Restaurant customer sparks fury with his rules for tipping

A Michigan man has revealed his “new rule” about tipping when he eats out.

Robert Calver of Grand Rapids posted a video on TikTok of herself eating a cheeseburger and fries at a restaurant on May 21.

Calver, whose TikTok account is @robert_calver, wrote that he will no longer tip at restaurants where he orders a meal while standing.

The Michigan man received nearly 2,000 responses, most of which supported his position.

Calver’s ‘new rule’ comes just three months later CouponBirds published a survey in which 76.1 percent of Americans thought “the tipping culture has gone too far.”

Calver did not reveal which restaurant he was in, but he did appear to be enjoying his hamburger, fries and soft drink while standing.

He did not say how much money he spent on his meal or whether he tipped his employees before or after his meal.

However, his new rule is not unusual for Americans due to recent surveys and online conversations about tipping culture in the US.

Data collected from 2,000 Americans who participated in a Talker Research survey found that 26 percent of participants felt that they are “always or often forced to tip more than they would like.”

However, Pew Research Center Research conducted last year found that only seven percent of Americans leave a tip at a restaurant with no service.

That study also found that the top three things that participants in the Pew Research Center survey tipped the most about were restaurants having servers, haircuts and getting food through a food delivery app.

The rise in popularity of tipping culture and the unhappiness it brings has escalated – and many Americans have taken to social media to express their opinions.

Calver’s new rule comes after growing outrage over tipping culture in the US among Americans who participated in surveys and other TikTokers

A 23-year-old entrepreneur named Christian Bonnier was among the TikTokers who shared his contempt towards a tilt culture in December 2023.

According to Bonnier, he was forced to leave a tip after purchasing a pumpkin spice latte at a coffee shop in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida.

‘The woman turned the screen to me and instead of clicking what percentage you wanted. It just said service charge,” he said.

‘Don’t get me wrong: I like to tip for a delicious three-course meal with good service, but I usually don’t tip for a cup of coffee.’

Los Angeles-based blogger Minna Lee also discussed her thoughts on passing on culture a TikTok video she posted on January 10, 2023.

Lee, a New York native, wrote in her video description that she will “tip well for service,” but that a tablet won’t give her “peer pressure.”

“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,” she said.

‘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’s a suggestion of a 20% wait for me. ‘

TikTokers who commented on Calver’s video shared their own stories of tipping at fast-food restaurants, and one person even wrote that it stopped him from going to a diner.

“I stopped going to my favorite burger joint when they spun the iPad and my options were 20 percent, 25 percent, and 30 percent,” the TikToker wrote.

A few commenters claiming to be restaurant servers understood the anger but admitted they would appreciate tips.

‘I understand this. “I’m a waitress and never expect a tip for takeout, but when I’m running back and forth grabbing stuff and making sure everything is okay, a tip would be nice,” one commenter wrote.

Unfortunately, the culture of tipping in restaurants has also made its way into drive-thrus.

A Reddit user known as @livebliss claimed they were asked to give tips at a drive-thru in three different places.

“That person spent a total of 30 seconds ‘serving’ (doing the job he or she is paid to do) and I’m expected to tip 15 to 20 percent? I really don’t understand,” the Reddit user wrote.

“Every time I don’t tip and drive away saying ‘have a nice day!’, they slam the window and roll their eyes. But every time I tip, I always get a “have a nice day!” back in response.