Tipping culture used to be clearly defined. You tipped at restaurants, bars, and salons. And the general etiquette for how much to tip was pretty clearly defined.
But now tipping is the wild, wild west. More and more places are swiveling back to you the dreaded electronic checkout pad.
While it’s usually management that implements these electronic systems, tipping norms have become so wonky that even servers are getting in on it, letting customers know that if they don’t have the cash on them, they can pay in unconventional ways.
And no, don’t be creepy; they’re not referring to anything untoward.
Server Has Brilliant Idea To Get Her Tip
In a trending video with more than 36,000 views, content creator Jacob Seale (@themrseale) shared the unexpected (and kinda awkward) interaction he recently had with a server.
In the TikTok, Seale explained that he was recently at a restaurant where he’s a regular.
When it came time to close out and tip, he explained that he usually tips $20 but only had a $10 bill on him. Now, we’re assuming his total doesn’t hit $100 or is well below it since he’s positioning this as a good, maybe even great, tip, and on a $100 tab, that would be a standard amount.
“I gave my waitress the 10, and I said, I’m sorry. I usually tip $20. They know me pretty well there,” Seale said.
“Here’s a $10, and I’ll hit you next time,” he told her.
But the server’s response left him in shock.
She looked him straight in the eyes and, without missing a beat, and allegedly told him, “‘That’s all right. Do you have Venmo?'”
“I straight up crapped myself,” Seale said, looking mortified.
Tipping Culture Nowadays
People are tired of tipping for darn near everything.
A 2023 Pew Research survey found that of 12,000 adults surveyed, about 72% say they’re being asked to tip more frequently than in the past.
Grocery stores, self-checkout machines, and fast-food restaurants are all places that never asked for tips before but are suddenly hitting people with the tip prompt.
So what’s driving this shift? NPR reports that the pandemic played a big role in the shift.
Many people started tipping those we didn’t usually tip as a way to show support for essential workers during a time of crisis.
But technology is the long-standing culprit. Companies like Square, which power those payment screens, get a cut of each transaction, so encouraging tip screens and bigger tips means they get a cut too.
Plus, it’s now so much easier for any establishment using this tech to easily add a tip screen that they know some people may panic and click on to avoid selecting the “no tip” option in front of their cashier, server, or service provider.
Then there’s the wage issue. Some service workers earn a subminimum wage (as low as $2.13 per hour federally) with the expectation that tips will make up the difference. Tipping lets businesses pay workers more without actually raising their wages or menu prices.
Commenters React
“I’m a server I would never ask that,” a top comment read.
“She’s honestly so funny for that cuz wym next time???” a person pointed out.
“I tipped a $50 on a $50 bill (was feeling generous)…. The girl comes back super grateful but asking me if I could send it to her Cash App instead cause she has to split tha between coworkers lol. I sent it Cash App, that’s when I found out about splitting,” another shared.
“I got tipped 10% today on 182 and i was fuming. almost went up to them and asked what i did wrong,” a commenter added.
BroBible reached out to Seale for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message.