Server Says $10 Tips Are Not Enough, Demands Customers Always Give at Least 20%

A server's being blasted as "entitled" after launching into a diatribe against restaurant customers who don't always tip 20%. The idea of gratuities dates back to the Middle Ages, where servants would be paid based on their performance of entertaining members of the upper/ruling class at a party or gathering.

Over the years it's transmogrified into an industry standard among many restaurants where now it's generally understood that unless something has gone terribly wrong with one's service, patrons are expected to fork over 20% of whatever their bill cost to their server.

Ben Raanan (@blazikenben), however, says that 20% is not the standard when it comes to all diners, and said that it's not "cute" or "fun" to receive $5 and $10 tips on meals priced out of that 20% range.

He says in the video: "This is for all you bad tippers out there if you're a bad tipper, listen up. OK if you don't know how to tip I get that but for your information, $10 is not like cute like it used to be. It's not the 1950s, it's not the 2000s, anymore. OK? Inflation means that $10 is not worth that much anymore."

He continued, "You can't just leave a little cute $5 a little cute $10 for your server, and think that that's like fun and cute. It's not fun and cute."

Ben goes on to say that tips should reflect the amount of money a customer spends at a restaurant. "OK if your bill was like $50, you can leave $10 that's 20% that's fine."

He then blasts customers who leave well below the 20% mark, "If your bill was $200 and you leave me f***ing $10 that's 5%. That's f***ed up, that's a f***ing insult OK? Don't do that at a f***ing restaurant. If you come back to my f***ing restaurant after leaving me 5% honestly even 10%, I'm gonna say something."

Ben continued to vent his frustrations with low tippers, "I'm gonna be like was there a problem with your service last time because you tipped 10%, 5% and that is not a good tip at all I'mma put you on the spot. Servers we honestly need to start doing that, because like this is f***ed up people shouldn't be doing that."

He ends his video by instructing people how to properly figure out how much they should be giving in gratuity, "If you don't know how to calculate tip take the bill, move it one decimal point, that's ten percent, double it that's 20%. That's how you should tip."

Ben's video sparked a litany of different reactions in the comments section of his post, most of them in ardent disagreement with his argument. One TikTok user wrote: "I tip when the food is good and the service is above and beyond. You aren't entitled to a 20% tip, if you don't like it then get another job."

Another user on the platform chimed in, echoing the other commenter's statement: "Get a better job..." they said. It seemed like others thought that Ben's ire was misplaced as well: "Do not blame the customers, blame your boss for not paying you what you deserve."

One user, @chilidishgambryno thought that Ben's video was an example of entitlement: "I'm so tired of servers being sooooo entitled, INFLATION EFFECTS US ALL," she wrote.

Another questioned the logic behind tipping 20% in the first place: "Who created the 20% rule anyways lol we always tip 20 but this video rubbed me the wrong way. It's what I WANT to give not HAVE to."

Someone else said that the economics of tipping 20% might not work for everyone, "I get paid $15.95 a hour and you expect me to leave 10 dollars as a tip explain pls"

Someone else didn't understand the logic of tipping more based on the cost of the food that they're receiving, "I never understood why I had to tip more just because the food was expensive. the service stays the same if my plate was $10 vs $40."