A Florida man added a $40 tip to his $500 dinner bill and expected the server to appreciate the gesture. However, he was surprised by her reaction and asked to speak to the manager after the awkward interaction.
TikToker @youngam904 sits in his car and shakes his head, recounting the tip disagreement. In on-screen text, he explains that he went out to eat with a group of friends and racked up a $500 bill.
“We tipped $40. We were happy we can be able to give our server something, but her reaction was the opposite,” he wrote.
He claims the server said she was expecting $120, 24% of the total bill. So, he asked to speak to the manager.
“When we asked for the manager, she said she was just joking, but she wasn’t smiling at all,” he continues. He asks commenters to weigh in on whether the original $40 tip was enough.
Was The $40 Tip Enough?
In the comments, many viewers pointed out that $120 is slightly over the standard 20% tip for dining in a restaurant. The tip he gave the server was just 8%, which could signal that he was unhappy with the service.
“$120 is 20%. That’s a perfectly reasonable amount. The customary minimum of 10% would have been $50. $40 is just being cheap and insulting,” one viewer wrote.
“80 to 110 is fine , 40 is an insult,” a second suggested.
Other servers also weighed in on the tip.
“As a server, i dont think yall understand that we try to provide good service for the tip. if im not getting tipped, there is no incentive for me to refill that water for you,” one remarked.
However, some viewers agreed with the TikToker’s tip and said they believe tipping is “out of control.”
“Their service is still the same. Just bc the food is more expensive doesn’t mean they need tipped more,” a commenter said.
Another commented, “40$ is more than enough. If they don’t like it they should change the system or get a different job.”
Should Servers Confront Customers About Low Tips?
According to trade publication Restaurant Business, many restaurants have a policy preventing servers or managers from questioning a low tip. However, some servers say they’ve confronted poor tippers on the r/TalesFromYourServer subreddit.
“I work in a fairly high volume college bar and occasionally I’ll say something but generally try to just silently cut them off or ignore them in the future,” a commenter said.
“First place I worked at was an irish pub that was outwardly unwelcoming to bad tippers,” another wrote. “I saw a server throw change at a table that was leaving and the managers backed it up.”
However, some customers warn against confronting them prematurely.
“Went to a restaurant, left a tip of 10.40 on about a $50 check. Server confronted us outside because she thought it was 40 cents. It was embarrassing for everyone, and I did ask to talk to the manager,” one shared.
“Honestly, I’d reduce the tip if someone asked me that question and would call the manager immediately,” a second remarked.
BroBible reached out to YOUNGAM904 via TikTok direct message and comment. We will update the story when he replies.