Server debunks 3 common misconceptions customers have about the tipping culture in America

In many countries, tipping your server when you are out to grab a meal at a restaurant is pretty common. Whereas in other countries, the tipping culture is frowned upon and in some cases, it entirely depends on the customer if they are willing to pay it or not. But Dean Redmond–who goes by @deanredmonds on TikTok–works as a server and has made a video to bust some myths about the popular tipping culture at eateries.

According to Redmond, many people do not understand the whole deal about tipping workers when they are already getting paid a fixed salary. So, Redmond took some time out from his 12-hour long shift to educate fellow TikTok users on three misconceptions that almost everyone holds about tipping practice. He stitched his video responding to another TikTok creator, Justice (@antidietpilot), who made a separate video about the list of workers she would not be tipping anymore in 2024. 

Redmond started his video by mentioning that the workers who receive the tips are not owners of the place the customers are visiting and do not have any control over the credit card machines, which prompts the customers to give some tips by the end of their payment. "None of the service workers you're yelling at for asking for a tip on your to-go are the owners," Redmond said in his popular video, which received over 151,000 views and counting.

"We're not begging you for money. If you don't go through that prompt, you can't even pay us!" Redmond remarked. He went on to explain how the preparation of to-go orders takes a lot more work than the customer can imagine. First, the workers need to sort out what the customer ordered, then there is a series of processes that involve screaming and a lot of confusion between other workers and ultimately, customers get their packed and labeled orders delivered to them.

"Meanwhile, when I go and take an order from a regular table sitting down, I just take the order and put it in and bring out the food. That's like three things to do, and you always tip me and don't complain about that," he pointed out. Redmond stated that workers don't always whine or demand tips from their customers either. Many people at hotels and salons voluntarily tip their workers. "If you don't want to tip us, don't," he concluded. "But don't complain to my face because I'm not complaining to you when you have a $250 to-go bill and you decide to hit the skip button and then yell at me for it."

People who have worked in the service industry and fellow TikTok users stopped in the comments section to share their opinions on this topic. @3ofwands wrote, "They're acting like tipping culture isn't the result of economic failure and that it is the worker's fault." @marianaprice commented, "When I was a barista, someone said they weren't tipping just for me to hand them a drink. I don't care, but ma'am, I had to make that drink."

@pumkin.yy noted, "Regardless if they tip or not, the boss still gets paid the same amount. It's the people at the bottom that suffer the most from not tipping." @maddi_w13 quipped, "Exactly like I understand maybe not tipping the same percentage for to-go orders, but when it's a 10+ item order and they want me to label each item with a different name, at least something would be nice." @walkerlifesky added, "Companies are just pitting us against each other instead of taking ownership to pay their employees a livable wage."