A now-viral video of a routine pizza delivery has sparked a new conversation about tipping culture in the US
Doorbell camera footage posted by Lacey Purciful on TikTok over the holiday weekend showed a male delivery man dropping off what he said was a $20 pizza at his home in Texas. As he is getting ready to leave, the delivery guy comments on his house, in relation to the tip amount.
“I just want to say it’s a nice house for a $5 tip,” the driver was heard saying on camera. To which the woman replied, “You’re welcome.” And the driver escalated the situation further with an expletive directed at her.
DoorDash told ABC News that they have since removed the driver from their delivery service platform. The clip has amassed over 20 million views, 3 million likes and over 160,000 comments in just four days.
“Asking for a tip respectfully is acceptable, but abusing or harassing someone is never acceptable,” DoorDash said in a statement.
The video has been a catalyst for conversation, further amplifying the debate about tipping culture, and many say expectations of advice have gone too far.
A person chooses a tip amount on a screen.
ABC News
“I think there’s a stigma where you basically have to tip everything,” Elizabeth Schorr told ABC News.
Jonathan Minnick echoed his sentiment, adding another scenario. “If I buy like a prepackaged sandwich and I take it to the cash register and they move around this thing asking for a tip, like, wow,” he told ABC News.
For many, like Neville Braithwaite, it creates a stir. He said: “I hate being put on the spot like that. I feel so pressured to tip.”
Tipping has increased in recent years, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that left restaurants scrambling for every penny after government shutdowns, costly safety protocols and changes, rising food costs , supply chain obstacles and other factors that have increased the overall level. cost of eating out
Square, a financial services platform developed by Block, Inc., told ABC News that tipping skyrocketed across the board during the COVID-19 pandemic with tips exceeding 25 percent at restaurants and nearly 17 percent at quick service establishments in 2022.
With tipping options now standard at many cash registers, some customers are reaching a tipping point of tipping fatigue.
A door delivery driver waits near a restaurant on December 30, 2020 in New York City.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images, FILE
Etiquette educator Diane Gottsman defined the term for ABC News and explained why some people feel jaded when they add even more gratuity.
“Tire fatigue means we’re tired of going everywhere and being exposed to an application,” he said. “It gives you multiple options that start way up when, in fact, you may not have even wanted to tip.”
The workers have added their two cents to TikTok, explaining that it is inconvenient for them too.
“We understand that you can’t always afford to tip, so if you can’t afford to tip, I personally prefer that you still come and get your hair done and not tip that day,” Telesa said Brown in a TikTok video.
The takeaway experts emphasize is that tipping is still expected in typical situations such as restaurant servers, waiters and delivery drivers. But just because you’re presented with a digital tip jar, doesn’t mean you have to feel guilty.
“When you’re presented with an opportunity that clearly doesn’t require a tip. But you’re presented with that option. Should you feel guilty about turning down a tip? You shouldn’t,” Gottsman said.
