A couple went on a date to a California Cheesecake Factory and ordered several items. However, they question if they’re in the wrong for not leaving a tip after receiving subpar service.
In a video with over 236,000 views, TikToker Xomerebear (@xomerbear) walks out of the Cheesecake Factory with her partner. On-screen text asks, “Valid or not?”
She says that she ordered a sandwich, and her partner ordered a pizza. Then, they ordered a mac and cheese to share.
“We left a $0 tip,” she admits. “We’re wondering if this is valid.”
Why Didn’t The Couple Tip The Server?
The TikToker says that they ordered their food, and the server didn’t come back to check on them the entire meal. The food runner only brought out their sandwich and pizza.
The couple continued to wait for the mac and cheese, but it never came. Another server gave them a box for their leftovers and cleared their plates.
At the end of the meal, the server finally came back with the bill. The couple told her they “don’t need” the mac and cheese since it didn’t come with the rest of their food.
“She was like, ‘Oh, they didn’t bring that out?’ I was like, ‘No…,'” the TikToker recounts. “And you didn’t come up and check up on us. I didn’t say that [though].”
She suspects the Cheesecake Factory server forgot to put in the mac and cheese since she only saw her write down the sandwich and pizza on her notepad.
“So that’s why we tipped $0, OK?” she says. “She did not once check up on us. The mac and cheese never arrived. And there was no one to tell.”
How Much Should You Tip For Bad Service?
Dining experts share mixed advice on how to communicate bad service to a restaurant worker. According to Food & Wine, leaving a $0 tip can come across as cheap rather than communicating dissatisfaction.
Instead, leaving a 10 to 15% tip and speaking to a manager may be a better course of action. Plus, a low tip should come from poor server behavior, not from kitchen delays. In the TikToker’s case, it’s hard to tell if the missing mac and cheese was a kitchen or server error.
In the United States, servers work for tips and earn less than the $7.25 minimum hourly wage. So, many servers on Reddit note that leaving no tip can come across as disrespectful.
Do Viewers Agree With Them?
Commenters debated whether the couple was valid for leaving no tip for the neglectful server. While many agree that the service was unacceptable, they say a $0 tip is too far.
“Servers do so much more than take ur order. They work for tips If you can’t afford to tip then you shouldn’t be going to a restaurant it’s really not fair to the server,” one suggested.
Another wrote, “100% get that. But personally I always tip even if it’s 5.00 for bad service. If they aren’t attentive they just won’t get a GREAT tip. But will always get something.”
However, some pointed out that tipping isn’t mandatory. They said they would also leave no tip in the same situation.
A commenter wrote, “As a server myself…. valid no matter who ran my food out.. i check on my table after the first few bits and then 2x more while they are eating.”
“Zero tip for bad service, don’t reward bad service,” a second said.
“You’re valid girl dont let them gaslight you,” a third commented.
BroBible reached out to Xomerbear and to Cheesecake Factory via email for comment.