A former fast food worker has sparked a discussion about tipping after claiming she felt “embarrassed” when the cash register tablets asked customers how much they wanted to tip.
After a video posted to TikTok earlier this month, Allison, @pharbiebarbie, explained that she used to work the cash register at a frozen yogurt shop.
However, according to Allison, she was not a fan of the cash register tablets used in her workplace, as she embarrassingly found that they asked customers to tip. Checkout tablets or iPads have become more and more common in recent years, prompting many to share their annoyance with the prompts to add tips on the devices.
“As an ex-fast food worker, WE WILL BE DAMAGE IF THE TABLETS ASK YOU FOR FANS,” the TikToker wrote in the caption of the video. “I worked [at a] frozen yogurt [place] and had to ask all of you to click on it, and if I told you to ignore it, I would be scolded.”
In the comments, Allison added that she thought it was odd when a customer tipped her, since she worked at a self-serve yogurt shop.
“The funniest thing is that about 90 percent of the time people would tip,” she wrote. “Like YOU put your yogurt in a cup. I’m just the money lady.”
As of July 29, the video has been viewed more than 271,300 times, with TikTok users in the comments agreeing with Allison and arguing that customers shouldn’t leave a tip in some situations.
“Its always [at] also the weirdest job,” claimed one person. “All you did was put my cookies in a box. Why should I tip you 20 percent?’
“At this point I’m just reaching out and not pushing a tip,” wrote another. “Asking the elderly to use the system is a headache.”
A third person added, “I was JUST confronted at work for NOT tipping, maybe it’s because I’m spinning an iPad after paying $5 for a cupcake.”
Other people who claimed to have worked in fast food restaurants revealed that customers became angry when asked to tip.
“And people are so freaking mean about it,” one viewer wrote. “Believe me, we’re not happy about it either, we’re just doing our job. There’s no need to be rude or make fun of us.”
However, some viewers indicated that it is important to tip all fast food workers, even those who work at the register.
“Lol and I tip 20 percent every time,” wrote one person, while another said, “I always politely ask them to just click no tip to complete the transaction. Nine times out of 10 they tip anyway .”
This isn’t the first time a tipping culture debate has gone viral. Earlier this month, TikToker @aubreygracep, Aubrey, posted a video about the “uncomfortable pressure” to tip, imitating a barista asking a customer to tip via an iPad screen that comes with the check out was presented.
Commenting on the video, some viewers noted how inconvenient it is to “leave no tip”, while others argued that baristas rely on tips to “earn a living wage”.
According to etiquette expert Emily Post, the amount of tip depends on the type of service you get. For example, she recommends tipping servers between 15 and 20 percent of the bill, while the tip for delivery guys can be between 10 and 15 percent of the bill.