- A TikToker said a Ben & Jerry's worker was annoyed she didn't tip on a $2 cone.
- Commenters agreed she was right not to tip and said tipping culture had gotten "out of hand."
Fiery arguments and incessant discourse are fixtures of the internet, but there's at least one thing that most people online seem to agree on lately: Tipping culture has become untenable.
A TikTok creator recently went viral for a post in which she described an interaction last week at her local Ben & Jerry's. @Poorandhungry, who has 236,000 followers on TikTok, told her fans that an employee got annoyed at her for not tipping on a $2 cone.
@poorandhungry Those tip screens are OUT OF CONTROL #tip #tipping #cringe #customerservice ♬ original sound - $yd
In her video, which has been viewed over 1.5 million times, @poorandhungry said she didn't want ice cream, just a "fresh, warm" waffle cone, which cost $2. When she paid for the cone using her card, a digital tipping screen with various percentage tips automatically popped up, she said.
The TikToker didn't disclose the percentages but said they "were insane" for how little her cone cost.
"I'm not tipping you $1 on a $2 cone that you just handed me," she said. "I'm not."
When she didn't add a tip, she said, the employee made an exasperated hand-flick gesture. The TikToker said she was frustrated by the reaction and told viewers that type of response was on "no planet" appropriate.
"On top of that, Miss Girl, what were you expecting I tipped you to hand me a cone?" she asked rhetorically. "There wasn't even a service being exchanged."
She added: "It was a transaction. It wasn't even an act of service."
A mass of commenters backed the TikToker up, with some sharing their own anecdotes about situations where they were encouraged to tip for minor services.
"I had the tipping screen show up when I was at the pet store the other day. All she did was give me prices on the items I wanted," one person wrote.
"There was a tipping screen at one of those frozen yogurt places where you get everything yourself," another TikToker commented. "I did all the work! Tip for what?"
Many people said they're firm believers in tipping but only in specific circumstances, such as visits to restaurants, bars, and other venues where the worker provides personalized service.
"Tips are getting out of hand. Like baristas, waitresses, etc. makes sense," one viewer said. "But I've had it show up when I'm shopping ONLINE!? Like no.. not tipping."
@Poorandhungry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Her TikTok post is the latest in a slew of popular videos railing against modern tipping culture and the prevalence of tipping screens, which have been adopted by businesses of all sizes across the country over the past few years.
@jareenimam Tipping culture is getting insane with stores asking people to tip for self checkout @Jareen Imam #costoflivinggoingup #tippingcultureistoxic #moneyhistory #economy2023 #businesstrends2023 ♬ original sound - Jareen Imam
The TikTok creator @jareenimam recently made a video in which she said it felt like "emotional blackmail" after she bought a snack at New Jersey's Newark airport and was asked to tip at least 20% while using the self-checkout. Another TikToker amassed hundreds of thousands of views with a video in which she complained about being asked to tip at a Starbucks, a boba shop, and a Goodwill.
"Waiters, runners, cooks etc.. NOW they deserve a tip," the TikToker wrote in the description. "But pouring boba tea? Nope!"
The idea that tipping culture has gotten out of control has gone so viral that it's become something of a meme, with posters making parodies to highlight how ridiculous it's become. In one sketch, a man asked to pet a woman's cute dog, and after he did, its owner held up a tipping screen on her phone.