A restaurant server just set the internet on fire with a TikTok about what happens when diners opt out of tipping. Her proposal: add automatic gratuity to every check, and if you want it taken off, you have to say so before the meal starts. Opt out, and the extras disappear. No water refills, no replacement forks, and no allergy notes to the kitchen, which she called a paid service. The July 3 video pulled 572,000 views and 77,900 likes, per the Daily Dot.
The comment section did not clap. Hundreds of people argued that good service is simply part of the job, and that punishing customers for opting out of a system nobody chose just makes them want to tip even less. Others pointed out that safely communicating an allergy isn’t a perk, it’s a basic safety standard.
To be clear, the tipping system is messy and a lot of people are over screens asking for 25 percent at the self-checkout. But her version asks diners to negotiate for hospitality before they even order, and that’s where most people draw the line.
We want to hear it. What’s one thing that should never be optional at a restaurant, no matter what you tip?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.