Customer says she was asked to place to-go order after clarifying beforehand she wouldn't be tipping

The tipping culture has been drastically changing to become a menace for quite a few customers, irrespective of the services. There have been several examples where people have asked for tips not just for restaurants and other services but for direct purchases and other leisures that did not even involve a third person or server. Because of this, customers are bringing change in their practice of paying gratuity to be on the safer side. A woman (@poorandhungry) shared a video on TikTok that has sparked an intense debate on the tipping culture. She shared her restaurant experience with a waiter and explained how clarifying beforehand that she wouldn't be paying a little extra to the server changed the entire scenario for her. 

Making the entire conversation sarcastic and revealing the bleak reality, the woman posed a conversation similar to what she had with the server at a restaurant. As the woman played the part of the server and herself, she exchanged dialogues to explain the situation she found herself in recently. As the server approached the woman’s table to take the order, the woman let the server know upfront that she would not be tipping. “We want to let you know that we don’t tip, we’re not tipping so you can give us whatever service you need,” the woman explained her part. But then, the server gave an unusual response.

They said, “Absolutely. Let me accommodate you, you can keep the waters. But, in the next 15 minutes or so, you can make your way back to the host stand and we can place a to-go order for you.” “Oh, so because we’re not tipping, we’re getting kicked out of the restaurant?” the woman asked. The server then pointed out, “The tip is the service charge to sit in the dining area and have services provided.” They also stated that if the woman wasn’t going to tip, it meant that she didn’t care for the services and she would get the cost of the food via the to-go order. “So just because I don’t want to pay for your salary, we can’t even eat here?” the woman questioned.

The server replied, “We can accommodate your food request in the form of a to-go order. That’s what you’d be paying for.” They added, “If you don't want table service and don’t want to pay for table service, that’s fine, we can give you the food and send you on your way.” The woman mentioned that this behavior and protocol was “disgusting and appalling,” to which the server replied, “People are waiting 45 minutes to be in the dining area and for the table service.” They further mentioned that if the customers didn’t want to pay for the same, they could still be fed but it would have to be a to-go order.

People had mixed reactions to the server's response. While some believed that the waiter had a valid reason, others thought it was foolish to consider a tip a mandatory service charge. @lulamae_flyaway said, “This is brilliant. The tip is the service.” @havokiris said, "In most places, if you don’t pay a tip, servers have to pay out of their pockets to serve your table due to tip outs.” @jpf32 sided with the customer saying, “I get in the US it’s different but they’re still a paying customer.” @fairycakes0 said, “I always thought you tip people when they do a good job, I was unaware that it’s mandatory.”

You can follow @poorandhungry on TikTok for more serving and tipping content.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 8, 2024. It has since been updated.