An influencer has sparked a massive debate on TikTok over “wild” tipping culture. She claims it’s why she chooses the ‘no tip’ option easily. Her followers don’t seem to think she’s way off about the option, but the jury’s still out in the comments.
@ivymarieplay's video went viral on TikTok after she discussed her approach to tipping at service establishments. The content creator said she wasn’t proud of it but was “man enough” to admit choosing the ‘no tip’ option at establishments.
She said the workers at certain establishments had not done enough to earn a tip. She recalled an instance during which she had no problem picking that option on a screen.
Apparently, when she approached the individual, they had a rather blank expression. She said, “When I walked up to the counter, you just stared at me—so then I had to be the one to start a conversation with you.”
@ivymarieplay Tipping culture is WILD. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but if the most personal part of our interaction is you rotating an iPad toward me, I’m not tipping. Existing near the cash register is not a service?
♬ original sound - ivymarieplay
With that in mind, she highlighted the gravity of social skills and wondered what led to a lack of social interaction. She also raised concerns about AI displacing workers, saying that if human employees could not engage basic social skills, perhaps AI should do the job instead.
Her reasoning for it was that at least a robot would engage in exchanging pleasantries or a brief conversation. She further stated that if a human couldn’t maintain eye contact or a formal conversation, then AI might as well do the same job but with an automated response.
Lastly, the woman asked those in the service industry to “do better.” In the caption of the viral video, she specifically noted, “Tipping culture is wild.” She also acknowledged that it might be an unpopular opinion, but if her only interaction at an establishment was through an iPad, she wouldn’t tip.
The ‘Wild’ Tipping Culture Sparked Immense Traction and Debate…
The video had nearly 830,000 views on TikTok as of publication. The majority of people in the comments agreed with the influencer’s statement and expressed their thoughts accordingly.
Many people resonated with her comments about tipping culture possibly going too far. They responded with remarks saying, “You pushed 8 buttons to take my order; that doesn’t deserve a tip.”
Another commented on the guilt, saying, “It’s MY money, and I don’t feel guilty about it.” It wasn’t just customers who resonated with the influencer. Even servers from the industry agreed with her comments.
One such individual claiming to be a server said, “Unless you actually wait on me, provide a service for me, and provide a good experience, then no, I will not be tipping either.” They added, “It’s gotten out of control…”
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the specific interactions described in the video. The details above reflect the account shared by @ivymarieplay on TikTok.
