Yet another TikTok has gone viral with regards to the tipping culture debate—and this time, it features a tersely worded stance that generated some debate on TikTok.
Robert Calver (@robert_calver) explained his basic rule for whether or not he leaves a tip for food: If he has to walk up to a countertop and order, then he won’t tip.
“New Rule: If I order standing up, I’m not tipping,” the TikToker writes in a text overlay that shows him munching on a french fry in front of a full double cheeseburger combo meal.
He explains why he’s ultimately decided to adopt this point of view in a caption for the post where he writes: “Tipping is getting out of control.”
The debate on tipping culture
Calver’s assertion ended up igniting other folks on TikTok to comment on their own tipping gratuity dealbreakers. Like this one user on the app who said, “Honorable mention , if I’m sitting in my car in the drive through.”
Someone else said the spirit of what it’s like to leave gratuities at a stand-up-and-place-your-own-order food service operation has ultimately changed.
“There’s such a difference between putting my leftover coins in a jar and spinning an iPad around asking for 20%,” one said.
This was a sentiment echoed by another user on the app who wrote, “Always been the rule. if I have to walk up and order it’s fast food. I sit and it’s all brought it’s a service.”
However, one TikToker said there is never an instance where they felt the need to leave a gratuity, explaining that customers are already expected to foot the bill for the service or good that they’re purchasing. “Never tip for anything bro, we’re already paying for the d*mn service or goods,” they wrote.
For others, the issue had to do with the fact that the employees in question are already being paid an hourly wage for their jobs.
“It is so crazy like everywhere I go it’s just ‘it’s gonna ask you a couple questions on the screen’ like no I’m not gonna tip you for doing your hourly wage job,” one wrote.
Even those who said that they are pro-tipping were in agreement with Calver’s viewpoint, stating that there are specific scenarios in which they will and won’t tip.
“I’m big on tipping but I agree,” one said. “If I’m ordering at a counter or sitting in my car no tip.”
Others, however, believe while tipping is not an obligation, it can help out workers who direly need it.
“So you don’t tip a bartender?” one asked.
“I understand this but an extra dollar can really just put a smile on their face so if I have it why not,” another argued.
There’s been a lot of debate around tipping in both full and counter-service scenarios. In September 2022, a restaurant server received backlash from TikTok users after they spoke on the importance of being “fast” at a restaurant. Throngs of viewers who responded to his clip replied negatively, stating that not only would they sit as long as they wanted at a table without ordering anything more than they felt inclined to, but that they would probably not leave a tip.
Not to mention “iPad Tipping” has been criticized as well, where many state they have zero issues with handing tips to servers, but some workers say they were “embarrassed” by having to walk customers through the tipping question after new POS systems made a gratuity selection.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Calver via TikTok comment for further information.
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