect her individual experience and do not establish that changing a hairstyle or makeup will increase tips for other workers.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify whether Gemma’s change in appearance affected her tips. Gemma, who posts under the handle @gemma.moro, shared the experience based on her own account of the shift.
