‘You obvi need that last cent more than I do’: Server shows what she does when customers undertip and viewers are furious

People who work in restaurants rely heavily on tips to make a living. But these days, more businesses are asking for tips than before, and some restaurants use tricks to make tip amounts bigger. Because of this, many Americans are getting tired of tipping.

Some servers don’t like the current situation either. A server recently shared the small but deliberate thing she does when customers leave low tips. According to Bro Bible, her video sparked a huge debate on TikTok.

TikTok user @drewberrylesss posted a video that got over 1.2 million views. In it, she shows herself handling a customer’s payment. The customer’s bill was $120.82, and they left a $14.18 tip, making the total exactly $135. However, this tip was only 11.7% of the bill.

Servers are getting creative with their responses to low tips

The server then entered the payment into her system. But instead of entering $14.18 for the tip, she put in $14.17. This changed the total from an even $135 to $134.99. “you’re gonna under tip me and expect me to keep the numbers in your bank account even?” she wrote in the overlaying text. “You obvi need that last cent more than I do.”

Many people wondered if 11.7% really counts as a low tip. In the United States, tipping is technically optional, but servers often earn very low base wages. The federal minimum wage for tipped workers is just $2.13 per hour, while some states have regular minimum wages over $16. Some servers have even discovered ways to maximize their tipping earnings through simple strategies.

This is why tipping is expected in America. Most experts say 20% is the standard tip at restaurants. People can tip more for great service or between 10% and 15% for poor service. A recent Bankrate survey found that most Americans have negative feelings about tipping. Many believe businesses should just pay employees more instead of depending on tips.

Some commenters said what the server did might be illegal. The customer could dispute the charge with their credit card company since both Visa and the FTC say changed totals are a valid reason to dispute. 

They could also contact the restaurant directly to fix the issue. Restaurant workers face many challenges beyond just tipping issues, including mandatory pre-shift requirements at certain chains that can be stressful.

People had mixed reactions in the comments. “I hope you realize you can get in trouble for that,” one person wrote. “As soon as the numbers changed the charge can absolutely be reversed for fraud,” another pointed out. 

However, many defended her, pointing out it’s just one penny and the customer probably won’t even notice. “who cares if it’s a penny off? my cc has a myriad of random prices & then I pay it off. Gee, that really showed them!!” one user commented.