Arguably, tipping culture has gotten out of control. But what if the opposite is true, too?
Regardless of the tricks some servers play or how good their service is, some customers are just bad tippers, period.
But little did TikToker Mayela (@aleava00) know that her work friends are among those bad tippers.
She began the video, which has garnered 20,500 views, by saying that she was “mortified” after a dinner with work friends.
After she left the dinner, she went to use the restroom. After she returned and waited for her car to come out of the valet, the waitress approached her and pulled up an unsigned receipt with a line through the “tip” section. There was no signature, and no tip was left on at least a $400 bill. She asked if it was hers.
She said she signed her receipt, did the math, and that this was not her card number. But that meant someone else in her party was guilty of not leaving a tip.
She Defends The Waitress
“I know tipping culture has gotten out of hand, but our waitress was incredible,” the TikToker said. “She gave us like free food, she was giving us really good advice on like what to order, and she was just a pleasant person. [I was] so shocked when I saw the receipt was not signed and there was no tip.”
She continued, “And I think, it’s like we’re in the wrong, I tipped 20%, I always do, it’s just the easiest math for me to do. I said I know that tipping culture has gotten out of hand, but if you’re at a high-end sushi restaurant in the Houston Galleria area, and you’ve gotten really good service, at least leave something, right? Or am I wrong?”
BroBible reached out to Mayela via email.
What Did Commenters Say?
Commenters were shocked.
“I would have given the server extra to cover my cheap friends and then tell the friends about the interaction,” one wrote.
The TikToker replied, “That’s what I’m thinking I should have done. I was so embarrassed to think properly. They’re my coworkers and don’t know them enough but I’ll message them Monday to ask. Do you think it’ll be weird to go back to the restaurant and give the server a couple extra bucks?”
“100 buck tip would have been perfect,” a second added. “Stinks.”
In response to this, Mayela said, “Yeah I’m realizing I should have tipped more on my tab to balance it out.”
While a third said, “Tipping in a restaurant is a must, that’s just ridiculous.”
In reply, the TikToker agreed, saying, “No one pulled cash and waitress showed me both receipts.”
What Is Tipping Fatigue?
In a recent article by USA TODAY, it was argued that we are actually in an era of tipping fatigue. As the TikToker mentions, it’s a common belief that tipping culture has gotten out of control. So much so that people are now going the other side completely.
According to a new survey by Popmenu, 78% of people believe tipping culture has become ridiculous, with 44% saying that they are tipping less than they did last year.
Additionally, 59% of respondents said that when a screen asked them to tip, they felt the need to leave one. This, however, is down from 66% in September 2025.
The number of people who said they tip on a weekly basis at places that aren’t warranted fell from 44% to 39%. Most interestingly, in the past 12 months, consumers said they spent $130 on tips that felt unnecessary—down from $150 in the year prior.
@aleava00 To tip or not to tip? That IS NOT the question #tipping #tippingculture #houstonrestaurants
So, there are numbers to support the idea that people like the TikToker’s co-worker are experiencing tipping fatigue. But whether that’s fair is another question entirely.