Posting to TikTok, Bela Delgado (@tenc1999) said: “Do not, under any circumstance, tell my boss, who is standing right next to me, that I deserve a raise.” The post has garnered over 237,000 views and sparked a debate among viewers who can’t agree if the compliment is “embarrassing” or “nice.”
It also sparked a conversation about tipping—something fewer Americans are doing now than before the pandemic. You can watch the full video here.
Tipping Culture
A survey conducted by CreditCards.com, a personal finance website, found that 73 percent of U.S. adults tip servers at sit-down restaurants compared to 77 percent in 2019. Florida International University hospitality professor Andrew Moreo told The Hill that the “decline in customer experience” might explain why tips have decreased since the pandemic.
“Customers aren’t receiving the service that they’re used to. The menus have shrunk, and prices have increased,” Moreo said. “People are waiting longer to be sat, or the whole service is taking longer because they’re being short-staffed. Not enough servers, not enough cooks. So, I think their overall experiences have unfortunately diminished as well.”
Still, Lizzie Post, the great-great-granddaughter of etiquette expert Emily Post, said customers should always leave at least a 15 percent tip, even when service is “subpar.”
The advice is likely based on the fact that, in many cases, tips account for “over 60 percent of a server’s total earning,” as the federal minimum wage for tipped workers in the United States is just $2.13 per hour, Real Simple reported.
In his video, Delgado emphasized that a small tip is a great way to thank a customer service worker for their service and a much better alternative to speaking with their manager.
Delgado’s Video
“I do not care what I did for you. I don’t care if I gave you two extra strips of bacon. I don’t care if I let you off easy with a coupon that I shouldn’t have let you use. I don’t care if I gave you too many napkins—Do not, under any circumstance, tell my boss, who is standing right next to me, that I deserve a raise,” Delgado told viewers. “You are not going to get me a raise.”
Instead, Delgado says customers should thank employees by leaving a few dollars in their tip jar or thanking them personally.
“Either is fine,” he said.
Viewers Respond
Many viewers in agreement with Delgado said speaking to a worker’s boss about a raise isn’t the compliment they think it is—it’s just “embarrassing.”
“[It’s] so embarrassing because we all know [it’s] not happening,” gothmilk wrote.
Lys agreed, saying: “It’s so humiliating when customers do this like thanks for reminding me I’m making a sad wage to give you good service.”
Avi added: “If I deserve a raise that much, my tip jar is right here. YOU give it to me.”
Others, however, said the compliment was “nice” and that they like when customers approach their bosses.
“[I] like when they do it because my boss listens to the customers, not us,” god wrote.
UnicornPurpleSparkles said: “I like when they do it. It’s nice to be recognized.”
Hoe4mitski commented: “Respectfully, I disagree. [It] can be embarrassing, but the outcome can be good.”
Newsweek reached out to Bela Delgado for comment.
More Viral Posts
A woman sparked a debate about tipping culture on September 12 after saying that she and her friends were denied service at a restaurant for not tipping.
And in June, a server split online opinion by sharing that he once let a customer keep their “insulting” tip.
