Featured Image Credit: TikTok/ @marthotties
Topics: Life, TikTok, Food and Drink
Amelia Jones
A service industry worker's video has gone viral on TikTok and sparked debate, as she explained how she confronts diners who don't tip
The outspoken server's post advises how those working in the service industry should deal with cheap customers - but not everyone agrees with her.
The video was posted back in December by Kat Busch, a bottle service girl and server, who has worked in the service industry for four years and has since amassed nearly 61k views.
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She opens the video by saying: “Zero dollar tip? No problem.”
The server then claims that this no-tip scenario has only happened to her 'a handful of times'.
She shares her advice on how to deal with the situation to get the most return.
She advises her followers to walk up to whoever paid and, 'in front of everyone', politely speak to them about the situation.
“Hi sir/ma’am, I see you didn’t leave a tip. Is there anything I could improve on with the service that you feel like you could share with me,” said Busch, roleplaying the scenario.
According to the server, most customers will come up with an excuse as to why they didn’t leave a tip and will give one when prompted.
Worst-case scenario? She explains that a customer can clap back with a verbal tip as to how you could improve your service, but this means you can 'make more money in the long run'.
The server also suggests that if the bill is extremely high, you should explain the situation to your manager and see if they could comp something off the tab so you 'don’t have to tip out in the negative'.
She concludes that nugget advice by saying: “Short story is, confront them."
In the same video, she then clarifies that her hack is for sit-down restaurants and bottle service - but not for bartenders, who should just take their time serving the non-tipper the next time around.
Busch added a disclaimer in the comments at a later date, clarifying that servers do this at their own risk and urging servers to improve so that it doesn't happen. She confesses: "Sometimes it’s not worth it for a low tab.”
Busch’s viral video, of course, sparked a heated debate among her followers.
In fact, last month, another user recorded a reaction video next to the original and warned users not to follow her advice.
The TikToker, Jesse Rowland, said he too was a server but urged his followers to let their manager deal with these situations, as aggressive action could get the worker fired.
Many followers agreed with Jesse. One said: “I would get in SO much trouble if I did this.”
Others agreed: “My job fires everyone that does this.”
“Someone I worked with did this and the server and the couple got in a huge fight. The server ended up getting fired,” stated a third.
Others argued that your level of service is, in fact, irrelevant: “Some people just don’t tip no matter how good your service was.”
Others, meanwhile, agreed with Busch.
One TikTok commenter said: “We do this at my job and my boss is 100% fine with it! Will never work at a corporate place again they don’t treat their servers as humans.
“Servers should be allowed to do this! I would have loved to embarrass a lot of people when I used to serve,” chimed in a second.
A third admitted: “I love doing this and seeing people get so flustered."