A server said that people who can’t afford to tip 20% ‘don’t deserve to eat out.
A server who goes by @mylasoasis_ on TikTok has expressed strong and somewhat controversial opinions regarding diners' tipping etiquette.
Tipping customs differ between the US and the UK
While tipping customs vary significantly between countries, in the US, tipping is not just a custom but a necessity.
Conversely, in the UK, restaurant staff receive a relatively decent wage, making tipping non-compulsory. However, as detailed by @mylasoasis_, she earns a meager and somewhat startling $3.63 per hour.
The servers make a living for the day through their salary and tips
So, servers are supposed to give tips to make a living for the day. This is a reason why she has taken to airing out her frustrations online.
Lillie said in the video:
Eating out is a privilege, not a right. If you cannot afford to tip 20%, you can’t afford to eat out.
She went on to discuss the tipping culture in the United States:
You can b*tch and moan and tell me that my employer should be paying me a higher wage all you want, but this is America, and that’s not what is happening, OK? I get paid $3.63 from the restaurant that I work at. My earnings, my wage, come from tips.
She pointed out that menu prices are deliberately kept lower because it's expected that diners will provide tips:
The food is cheaper because you’re expected to tip on it. You don’t deserve to eat out if you cannot afford to tip. Like, it’s the same thing with a nanny. If you can’t afford to pay somebody else's entire salary, you don’t deserve a nanny. If you can’t afford to tip, you literally don’t deserve to eat out. Order to-go or go to f*cking McDonald’s.
Responses to her video have varied widely.
Below the video, a number of people criticized the servers, while others advised her to find a new job if she couldn't afford to continue doing it
One person said: Except the owners should be paying you, not the people buying the food. If you can’t afford to continue doing that as a job, it's time to find a better-paying one instead of attacking the customers. Good luck trying to get tips after all of this.
A second comment: The problem is the restaurant system; every single worker should be compensated fairly and not depend on tips; that’s how other countries work. I blame the system. It looks like it’s time to correct it.
A third wrote: Tipping means you did well; it’s the same as a golden medal.
Someone else said: If people continue this tipping practice in North America, their restaurant owners will never pay their employees a fair wage. Tipping has to stop so that new income data can come in, forcing these people to start doing fair business.
Another said, Want a tip? Do your job well, be polite, appreciate the tips when they come, and don’t automatically assume you deserve them.
Well, the problem is the reliability of tips and making the assumption that everyone is going to tip. They’ve tried their best to make it normal. Someone added.
Another continued: Don't blame the customer. Blame the system. In many other developed countries, hospitality workers earn a fair minimum wage, and patrons don't need to tip.
