TikTokers are locked in a heated argument after a receipt went viral showing an underwhelming tip alongside a relatable note.
@kingj023241 shared video of an Applebee’s receipt for a family served by someone named Dana G. The bill itself was $73.45, and the person who paid tacked on an additional $6.55 as a tip, bringing the total to $80.00.
But the kicker was the note he left: “You was great holidays are just rough right now,” alongside a frowny face.
Most of us understand the need to keep an eye on where our cash goes during the holidays. It’s easy to rack up bills in the form of gifts for friends and family, plane tickets, event tickets, and more — and with more and more people in the U.S. Frankensteining part-time or freelance jobs together, the idea of a “holiday bonus” is a little bit of a myth for many.
However, going out to eat and not tipping is generally frowned upon in this country, where servers rely on tips to make up for the abysmal wages the government allows restaurants to get away with paying front-of-house staff.
This complicated scenario left people duking it out in the comments over whether or not the customer’s less-than-stellar tip was acceptable.
@kingj24__ Your thought? 🤔 #SnowballFightAgainstHunger #JBLGreekOut #CustomersMostLoved #fyp
“I think that family enjoyed a nice dinner out and still tipped,” wrote @jessiet1988. “They didn’t owe anyone that explanation.”
“You can afford $73 and some change to feed yourself but not enough to tip? Don’t eat out if you can’t afford the service,” @ava_ghoul argued.
But another viewer slammed people criticizing the tip, calling it “gatekeeping taking your family out to dinner for the financially blessed. What type of BS is ‘stay home if you’re broke.’”
“For those that are saying at least they tipped? I get times are hard but understand that the tip is how servers truly get paid,” @crewsirius shot back. “It’s tough for them too.”
“Tips aren’t mandatory. They left a note. Be understanding. You chose this line of work,” @monluv2hfun claimed.
Of course, that’s an oversimplification. Many people who work in the service industry, at least in the United States, do so because their options are limited for whatever reason. And that plays into much, much bigger issues with the way our systems are structured.
To that end, some people quickly realized that folks were getting caught up in this small, isolated incident rather than looking at the larger picture, and tried to express as much.
“Ban tipping. Force the restaurants to pay servers living wages,” suggested @putz420.
“Don’t blame the tipper blame the establishment,” @badassjonesy agreed. “These people shouldn’t have to rely on tips to barely make ends meet.”