It wasn't so long ago that tipping was something we did with pride and voluntarily, as if to reward baristas, waiters and delivery people for their splendid performance. Of course, we still do that. But in this day and age, tipping culture seems to have reached a new low.
In a recent TikTok video which has over 100,000 views already, Morgan Huelsman (@webgirlmorgan), a former food service worker, claimed that when she placed an order for a pickup, she was asked to tip twice, and that's without mandatory gratuity. "The employee looked at me like I just ruined his entire day," she said in the video, showing the receipt as a piece of evidence.
Recently, a TikToker called out ridiculous tipping expectations after being asked to tip three times on the same pickup order
Image credits: MargJohnsonVA (not the actual photo)
"Y'all, tipping has gotten out of hand. Let me preface this before y'all come at me"
Image credits: webgirlmorgan.
"I was a server, I was a host, I did expo, I did all the things. I worked in the service industry for years. So whenever I go out to eat or whenever I order takeout..."
"...I always tip really good. Always been the case, I know what it's like"
Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto (not the actual photo)
"So when I went to order takeout last night, there was already a gratuity added on. Cool, great, we love to see it. I also added an additional tip into this thing.
But when I tell you I nearly lost my mind when I showed up to pick up my order - I picked it up, it was not delivered."
"They handed me this nice little receipt with an additional tip. A third time to tip. On the same order"
Image credits: Sam Dan Truong (not the actual photo)
"And when I did not sign this, the employee looked at me like I had just ruined his entire day"
Image credits: webgirlmorgan.
"And when I did not sign this, the employee looked at me like I had just ruined his entire day. Sir, I am not going to tip you for a third time.
What are we doing? This is ridiculous.
Now I get it, y'all deserve the money, but three times?"
You can hear her full rant right here
Image credits: Dan Smedley (not the actual photo)
Tipping is falling out of favor with the public
While it takes one trip down to Starbucks to see what's wrong with tipping culture today, it mostly comes down to mandatory gratuity and digital payment methods which leave a bad aftertaste if you opt for the "no tip" button. Unsurprisingly, many Americans feel the same about it as Huelsman.
In a recent survey conducted by Bankrate, more than 60% of participants admitted that they hold at least one unfavorable opinion of tipping in this day and age. Furthermore, 30% of the respondents expressed their belief that tipping culture has gotten "out of control" in recent years.
Image credits: Ivan Samkov (not the actual photo)
Experts believe that the declining popularity of tipping may be diminishing due to its imposition on customers
In order to learn more about why people think tipping is getting out of favor, Bored Panda got in touch with Dr. Kevin Bennett, Teaching Professor of Psychology at Penn State Beaver and the host of Kevin Bennet is Snarling podcast. According to Bennett, the major issue stems from tipping becoming increasingly obligatory.
"Tipping used to be a source of pride for many of us, but now it is often a decision fueled by shame," he explains. "The payment screen asks what percentage tip I would like to offer but this is a situation where I would not leave a tip at all. Now I must press a button to opt-out of tipping."
Drawing on the findings of Bankrate's survey on the declining trend of tipping in the United States, Bennett agrees that tipping has reached a breaking point where individuals can no longer pretend or force themselves to do it - even if it ultimately impacts the well-being of workers.
"I think it is getting easier and easier for people to skip the tip and not feel guilty about it. The other day, I heard people at a restaurant talking about how they need to reduce the tip they leave because of inflation and finances, etc. They didn’t seem cruel about it because they were getting no pleasure out of reducing the tip," Bennett said. "It's just unfortunate that workers in the service industry are the ones who suffer due to the economy."
People were just as astounded by the TikToker's experience as she was, also taking the opportunity to share their own outrageous tipping stories
