A man has taken to social media to share the reason why he is no longer tipping.
Tipping culture has always been a big discussion in the US – with many servers and hospitality workers across the country relying on tips in order to get by. In fact, in a few rare cases, workers can earn huge money just from the tips they receive from customers.
According to Restaurant Business Online, 98% of customers at full-service restaurants leave a tip – with the average national tip now coming in at 19.7%. On top of that, the average person in the US is now asked to tip up to five times each week, meaning there’s a lot of hands going in pockets.
However, one man has now taken to TikTok to declare that he is “done” with tipping.
Dustin Anderson (@therealdustinanderson) has shared a now-viral video in which he states: “So, I’m not tipping anymore – I’m done, I’m out.” Check out his full video below:
He continues: “It used to be you give a tip if somebody gave exceptional service. When’s the last time you’ve had exceptional service? …It’s just expected. They bring you a bill at the end and they’re like, ‘Here, just fill this out, ‘20 percent, 25 percent’ like, no, you did your job!
“They made food and you carried it to my table. You got me a Diet Coke, thank you. That’s doing your job. You don’t get 25 percent because you did your job.”
“And I’m not the bad guy here. I’m not,” Dustin added. “If you own a restaurant, just tell me what it costs. I don’t want people to go hungry. What does it cost for me to get my food and also so that the waitstaff doesn’t have to join the cartel, do some Lord of the Flies, Oliver Twist stuff? I want people to be taken care of. Just tell me what it costs.”
Viewers were divided over Dustin’s comments. Credit: Robert Alexander/Getty
Despite tipping being so ingrained in US culture, many viewers agreed with Dustin and vowed to also stop tipping, with one person commenting: “You are so right? I order carryout at Pizza Hut and the options start at 18%. I drove there went in picked up. What am I tipping for?”
“Same, no more tipping. I don’t get tipped for being an ER nurse and saving ya life!! So [yeah], I’m done too,” a second added.
Another person called for higher wages, arguing: “We need to turn to the European model. Pay for work, no tipping involved.”
And a fourth commented: “Amen! Enough is enough. It’s time to hold greedy employers accountable.”
However, considering just how low the minimum wage is for some servers, there were many viewers who argued in favor of tipping. “People forget that waiters, waitresses, and bus staff do not even receive minimum wages,” one person commented.
Another person in favor of tipping simply told Dustin: “Don’t eat out then.”
One server even pleaded: “I get it but I’m a server and I make $3.13 hr and it sucks that now tipping is everywhere you go. It’s ruining it for the servers.”
So, what is the solution here? Is it time for restaurants to do away with tipping and mandatory service fees in favor of actually paying their staff a livable wage? Or is the US so used to tipping that it is only destined to continue? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.