tipping culture

Justice started with food and dining spots that would not be receiving an extra sum.

"I’m not tipping at the drive-thru. I’m not tipping for fro-yo. I’m not tipping for Auntie Anne’s. Yes, they ask for tips there now, and I’m not tipping on to-go orders,” she said in the clip.

This is probably the one that had the least amount of controversy, as a lot of these require more effort from the customer than the worker. As one commenter put it, “ Tipping for fro-yo I made myself is CRAZY.”

However, one person argued that “a lot of full service restaurants have a ‘to-go specialists’ to pack up orders and they make the same tipped employee wage as servers (so like $5/hr) so plz consider leaving them at least 10%.”

Next up on Justice’s list: “Anyone who sets their own prices.”

“I will absolutely not be tipping you. The whole point of tipping a service professional is that you’re paying the business like double or triple what the employee is actually making during that service. So if you’re both the business and the servicing employee, why would I pay more on top of that, if you’re going to obtain the full 100% of what I pay? Doesn’t make any sense,” she said.

This mainly included beauty service professionals, which many folks came in to defend.

One person countered, “Yes they are getting 100% but if they are they're most likely paying for color, booth rent, foils, etc.”

Another echoed “I think tipping when it comes to services, like nails, lashes, etc is a good thing to do bc it’s complimenting their service and helps keep them in business to buy all the extra things to make it, wow✨.”

Still, one hairstylist came in to say, “Tips are appreciated but never expected. A lot of people save up for a hair appointment and it’s OK not to tip.”

Lastly, Justice said she would not be tipping medical professionals, explaining that “If you need a medical qualification or license in order to administer the service to me, I’m not giving you a tip because it’s against the code of ethics to accept tips for these types of procedures.”

One person seems to have a similar souring experience, saying, “My Botox DOCTOR, yes she has a PhD, asked for a tip. For medical Botox. At a doctor’s office.”

@antidietpilot

I said what i said

♬ original sound - Justice

All in all, while not everyone could get fully onboard with Justice's personal approach to tipping, everyone could agree that something needed to be done. Many even contributed their own opinions on who should and shouldn’t be tipped.

“Waitstaff, nail techs, and tattoo artists always get a good tip. Anyone else is totally optional to me,” one person wrote.

The changes to tipping culture, while obviously triggering, are only a symptom of larger issues with inflation, unlivable wages and technology moving faster than society can keep up. In some ways, fixating on this smaller, albeit annoying problem pits individuals against one another when the situation calls for more nuance. We miss getting the chance to discuss how our world is beginning to feel like a minefield of scams constantly trying to drain our bank accounts…all because we don’t feel that we should have to tip our barista that extra $1.

In reality, they probably should get it for a job well done. But it’s also true that they should be paid more. It’s probably also true that you should be paid more as well. It’s the system—and the kinds of people it turns us into—that we should be criticizing.