When traveling and visiting other cultures, it’s important to know its customs so that you don’t make an accidental faux pas at the worst time possible. One of those moments could be, for example, at a restaurant.
When it comes to food, there are a lot of things one can get wrong. There are cultures that appreciate when you slurp and make other eating noises, while others consider it very bad manners. In some places, you must pretty much lick the plate clean to show appreciation, while in others, you have to leave some food in the plate to indicate that you are full. All of this to say that there are a lot of contradictory rules out there.
Tipping also falls into this category. In China, it’s an insult, in Europe, it’s a bonus, and, in the US, it’s a must. Confuse those and you will be in a tricky situation.
That is what happened in this story. A European in the US made an American faux pas, outrage was sparked, TikToks were made, and now we’re here. Scroll down to see the story for yourself.
Tipping is quite a complicated issue in the US, and this TikToker started an interesting online discussion about it
Image credits: Titouan Henry (not the actual photo)
"For the longest time, Europeans have been preaching, 'When you come to Europe, you have to abide by our social norms and our 'this' and our 'that'"
Image credits: dennisethemenace
"But when you come to America, you're crying and whining about a $52 tip? Babe, if you're broke, just say it. This is a $288 bill. If you have enough to be spending this much at a restaurant, then you can tip $52."
"'Oh, you just took my order, brought the food to me, and cleaned up the food, and you're just doing your simple job'"
Image credits: dennisethemenace
"More times than not, servers are doing way more than just taking your order and bringing your food to you. At most restaurants, if there's a salad included with a meal, the server is the one making that. Sometimes it could be a host or something like that. But it's not always the kitchen doing everything."
"All servers have to tip out everyone in the restaurant - the cooks, the bartender"
Image credits: dennisethemenace
"Sometimes the hostess and the bussers. If you tipped this person $20, they would probably be getting maybe $5 of that $20. And this makes me so mad because being a server sucks. It sucks. You have to deal with rude Americans, let alone the Europeans that are coming in with this huge attitude and this huge ego."
Image credits: dennisethemenace
"I worked in a fancy sushi restaurant and I'm not even joking. The servers never wanted to serve any of the Europeans"
"Because 1, they knew they wouldn't tip, and 2, they were genuinely super rude. Then she goes on to say, 'You guys should fight for better wages and all this [stuff].' Girl, have you been to America? We've been fighting for how many things that have not been changed. We just... like, what?"
Image credits: dennisethemenace
"And I saw people in the comments being like: 'No, most servers prefer this system with the tipping system. Yeah, to get paid $4.30 and have to hope that someone tips you. You let the government brainwash you into thinking this is okay. Every American knows that our government system is [messed] up. So truly, if you think you can do it and get our government to listen to us, please be my guest."
"It's the fact that a lot of Europeans let a couple of interactions or a couple of people dictate how all Americans are"
Image credits: dennisethemenace
"Just say you don't [care] about other people and move on. If I can't pay for a tip, then I'm not going out to eat"
"And I always take at least 20%. That's the norm here. And if you don't want to follow it, then don't come to America."
Image credits: dennisethemenace
Watch the whole video and see if you agree
The US does have a problem with tipping culture that's getting out of hand
Back in the 1950's, 10% was a common tip. In the '70s, this grew to 15%. Nowadays, tipping anything below 20% signifies that the service was subpar. How did we get here?
Experts say that the pandemic had a lot to do with it. Tips for service workers increased as a way to show extra gratitude and to compensate for the lack of business. From then on, the gratuity for the in-restaurant service did not go down.
In fact, the opposite happened. Many more places such as coffee shops, bakeries, and even mechanics now propose an option to leave a tip. This, mind you, is for workers that do get full wages. On top of that, instead of suggesting you add something on top for great service, many ask you to leave something or completely opt out of the tip. This makes it less of an addition and more of a requirement. No wonder many are getting outraged.
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
Foreigners deciding not to tip service workers is not how you make a change
Still, when visiting the US, remember that your server is living on a wage that is way below the minimum. They do need those tips to pay the bills, so opting out as a way to protest against the insanity of it all is not a great solution.
So, do you just give in, pay the tip that’s necessary, and see the tips rise to 25, 30, 35 percent or more? Well, unless you are willing to unionize people and talk to the local government, maybe that is your only option. Just pay your bill, leave the tip, and hope that enough people will get outraged to make a change. Maybe complain about it online. But do not punish a fellow worker over the government’s mistakes.
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
The comments on the TikTok platform have been disabled, but the video got a range of different reactions elsewhere on the internet
