Fierce arguments and endless dialogue are hallmarks of the internet, but there’s one thing that everyone seems to agree on these days: Tipping culture is untenable.
A TikTok maker recently went popular for a clip in which she detailed an interaction she had with a Ben & Jerry’s worker last week. @Poorandhungry, who has 236,000 TikTok followers, informed her fans that an employee got frustrated with her for not tipping on a $2 cone.
@poorandhungry claimed in her video, which has over 1.5 million views, that she didn’t want ice cream, just a “fresh, warm” waffle cone for $2. When she used her card to pay for the cone, a computerized tipping screen with various % tips showed up, she added.
The TikToker would not reveal the percentages, but she did say they “were insane” for how little her cone cost.
“I’m not tipping you $1 on a $2 cone that you just handed me,” she said. “I’m not.”
When she didn’t include a tip, the employee made a frustrated hand-flick motion, she alleged. The TikToker expressed her displeasure with the reaction, telling viewers that such behavior would be unacceptable on “no planet.”
“On top of that, Miss Girl, what were you expecting I tipped you to hand me a cone?” she asked rhetorically. “There wasn’t even a service being exchanged.”
She added: “It was a transaction. It wasn’t even an act of service.”
A large number of comments appreciated TikToker, with several offering their own stories about being pushed to tip for minor tasks.
“I had the tipping screen show up when I was at the pet store the other day. All she did was give me prices on the items I wanted,” one person wrote.
“There was a tipping screen at one of those frozen yogurt places where you get everything yourself,” another TikToker commented. “I did all the work! Tip for what?”
Many participants claimed they believe in tipping, but only in certain situations, such as trips to restaurants, restaurants, and other venues where the worker delivers personalized care.
“Tips are getting out of hand. Like baristas, waitresses, etc. makes sense,” one viewer said. “But I’ve had it show up when I’m shopping ONLINE!? Like no.. not tipping.”
Her TikTok post is the latest in a string of viral movies criticizing the current tipping culture and the prominence of tipping screens, which have been adopted by companies of all kinds throughout the country in recent years.
TikTok creator @jareenimam recently posted a video in which she described it as “emotional blackmail” after purchasing a snack at Newark Airport in New Jersey and being requested to tip at least 20% while using the self-checkout. Another TikToker had hundreds of thousands of views for a video in which she complained about being asked to tip at Starbucks, boba shops, and Goodwill.
“Waiters, runners, cooks, etc. NOW they deserve a tip,” the TikToker wrote in the description. “But pouring boba tea? Nope!”
The idea that tipping culture has gotten out of hand has become a meme, with posters creating parodies to show how ridiculous it has become. In one drawing, a man asked to pet a woman’s adorable dog, and when he did, the dog’s owner showed a tipping screen on her phone.
