A Florida-based TikToker has claimed a restaurant refused to serve them after not tipping on their previous visit.
There has been a broad discussion on TikTok recently about whether you should always tip while eating out. Many people in the US especially rely on tips as their main source of income.
TikTok user Bueli Njheri (Buelistic) claimed in a recent video that she and her friends was denied service at a restaurant, in response to another clip that was published by another user who said: “No one is obligated to tip.”
The TikTok has since been viewed more than 600,000 times.
Bueli said this was “absolutely correct”, making the point that it is not a mandatory requirement to always leave a tip.
The Tiktoker is also a tattoo artist and stressed that she encourages her clients to tip when they can, but it is not something that should be forced upon them.
In the video, she said: “So yesterday I went to a restaurant with someone I like, and this time we decided to turn the duo into a three and invite one of our friends,” she said.
“When we sat down at the table, none of the servers showed up and one of the managers came and told us they didn’t want to serve us anymore.”
Bueli continued by saying that not everyone can afford to give the waiters a tip and this should not prevent individuals from being served in the future.
The video sparked a huge debate in the comments section, illustrating the division between the two points of view.
One user wrote: “I tip based SOLELY on service. I don’t tip just because I’m ‘supposed to’ I don’t go the percentages suggested if I get amazing service. I overtip,”
However, another individual disagreed with this and said: “My mom always says don’t go out to eat if you can’t afford to tip."
Another person commented: "Tipping is not what it use to be back when I was a kid. You would tip only if service was A+ then companies saw this as away for the public to pay 1/2."
"Servers should not need to rely on tips, but the reality is establishments incorporate it into their pay..." another said.
Another said: "[It's] not on us as the customers to get dogged out because their employers don't pay them a proper wage," to which Bueli responded: "I hear you! I’m hearing you! Let’s tackle the REAL issue."
