Ex-Fast Food Employee ‘Embarrassed’ by Tablet Asking for Tip Sparks Debate

A woman who said she previously worked in the fast food industry posted a now-viral video in which she shared her opinion about the prompt on tablets for customers to leave a tip.

Posted by TikTok user @pharbiebarbie on July 9, the video has since amassed more than 250,000 views.

She revealed in her video that she felt uncomfortable with the message on the establishment’s tablet that gave customers different options for what tip they’d like to leave.

Different services call for different tips.

In the food service industry, that amount may range, depending on what service someone receives, according to AARP.

“For a full-service, sit-down meal, 15 to 20 percent of the pretax bill is customary,” an article published by AARP said. “At a buffet, leave a 10 percent tip. Just picking up a sandwich or a decaf latte from the counter? Tip at least 10 percent.”

In her video, @pharbiebarbie revealed that she felt uneasy with the message that appeared during the transaction.

“As an ex fast food worker we get embarrassed when the tablet asks you to tip,” the text over @pharbiebarbie’s video read. “I worked frozen yogurt and had to ask for y’all to click it and if I told you to ignore it I would get yelled at.”

Her video sparked a conversation among viewers in the comments section, many of whom agreed with her.

“It’s always at the weirdest job too,” a viewer said. “Like all u did was put my cookies in a box why would I tip u 20 percent.”

TikToker @pharbiebarbie agreed with the sentiment and said that she noticed that most of the time, people would leave a tip.

“Like you put your yogurt in a cup I’m just the cash lady,” @pharbiebarbie said.

“[For real] I always flip the screen and look away [because I know] neither of us want to deal with that,” another viewer wrote.

“I never asked people if they wanted to round up their total,” one viewer commented. “Just hit clear every time.”

A viewer wrote that customers tend to be rude about the prompt, despite employees feeling uncomfortable with it themselves.

“We’re just doing our jobs,” they said. “No need to be rude or make fun of us.”

“I’m so happy our tablet thing doesn’t turn on the credit card reader and I don’t have to wait awkwardly to turn it back around,” wrote another.

“I just got confronted at my job for not making tips like boo maybe it’s [because] I spin an iPad around after charging $5 for a cupcake,” a viewer wrote.

One viewer, however, shared that they wanted to leave a tip for employees.

“Lol and I tip 20 percent every time,” they said.

Another said that although they tell the customer that they do not need to leave a tip, most of their customers will tip them.

Newsweek reached out to @pharbiebarbie for comment.

The conversation around tipping has been brought up in other viral internet posts.

A woman who went through a drive-thru said in a viral video that she believed tipping culture was “out of control” when she was asked to leave a tip at the payment window.

One person shared in a viral Reddit post that their trip to the pool turned out to be more expensive than anticipated after they were required to pay for each activity that also had a prompt to leave a tip.

Reddit users criticized a restaurant’s job posting that listed tips as a “benefit.”