Woman slams ‘unnecessary’ tipping culture after feeling ‘pressured by a machine’ to leave a gratuity at a self-checkout

A disgruntled customer has pledged to stop ‘unnecessary tipping’ by 2024 after feeling ‘pressured’ to leave a tip at a self-checkout.

Minna Lee, a New York-based blogger currently living in LA, took to TikTok to hold herself “accountable” and share her thoughts on the topic of when to tip.

The video was posted under her handle @livingminnaly has already been seen by over 470,000 people and is captioned: ‘Tipping culture in 2024 – I will always pay well and tip well for service, but I will no longer be pressured by a tablet in situations where it is not necessary. ‘.

She told her 21,000 followers: ‘I am putting this on the market now so that I remain accountable for it, but in 2024 I will no longer tip unnecessarily.

‘Before you think I’m stingy or something, for service I pay at least 20% to 25% for everything – restaurants, coffee, beauty treatments, haircuts and things like that.

‘But the culture of tablet tipping has gotten so out of hand that I now walk into a store and get a greeting card, pick one out myself, go to the checkout and pay, and there is a suggestion of a 20% wait for me’ .

Minna recalled that she had even heard of tablets asking for tips at “self-serve yogurt stations.”

She reasoned, “Of course, we also have a trickle-down effect problem in this country, where companies are not taking care of their employees properly.

“So then the burden falls on the consumer to support those workers’ wages, which is not okay.”

“So like I said, in the case of service jobs, I like to tip for making my coffee and things like that.”

The places she’ll be thinking about include: “stores where no one really helps you, any retail business, not just clothes and stuff.”

She adds that she has seen it happen at retailers such as alcohol stores, farmers market stalls and individual stalls.

She announced to her 21,000 followers: ‘I am putting this on the market now so that I remain accountable for this, but in 2024 I will no longer tip unnecessarily’

From now on, she will not tip in situations where she did not receive much, or did not receive any service, and the 20% tip would amount to 20% of the cost of the goods.

“I tell myself I want to make people happy – because every time that tablet is pointed at me, I get so much pressure – we will be strong in 2024,” she said.

Viewers flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts on the debate, with many Americans sharing the same views as the TikToker.

One user wrote: ‘I booked a hotel room ONLINE and am asked for a tip. Like who do I tip?? A website?? It’s insane’.

A second added: ‘My dermatologist has a tip screen. I’m beyond baffled as to who that is for.’

Another agreed: “I only tip for deliveries, beauty treatments and mealtime dining. I will not do it!’

Someone who works in the service industry said, “I make $10 an hour at a coffee shop. I make about 8-10 extra per hour in tips.

“We certainly did our best to earn that, but I would prefer a base salary of 20+ hours without tips, but that’s wishful thinking.”

However, someone else wondered: “The way I’ve been asked to tip concert merch tables. I’m not giving you a 10-20% tip for reaching behind you to grab an overpriced T-shirt?’

Another added: ‘Honestly, I also think tipping in the hair industry, especially for self-employed people, has gotten out of hand. They set their prices’.

It comes after a report last year found that two-thirds of Americans have a negative view of tipping and are becoming increasingly “stingier” with tips on a range of daily services.

A Bankrate survey of 2,500 people found that consumers are tipping less across the board for dining out, taxis, food delivery, haircuts and their daily coffee.

About 30 percent of people said they thought the tipping culture had gotten out of hand, as tipping requests flowed from bars and restaurants to stores, takeaway chains and even self-service machines.

Just last week, another American caused a stir on TikTok by sharing a list of “people she won’t tip in 2024” – including providers of cosmetic procedures and beauty services, as well as food pick-up services.

The video sparked further discussion as she announced that she also thinks “the tipping culture has gotten out of hand.”