Server Says People Who Can’t Afford To Tip 20% ‘Don’t Deserve To Eat Out’

In the clip, she calls out restaurant customers who spend money on meals at full-service, sit-down restaurants but balk at the idea of leaving tips for the staff. The video has received over 10,000 views.

A server has sparked a debate by criticizing customers who are willing to spend money at full-service restaurants but are not inclined to leave tips for the staff.

TikTok / @mylaoasis_

In today's digital age, it's nearly impossible to browse through various social media platforms without encountering discussions about the significance of tipping in the United States.

The optional practice of tipping has sparked intense debate lately.

Online, numerous people have voiced frustration over the expectation that a standard tip should be 15-20%, with anything less than 20% frequently seen as a "bad" tip.

In today's episode, a restaurant worker named Lillie, who is known as @mylasoasis_ on the platform, made a strong statement that if you can't afford to tip your server, you shouldn't be going out to eat.

Starting her video, Lillie addresses the camera directly, saying:

TikTok / @mylaoasis_

"Eating out is a privilege, not a right. If you cannot afford to tip 20%, you can’t afford to eat out."  

The TikToker spoke about the ongoing discussion about how servers are paid in the country.

Some people think that servers should be paid in a different way, but she pointed out that this isn't the situation for her and more than 1.6 million other servers across the country.

"You can b**ch and moan and tell me that my employer should be paying me a higher wage all you want, but this is America, and that’s not what is happening, OK?" she explained.

"I get paid $3.63 from the restaurant that I work at."

TikTok / @mylaoasis_

"My earnings, my wage, comes from tips."

Lillie then explained that restaurant menu prices are intentionally kept low, allowing customers to leave tips.

"The food is cheaper because you’re expected to tip on it," she said.

"You don’t deserve to eat out if you cannot afford to tip."

She went on to compare it to hiring a nanny, saying, “If you can't afford to pay somebody else an entire salary, you don’t deserve a nanny."

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Then she drove her point home about dining out: "If you can't tip, you literally don’t deserve to eat out."

She suggested, "Order to-go, or go to f**king McDonald's."

The TikToker continued to express her annoyance in the video's caption, writing:

"And to anyone who says we should be getting paid a higher hourly…. Okay??? BUT WE AREN'T. You not tipping is just going to make your eating out experience WORSE!!!!"

After watching Lillie's video, numerous people shared their varied viewpoints.

One individual mentioned that they consistently leave tips when dining out but didn't appreciate the way Lillie conveyed her message.

"I always tip but the whole entitlement thing is wild like just get a diff job then that doesn’t require you running around n pays you well hourly," they wrote.

Another user echoed the same sentiment, writing: "If you can not live off your job pay, find another job. This is ridiculous," and a third user also remarked: "No offense, but just find another job."

Meanwhile, some users were supportive of her message as one individual shared: "LITERALLY… I make $2.13 an hour and we literally don’t get paychecks whatsoever," and a second added: "SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK."

"Go off girl. If someone doesn’t tip cause they think the employer should pay fair wages then they should only support businesses that do that," someone else suggested.

Another individual said they tip but don’t necessarily agree with Lillie’s assessment that 20% is mandatory if the service isn’t good. “I tip based on service,” they wrote.

“I always tip 20% or above unless the service was exceptionally bad.”