A Subway customer went viral when she questioned the reasoning behind tipping for Subway sandwiches.
TikToker Liv (@oliviascobiee) posted the question while sitting in her car, igniting a discussion on the perils of tip creep.
“In what world does it make sense that we’re tipping people to make Subway sandwiches?” she asks while sitting in the driver’s seat. “I told you how to make it.”
“I should be getting tipped!” she concluded.
@oliviascobiee This one has always confused me #tippingculture #tippingatsubway #nurse #rant #tippingrules #subway #lunch #lunchbreak ♬ original sound – Liv
Users replied with their own rules on who and how much to tip.
“Restaurants, delivery drivers, hairdressers, tattoo artists. That’s it, period,” one said.
“Why do you pay for a service and then pay more for the service ? Never got that,” a second person added.
“I know we should also get paid when we use the self check out like I’m working here,” a third user quipped, referencing how many aspects of shopping morphed into self-service.
A recent Subway customer shared how awkward it is to not tip: “I literally just left from subway and at the cash they stand and watch you while paying and then look at the receipt before handing your food over.”
The video was viewed over 722,000 times as of publication.
The Daily Dot reached out to Liv and Subway via email for further information.
Tipping practices have definitely altered since the widespread implementation of iPads. One of the downsides is that suggested tips have even risen above the gold standard of 20%— by an additional 5%—to 25%. iPads may be one of the causes of tip creep since they allow for an easy way for small businesses and vendors to add a tipping menu. Around 54% of Americans reported feeling pressured to tip when they checkout using an iPad.
As prices rise due to inflation, customers have begun actively tipping less to off-set cost. Tipping 20% at sit-down restaurants is still standard, but quick-service restaurants that serve to-go orders and coffees have seen a noticeable dip in recent years. This may be because of the increasingly negative view customers have of contactless and digital payment prompts. According to a recent survey, over two-thirds of Americans have a negative view towards tipping.
As more corporations move towards self-service models, where the customers do more and more of the labor, perhaps it’s time for them to stop expecting tips to supplement their low wages.