A Michigan man has revealed his “new rule” about tipping when eating out.
Robert Calver of Grand Rapids published a video on TikTok of himself eating a cheeseburger and fries at a restaurant on May 21.
Calver, whose TikTok username is @robert_calver, wrote that he will no longer tip at restaurants where he orders food while standing.
The Michigan man received nearly 2,000 comments, most of them supporting his stance.
Calver’s ‘new rule’ comes just three months later CouponBirds released a survey in which 76.1 percent of Americans believed that “tipping culture has gone too far.”
Robert Calver of Grand Rapids, Michigan, posted a video on TikTok on May 21 and wrote that his new rule is not to tip at a restaurant where you order while standing.
Calver did not hint at which restaurant he was at, but appeared to be enjoying his burger, fries and soda while standing.
He did not say how much money he spent on his food, or whether he tipped employees before or after receiving his food.
However, their new rule is not uncommon for Americans due to recent studies and online conversations about tipping culture in America.
Data collected from 2,000 Americans who participated in a Talker Research survey showed that 26 percent of participants felt they “always or often are forced to tip more than they would like.”
However, Pew Research Center A study last year showed that only seven percent of Americans tip at a restaurant where there is no service.
That study also indicated that the top three things that Pew Research Center study participants tip most about are restaurants with waiters, haircuts and food delivery through a food delivery app.
The rise in popularity of tipping culture and the unhappiness it creates has increased, and many Americans have taken to social media to express their opinions.
Calver’s new rule comes after growing outrage over tipping culture in the US from Americans who have participated in studios and other TikTokers.
A 23-year-old entrepreneur named Christian Bonnier was one of the TikTokers who shared his disdain Towards a change of culture in December 2023.
According to Bonnier, he was forced to tip after purchasing a pumpkin spice latte at a coffee shop in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida.
‘The woman turned the screen towards me and instead clicked on what percentage you want. She just said service charge,’ she said.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be happy to tip for a great three-course meal with good service, but for a cup of coffee, I usually don’t tip.”
Los Angeles-based blogger Minna Lee also discussed her thoughts on tipping culture in a tiktok video published on January 10, 2023.
Lee, a New York native, wrote in her video description that she will “tip well for service,” but that a tablet won’t put her “under pressure from her peers.”
“Before you start thinking I’m cheap or something, for the service I will definitely pay 20% to 25% for everything: restaurants, coffee, beauty services, haircuts and things like that,” she said.
“But the tablet tipping culture has gotten so out of control to the point that now I walk into a retail store and get a greeting card, pick one myself, go to the register and pay, and there’s a 20% suggestion waiting for me.’
TikTokers who commented on Calver’s video told their own stories about tipping at fast food restaurants, and one person even wrote that they stopped going to a restaurant because of it.
“I stopped going to my favorite burger place when they flipped the iPad and my options were 20 percent, 25 percent, and 30 percent,” the TikToker wrote.
Some commenters who claimed to be restaurant servers understood the fury, but admitted they would appreciate tips.
‘I understand this. “I’m a waitress and I never expect a tip for takeout, but when I’m running around grabbing things and making sure everything is okay, a tip would be nice,” one commenter wrote.
Unfortunately, the tipping culture in restaurants has also spread to drive-thrus.
A Reddit user known as @livebliss claimed he was asked to tip at a drive-thru at three different locations.
‘That person spent a total of 30 seconds “serving” (doing the job they’re paid to do) and I’m expected to tip them 15 to 20 percent? Seriously, I don’t understand,” the Reddit user wrote.
‘Whenever I don’t tip and I walk away saying “have a nice day!”, they slam the window and roll their eyes. But every time I tip, I always get a “have a nice day!” back in response.