A kiosk worker at the mall asks a shopper if she wants to tip. She shuts it down with a blunt ‘Hell no’

A video showing a shopper refusing to leave a tip at a mall kiosk has gathered more than 2.9 million views on TikTok. The clip was posted by a user identified as Leah Danzy, who goes by the handle @lovee.leahh_ on the platform.

The video appears to capture a moment that many shoppers say has become more common in recent years. Brobible points out that customers report being asked to tip in more places and for higher amounts than before, a trend that some have described as “tipflation.”

The footage shows a woman at the kiosk who looks visibly upset when asked about leaving a tip. The interaction, as shown in the clip, plays out in just a few short exchanges before the shopper walks away. In the video, the kiosk worker asks the woman, “Do you want to tip?” The shopper responds, “Hell no,” and adds, “No tip!”

A flat ‘No tip’ that shoppers online say they felt in their bones

The worker accepts the answer and puts away the handheld payment device. “OK, I just asked.” The shopper then replies, “I know, and I just told you.” After wishing the worker a good day, the woman appears to mutter, “The f- you talking about? A f- tip?” A young girl, identified as Ariel, stood beside the shopper during the exchange while holding a shopping bag.

This shopper is not the only person voicing frustration with tipping. A Pew survey found that 72% of Americans say tipping is expected in more places than it was five years earlier. Other shoppers have grown upset over surprise charges, including a diner whose bill was changed to add a tip after he said he had left cash.

Americans also appear unhappy with the change. A Bankrate survey found that 63% of Americans hold at least one negative view about tipping. Several reasons may explain the shift. One factor cited is the rise of digital payment systems such as Toast and Square, which made it easier for businesses to accept card payments and reportedly helped normalize tipping prompts. 

The practice of “spinning the iPad around” has reportedly become online shorthand for being asked to tip when it may not be expected. The pandemic is also pointed to as a possible turning point. There was strong social pressure during that period to support businesses that stayed open, which might have led to higher tips given in more places.

Some businesses are said to be pushing for tipping because it allows them to present an added benefit to workers. If a salary is low, a company may say it is supplemented by tips. In some cases, high enough tipped wages can reportedly make a business eligible for the federal tip credit. According to Vox, this would allow employers to pay workers as little as $2.13 per hour, provided that tips make up at least $5.12 per hour.

Another reason tipping may feel more present could be the social pressure tied to it. When a customer is asked to tip after a meal, they can assess the service first. But when prompted before receiving the service, and with the worker watching, the pressure to tip may become much higher. Some customers have pushed back in person, including a couple who skipped tipping at a steakhouse and were confronted by their server.

The reaction online appears to echo the shopper’s frustration. One user wrote, “Just say no respectfully and move on…” Another commented, “Tipping will always be optional, and I chose to opt out.” A third pointed to other costs, writing, “I get taxed for everything I buy, consider that your tip.” A person who said they run a kiosk offered a different view, commenting, “As a kiosk owner we never ask for tips, I don’t like to do that, we are grateful they chose to shop with us. And also, we don’t charge for paying with card.”