Across the U.S., consumers are suffering severe tipping fatigue with the expectation of having to pay a gratuity of 20 to 25 percent on top of an already pricey bill.

Done with the constant nudging for more cash, a TikTok user says gratuities should only be provided for “exceptional service,” and offering a tip of his own to restaurant management, he proposed a new model where servers are fairly compensated.

Keep reading to learn more about his tip!

Griping over today’s tipping culture where subpar service is rewarded, a TikTok user who’s had enough of paying extra for someone to do their job, says that “tips are for cows and canoes.”

“It used to be you’d give a tip if somebody gave exceptional service. When was the last time you got exceptional service anywhere?” Dustin Anderson asks on his viral video, that’s reached the eyes of 3 million online users. “And it’s just expected. They bring you the bill at the end and they’re like, ‘Here, just fill this out’…No, you did your job.”

The pressure to tip is out of control.

Credit / Shutterstock.
Even when there’s no additional service provided – like grabbing a coffee, getting takeout or using the self-checkout at a store – customers are faced with a digital prompt to leave a tip for a service that’s already been paid.

According to a 2023 study by Forbes on digital tipping, one in three people feel pressured to tip while 72 percent say the quality of service determines how much they give.

The report reveals “tipping fatigue” triggers “a range of emotions,” or “negative feelings, such as pressure, discomfort and confusion…”

Expressing those negative feelings in his clip, Anderson continues, “They made food, you carried it to my table. You got me a Diet Coke, thank you. That was your job. You don’t get 25 percent because you did your job.”

Offended that Anderson said wait staff only walk food to a table, one online user writes, “As a former food service employee for nearly a decade I can attest that servers do MUCH more than carry food to a table…”

But Anderson insists “I’m not the bad guy here. I’m not,” and rallies behind more equitable compensation models.

Credit / Getty.
“If you own a restaurant, just tell me what it costs. I don’t want people to go hungry,” he says, adding a solution would be to increase the cost of products and provide that amount to the server. “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.”

Rather than adding 20 to 30 percent to his bill, Anderson suggests he would rather, in the time he’s being tended, cover the server’s wages, which as of November 2023 is about $15/hour nationally, according to Zip Recruiter. It’s unclear if the hourly salary includes tips or is the base amount.

His proposal could mean a far greater top off on a bill.

One netizen responds to his idea of covering the server’s wages instead of tipping: “Ok sir I need 35-40 an hour so that 18$ burger is now $32.” A second challenges his suggestion and says, “The cost would be as much as what you would pay with the tip. About 20% more. So just tip your server.”

Anderson declares, “So I’m not tipping anymore I’m done. I’m out.”

A cybernaut presents him with a dare: “Tell your server at the restaurant you’re not tipping when you get to the table and see what happens.”

Restaurant servers joined in on the conversation and shared feedback on Anderson’s refusal to tip.

“I don’t think anyone should comment on tipping a server unless they’ve worked in the service industry,” shares one, while another writes, “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.”

Meanwhile, a lot of netizens are championing the no tipping idea, expressing frustration over the high tipping expectations.

“Same, no more tipping. I don’t get tipped for being an ER nurse and saving ya life!! So yea, I’m done too,” writes one.

A second shares, “Why also it is based on bill total? If I order the $50 lobster or the $20 chicken they do the same work but we’re expected to tip twice as much.”

“Amen! Enough is enough. It’s time to hold greedy employers accountable,” a third person adds.

Someone else writes, “I am no longer tipping either. At this point, people might as well go ahead and tip their landlord.”

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