Woman vows against 'unnecessary tipping' after being 'peer pressured' to leave tip at self-checkout

Tipping as a topic has always been contentious in American society. According to a report by Bankrate, two-thirds of Americans view tipping in a negative light. The mechanics of it seem exploitative for every party except the "bosses" who actually own the establishment. Developments like digital payment platforms that encourage tipping and the spread of mandatory service charges have been confusing to customers. In such scenarios, not only is there no incentive to give good service, but the power is also being snatched from the customers. Minna Lee—who goes by @livingminnaly on TikTok—vented her frustration about these unfair tipping practices. She posted the video because she wanted to keep it as a reminder for her "people-pleasing" self not to get exploited.

Lee captioned the video with a resolution, "Tipping culture in 2024 - I will always pay well and tip well for service, but I'm not getting peer pressured by a tablet anymore in situations that don't call for it." She explained in the video that her anger is not directed against the workers who actually provide her with good service but towards manipulative tactics employed by establishments to empty her pockets. They are playing on the consumer's conscience and empathy to fulfill their greed. She is not going to hold back on tips for people serving her in places like restaurants because she understands that they are in the same boat as her. "In this country, we have a triple down effect problem, where businesses are not taking care of their employees appropriately," she said. "The burden then falls on the consumer to support those employees' wages, which is not okay."

This decision from Lee has come after being pushed to the breaking point by the bizarre new updates in the tipping culture. "I now walk into a retail store and get a greeting card, like pick one out myself," she explained. "Go up to the register and check out and there is a 20% suggestion waiting for me." In this case, she has done all the work. Nobody has given her any assistance or service. Therefore, in her mind, it doesn't make sense to pay anyone for their "help." It is daylight robbery in the name of an age-old custom. Lee considers this outrageous and does not want to fall prey to it anymore. She concludes with a note to her future self, "In 2024, I am no longer unnecessarily tipping...We will be strong in 2024."

The comments section shared her concerns. @hannahvbrown commented how sometimes people are not even tipping the workers, "I booked a hotel room online and it asks for a tip. Like, who am I tipping?? A website?? It's insane." @dovemakes wrote how tipping is no longer related to the quality of service, "The way I've been asked to tip concert merch tables. I'm not tipping you 10-20% for reaching behind you to grab an overpriced t-shirt." @kingpin_hc commented how business owners who decide on their profit margins should not be asking for tips, "I also (timidly speaking) feel like tipping people who set their own prices like stylists and tattoo artists fall under nonmandatory."