Restaurant customer sparks fury with his rules for tipping

Release time：2024-05-29 08:01:20 Source：International Inklings news portal

A man from Michigan has revealed his 'new rule' about tipping when he eats out. 

Robert Calver of Grand Rapids posted a video to TikTok of himself eating a cheeseburger and fries in a restaurant on May 21. 

Calver, whose TikTok handle is @robert_calver, wrote that he will no longer be tipping at restaurants where he orders a meal while standing up.

The Michigan man received nearly 2,000 comments, most of them supportive of his stance.

Calver's 'new rule' comes just three months after CouponBirds published a survey where 76.1 percent of Americans believed 'tipping culture has gone too far.'

Robert Calver of Grand Rapids, Michigan posted a TikTok video on May 21 and wrote that his new rule is not tipping at a restaurant where he places an order while standing up

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Calver did not hint at what restaurant he was in, but he did appear to be enjoying his burger, fries and soda while standing up.

He didn't say how much money he spent on his meal, or if he tipped employees before or after he received his meal.

However, his new rule is not uncommon for Americans due to recent studies and online conversations about tipping culture in the US.

@robert_calver

Tipping is getting outta control

♬ Bbl Drizzy - TokenAngel

Data collected from 2,000 Americans who participated in a Talker Research survey showed that 26 percent of participants felt that they are 'always or often forced to tip more than they would like.'

However, Pew Research Center study conducted last year showed that only seven  percent of Americans leave a tip at a restaurant where there is no service.

That study also indicated that the top three things on which Pew Research Center study participants tip the most are restaurants with servers, haircuts, and getting food from a food delivery app.

The popularity increase of tipping culture and the unhappiness it's brought has escalated - and many Americans have taken to social media to voice their opinions.

Calver's new rule comes after the increase in outrage over tipping culture in the US from Americans who've participated in studies and other TikTokers

A 23-year-old entrepreneur named Christian Bonnier was one of the TikTokers who shared his disdain toward tipping culture in December 2023.

According to Bonnier, he was forced to give a tip after he bought a pumpkin spice latte at a coffee shop in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida.

'The woman flipped the screen around to me and instead of clicking what percentage you want. It just said service charge,' he said.

'Don't get me wrong, I'll be happy to tip on a great three-course meal with good service but for a cup of coffee, I typically don't tip.' 

Los Angeles based blogger Minna Lee also discussed her opinions on tipping culture in a TikTok video she posted on January 10, 2023.

A New York native, Lee wrote in her video description that she will 'tip well for service' but that she will not get 'peer pressured' by a tablet.

'Before you start thinking I'm stingy or something, for service I will definitely pay 20% to 25% on all of it - restaurants, coffee, beauty services, haircuts and things like that,' she said.

'But the tablet tipping culture has gotten so out of control to the point where I now walk into a retail store and get a greetings card, pick one out myself, go up to the register and check out, and there is a 20% suggestion waiting for me.'

TikTokers who commented on Calver's video told their own stories about tipping in fast food restaurants and one person even wrote that he stopped going to one eateries because of it.

'I stopped going to my favorite burger spot when they spun the iPad around and my options were 20 percent, 25 percent, and 30 percent,' the TikToker wrote. 

A few commenters who claimed to be restaurant servers understood the fury but admitted that they would appreciate tips. 

'I understand this. I’m a waitress and never expect a tip for takeout, but when I’m running back and forth grabbing stuff and making sure everything’s okay, a tip would be nice,' a commenter wrote.

Unfortunately, restaurant tipping culture has also found its way into drive-thrus.

A Reddit user known as @livebliss claimed they were asked to give tips at a drive-thru in three different places.

'That person spent a total of 30 seconds "serving" (doing their job that they're paid for) and I'm expected to tip 15 to 20 percent? I seriously don't understand,' the Reddit user wrote. 

'Whenever I don't tip and I drive away saying "have a nice day!," they slam the window shut and roll their eyes. But whenever I do tip, I always get a "have a nice day!" back in response.

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