There are no hard and fast rules about which professionals you should tip—not to mention how much, and whether you need to tip at all in certain situations. This can land shoppers in confusing situations, which are further complicated when customers feel like they're shamed for not tacking on a few extra bucks. That's exactly what happened recently while a customer was buying a $10 smoothie: When she opted not to tip, she was greeted with a checkout message that read "BAD TIP." Read on to find out about the latest instance of tip-shaming, and how other shoppers are responding.
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A TikToker recently posted about her experience buying a smoothie.
In a TikTok posted last week by Charlotte Muller, who uses the handle @breathe_strength, she shared a recent experience she had at a "really popular smoothie establishment." She didn't name the business, but noted that she was going to get her fiancé an açai berry boost smoothie.
When the cashier rang her up, the total was higher than listed on the menu, but Muller said she did ask to add protein powder, which incurs an extra charge.
"But it was noticeably more expensive than it should have been if I added protein," she explained. The cashier told her the total was $10.51, and Muller recalled thinking it was an "expensive smoothie."
However, it wasn't until she was paying that the situation became awkward.
RELATED: 6 Places You Should Never Tip, According to Etiquette Experts.
She opted not to tip and the credit card machine called her out.
Taras Grebinets / ShutterstockMuller said the cashier asked if she wanted to "round up" her total, which she denied. When she went to pay with her credit card, she was prompted with a screen asking for a tip, which highlighted the 20 percent option.
"In my head, I'm like, 'I'm not tipping, I'm literally just grabbing my smoothie and leaving,'" clarifying that she does normally add a tip if she's going to sit at an establishment.
Muller continued, "I'm literally paying top dollar for this smoothie, so I click no tip. Then an alert comes up on the credit card machine all in caps, it says, 'BAD TIP.'"
Muller said that she was "embarrassed" while waiting for her smoothie, as she "got shamed from a credit card machine."
RELATED: Bartender Sparks Heated Debate by Admitting "Big Tippers Get Priority."
Commenters shared similar frustrations.
ShutterstockMuller asserted that "tipping is getting out of hand," and according to her fellow TikTokers, she's not alone in that assessment.
"I don't understand tipping," the top comment on the video reads. "I'm supposed to tip my wedding photographer but not tip my plumber? It doesn't make sense."
Another commenter added, "I don't go out anymore because I'm sick of it."
Other commenters shared mixed feelings, with some saying they tip whenever they're prompted, while others explaining they follow their own rules, like only tipping if they're being served.
"My golden rule: if I pay before I receive the item/service, no tip," a commenter wrote.
Some said it's more difficult not to leave a tip.
Backcountry Media / ShutterstockSeveral TikTokers also noted frustrations about being asked to tip at self-serve frozen yogurt places, at the veterinarian's office, and even at self-checkout. And in instances when they didn't want to leave a tip, some said that selecting "no tip" wasn't even an option.
"We went to a sports event concessions stand and the machine asked for a tip. No tip wasn't an option. You had to select custom tip then type 0," a commenter wrote.
In response, Muller sympathized, adding, "UGH and then you feel like a cheap-o."
In the caption of the TikTok, Muller asked if this "BAD TIP" message had populated for anyone else that opted not to tip. But while the workings of these machines seem to vary depending on where you're making a purchase, some commenters had an alternate explanation for the tip-shaming: The credit card machine Muller used could have also said "BAD TAP" instead of "BAD TIP," they pointed out.
"It does it a lot when a person uses a tap feature and it doesn't match up perfectly then it will say that," one commenter wrote.
