A creator online poked fun at tipping culture by sharing a playful interaction of them asking a trick-or-treater for a tip after giving them candy.
In the video, TikTok creator Damian (@damianralphh) sits on a porch while wearing what appears to be a clown costume. Damian greeted the “trick-or-treater,” asking how they were doing.
After placing a heap of candy in their hand, Damian then grabbed his phone, showing it to the trick-or-treater and saying, “The screen is just going to ask you a question,” while he looked away from the person.
The Daily Dot reached out to Damian via TikTok comment for further information about his video.
On the screen, there are various options for tips such as $1 or $5. The supposed skit seemed to be referencing a recent phenomenon seen at places of service: Screens that ask customers how much they’d like to tip or if they’d like to leave “no tip.”
@damianralphh i’ve come upon hard times :/ #halloween #clowningaround #thisisamerica ♬ original sound – Damian
According to Axios, the social pressure to tip, particularly with workers hovering over them, is pushing some people to tip even less than they have before.
For quick-service restaurants, tips declined from a high of 16.8% in quarter one of 2018 to 16% in quarter one of 2023.
Quick-service restaurant tips have dropped slightly, dipping from a high of 16.8% in Q1 2018 to 16% in Q1 2023, according to Toast, a restaurant management software company.
Commenters on Damian’s video commended the creator’s humor.
“THIS IS TOO GOOD,” user Serena (@serenaru) said.
“Now that’s scary!” user @ttv_icywrath joked.
Other users noted how they’ve been in similar uncomfortable situations when they’re indirectly approached about tipping.
“I started doing mobile orders at Starbucks just to avoid this,” user @lose.lbs.with.me said.
Some Starbucks workers even shared how awkward it is to ask customers for a tip.
“I work at Starbucks and I do the look away too. WHERE ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO LOOK?” @burnttoast289 asked.
For some workers, tips can make the difference between abysmal pay and minimum wage. In an NPR article, one Starbucks worker shared how tips have become a bigger part of his pay since 2010. Dylan Schenker told NPR that tips make up 10% to 20% of his pay.
“Some weeks everybody tips,” he said. “Other weeks, nobody does.”