A TikToker Said US Tipping Culture Is Getting Out Of Control & So Many People Are On Her Side

A Los Angeles woman was stunned when asked to tip a barista at a Starbucks and posted a TikTok about why she thinks the U.S. tipping culture is getting out of hand. She's mainly talking about drive-thru's and pick-up orders, and it seems her followers couldn't agree more.

The creator, named Debbie Nohemy (@debbienohemy), published the video on February 23 and said that it's not an issue about being "cheap," and recognizes why servers, food runners and cooks get tips.

On the flip side, she says nearly every company in the service industry has now latched onto the idea of tipping, alluding to those that simply hand you a drink and ring up your order.

"Why am I being asked to tip a barista at Starbucks?" She asked. She revealed that she ordered online herself and went to pick up her own beverage. Seconds after she left, the website asked her if she'd like to tip online.

Nohemy also notes that some of these tips go to wages that a company typically would pay an employee, like an upcharge for a "health" fee.

She went to a cupcake spot on Valentine's Day and described her experience: "Not only did they charge me 3% for the health, like employee health, which I get it, it was only like a dollar, but that's not the point. Why should the customer — the consumer — have to pay for something the employer should be paying?"

While the war on tipping culture usually pits people against each other, her followers seemed to be on her side.

One person wrote that they understood it during the pandemic, "but now it's just straight-up abuse."

One woman commented: "Girl I always put 0.00 on drive-thru orders too. Why am I tipping you $5 to bring my food to the window?"

Another user wrote that self-serve yogurt shops asked for a tip just for taking his money.

Nohemy also compared these jobs to bank teller jobs. She said when she was a teller, she was cashing checks at the bank and counting thousands of dollars for her customers and never received a commission once, so where does it end?