Waitress divides TikTok with ‘shaming’ tactic for better tips

A waitress on TikTok went viral after sharing how she “pressures” bad customers to tip fairly for her service.

Waitress and TikTok user Tamela (@tamela.anderson) posted a video to confirm that the “shaming” method works for getting better tips — specifically from rude customers. In her video, she tells a story about two men she once served.

Tamela recounts that one of the men paid for the entire tab in cash but provided only a few dollars — accounting for 10% to 15% of the check — as a tip. However, as she collected her customers’ payment, the man who paid the bill made an unnecessary comment about her appearance.

“This was when my hair was blond, and so he looks at me and was like, ‘You know, I’ve never really been a fan of blondes.’ And without missing a beat, dude, I looked at him and was like, ‘You know, I don’t really like s***ty tippers,'” Tamela explained.

The man then gave Tamela another $10 bill to make up for his bad tip and the awkwardness that followed her snappy comeback.

“Shaming works,” Tamela said.

TikTokers are divided in the comment section of Tamela’s video. Some are confused by the ethics behind “shaming” customers to receive tips greater than 15%, which many consider the standard tip amount.

“15% isn’t okay? Sob. I’m never going to be able to afford to go to the bar or a restaurant again,” a TikToker wrote.

“Maybe servers should shame their bosses into paying them a livable wage, so they don’t have to depend on tips,” another TikToker said.

Other TikTokers support Tamela, acknowledging that service workers — regardless of their quality — simply don’t get paid enough for their labor.

“It’s crazy how everyone is upset at her and not the man who actually INSULTED HER,” one TikToker said.

“I’ve literally never heard of less than 18% as the norm [for tipping], these comments are shocking. I was a server a decade ago and usually got at least 20%,” another TikTok user said.

A few TikTokers focused on a comment Tamela made early in her video, where she stated that she no longer felt the need to try to put on a “server persona” for her customers. Many misunderstood this statement as an admission that she provides low-quality service.

In this TikTok, Tamela clarifies the misunderstanding.

“When I said I stopped trying, I just meant I wasn’t being fake overly nice and using a fake voice with people anymore,” Tamela explained. “If men are gonna be making inappropriate comments to me, I’m just gonna start making inappropriate comments back to them.”

Tamela then retold an experience with another rude customer she encountered while working at a brewery. Allegedly, the male customer asked her to sit on his lap.

In response to the customer’s inappropriate request, Tamela said she would sit on his lap only if he gave her a $100 bill that she saw in his wallet. The man handed over the $100 bill, but Tamela simply walked away with the cash and avoided the uncomfortable encounter.

Despite Tamela’s recounting of her experiences with rude customers, TikTokers remain divided. Some believe she is an “entitled” server, while others empathize with the rough treatment she endures on the job.

“Men literally asking servers to sit in their lap, and y’all mad at her?” a TikToker said.

“Bro, tell me you haven’t worked in the service industry without telling me you NEVER worked service,” another TikToker wrote.

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