The great gratuity debate is a topic that often pops up in the comments section of many American social media users’ posts. It seems that every time a server complains about a non-tipping diner, or a customer blasts businesses for installing iPad kiosks that attempt to guilt-trip you into leaving more money, people come in with very strong opinions on the matter.
A trending video uploaded by restaurant customer Gladys Nicole (@gladys_nicole) is no different.
In her clip, she shows a manager accosting a group of customers who didn’t leave a tip for their server, telling them that since they’ve been in the place for so long, ordering beers and playing pool, they need to financially take care of their server.
Her clip raked in thousands of comments and a whopping 1.4 million views. While Gladys applauded the manager for his decision to advocate for his employees’ paychecks, many users thought that the onus of server salaries rested solely on the shoulders of those who run the establishments they work in.
“Dude this manager TRACKED DOWN this group of guys that tipped the waitress $0. He DID NOT let them leave without tipping haha,” Gladys wrote in a text overlay of the video.
The clip shows the manager in question pointing to what looks like a POS system in his hands as he demonstrates just where he believes the customers in question messed up.
“In English it’s tipping in Espanol and Spanish it’s…so let’s say you get cerveza you pay for pool,” the manager explains while pantomiming these actions, he then points across the area. “Don’t forget her, you gotta give her a little bit. Comprende?”
One of the men in question points off-camera to make sure they are supposed to pay the server the manager just pointed out.
“Si, for her,” the store manager tells the customer before adding, “But that right now is zero.”
He holds up a zero sign to the customer, before pointing to the table highlighting how long the men have been there playing pool. “You gotta give her, you gotta give her some money man,” he repeats to the patron while using another gesture for cash, skimming one palm against the other.
Gladys records the men as they leave the establishment as the manager goes up to the server. Another text overlay provides additional context into the situation: “He caught them before they left They had the pool table with drinks for HOURS and did not tip the waitress Bad [peach emoji] manager.”.
According to a conversation between Gladys and someone else in her party, it seems that this may’ve been a recurring occurrence. One of the two says the manager intoned these gentlemen have been coming to the establishment “all year” and doing this. “A group of men not tipping the waitress after HOURS of beer and pool table time. Restaurant manager MADE SURE she was paid!” Gladys added in a caption for the video.
While Gladys applauded the manager, many viewers disagreed.
@gladys_nicole A group of men not tipping the waitrss after HOURS of beer and pool table time. Restaurant manager MADE SURE she was paid! 🤑 #awesome #superbosses #server #serverproblems #serverlife #servertiktok #resturantlife #Dallas ♬ Little Life – Cordelia
“I still don’t understand how in America we set it up that the customers pays the workers salary? Tipping isn’t a thing anywhere but here. It makes no sense. It’s the buisness responsibility,” one commenter wrote.
Another person also thought that tipping culture in the United States has been going off the rails—even as a former service industry worker. “I worked in a restaurant for ten years. This tipping is getting out of hand,” they wrote.
Someone else also appeared to follow this same line of thought: “I’d tell him OR WHAT I paid my bill.”
But some praised the manager, like this TikTok user who penned, “This the type of manager you wanna work for.”
“I had a customer service job that was ten times harder than waitressing, and, never got tips,” another user countered.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Nicole via TikTok comment for further information.