A server reveals why diners leave their checks face-down at restaurants, explaining the surprising reasons behind this common habit.
A recent TikTok video has brought attention to a common practice in restaurants: leaving the check face-down.
A server named Saydie, known on TikTok as @realslimsaydie, shared her thoughts on this behavior.
Her video quickly gained popularity, with over 1.2 million views, as many people could relate to the experience.
“Anyone else gets so scared when the check is face-down?” she captioned the viral TikTok video.
Server explains true reason behind diners leaving their checks face-down
She then explained: “They left the tip slip face down. You know what that means …
“Let’s see if I’m right. I haven’t looked at it yet.”
In her video, Saydie explains what it typically means when diners leave their checks face-down on the table.
According to her, it often indicates that the customers are nervous about how much to tip.
She humorously counts down before flipping the check over to see the gratuity left for her.
On one occasion, the tip was $15 on a $93 bill, which she described as “not the worst, not the best.”
This implies that many customers who leave their checks face-down might not leave a generous tip.
This behavior has garnered mixed reactions from both servers and diners.
Some servers feel anxious when they see checks left in this manner, as it often suggests disappointment in the service provided.
As someone who works in healthcare complaining about a tip is insane to me, one user said.
I swear servers don’t be satisfied unless they get the entire bill amount as a tip, the second user wrote.
It’s even scarier when they sign and dip in seconds like every time I know it’s gonna hurt, the third user said.
Tipping is weird because the total is irrelevant because imagine they ordered a 100$ bottle of wine, plus food, why should they suddenly tip more just because they spent more? For no extra effort? Another user wrote.
I will NEVER eat at a restaurant in America. Tipping is so ridiculous, someone asserted.
@realslimsaydie
Many Americans feel overwhelmed by today’s tipping culture.
The topic of tipping has become increasingly important in recent years.
Many Americans feel overwhelmed by the pressure to tip, often referred to as “tipflation.”
A survey by Bankrate found that nearly three out of five adults harbor negative feelings about tipping.
This issue tends to worsen with age, as older generations express more frustration over rising expectations to tip.
Ted Rossman, a senior analyst at Bankrate, said older Americans often face “sticker shock” from rising tipping costs.
“Older Americans seem to have the most sticker shock about the rising cost of tipping, yet they’re still much more frequent tippers than Gen Zers and millennials,” he said.
Despite their frustrations, they still tend to tip more frequently than younger generations.
For example, only 35% of Gen Z diners always leave a tip, compared to 86% of baby boomers.
Factors influencing tipping behavior
Many factors influence how much a person tips.
According to the same Bankrate survey, 64% of respondents said that the quality of service was the most significant factor in their tipping decision.
Only a small percentage, about 10%, reported tipping the same amount regardless of service quality.
This indicates that diners are attentive to their dining experience and often adjust their tips based on how they feel they were treated.
Saydie’s video reflects a broader trend where diners are becoming more cautious about how much they tip.
With rising costs in many aspects of life, including dining out, some customers are looking for reasons to tip less.
This shift can create challenges for servers who rely on tips as a significant part of their income.
Strategies to encourage tipping
Some servers have shared creative strategies to improve their tips.
For instance, female servers have reported that adopting certain appearances, such as wearing their hair down, using makeup, or even changing their accents, can lead to better tips.
These strategies highlight the lengths to which some workers feel they must go to secure a good gratuity.
Additionally, some customers have been known to play tricks to avoid tipping.
A waitress shared that some diners will ask for a service charge to be removed and then pay in cash, claiming they don’t have enough left for a tip.
This behavior can be frustrating for servers who work hard to provide excellent service.