Tipping culture is deeply ingrained in the U.S., and most people go into a restaurant expecting to tip. As handheld checkout devices have become more common in the hospitality industry, the way servers use them can sometimes lead to awkward situations, as TikTok user @ryan_stannard4 explains. The video currently has 417,900 views and 243 comments.
@ryan_stannard4, whose name is Ryan, is a server. In the video, he tells viewers that one of the worst things a server can do when using a handheld is to drop it off and say, “It’s just gonna ask you a quick question.” According to Ryan, doing so can make the interaction awkward.
“They knew they were going to tip before they walked into the restaurant,” he says in the video. “You don’t have to tell them.”
According to Ryan, the awkward part comes when the customer feels like the server is watching or standing over them while they fill out the device. He shares two things he does to make the process feel less uncomfortable.
The first is to make small talk with everyone at the table except the person signing the check. “If you can’t make small talk for 30 seconds as a server, you need to work on that,” he says in the video. He then gives two examples of what servers can talk about, including elaborating on something mentioned earlier in the interaction.
The other is to wait a moment when the customer hands the handheld back so it looks like the server was engaged in the conversation happening around the table.
Once the device is handed back, Ryan makes sure to ask whether the customer needs a receipt. He says this ensures the payment is secured and that the server has completed the steps needed to finish the transaction.
@ryan_stannard4 Easy fix, don’t be awkward
♬ original sound - Ryan Stannard
TikTok Users Share Their Own Server Tips
Several commenters shared their own approaches to making handheld payments less awkward.
One fellow server shared one of their own hacks, writing, “My favorite lie is when they are wearing a college’s logo on them I’ll say ‘my mom went there’ she’s been to at least 15 colleges if you were to ask my guest.”
Another commenter said they use humor when presenting the handheld. “my bit when i used a toast was always ‘don’t worry i won’t watch’ and then making a big show of covering my eyes and turning around, huge hit and always got laughs.”
Another user said they use the opportunity to tell tourists stories while working in Alaska. “My favorite part about being a server and bartender in Alaska is telling tourists fake stories about myself,” the commenter wrote.
The comments show that some servers use conversation or humor to make the payment process feel more casual for customers.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the circumstances described in the TikTok video. The details above are based solely on @ryan_stannard4’s account and the advice he shared about using handheld payment devices while working as a server.
