A Texas mother said her family’s recent dinner at Olive Garden left her questioning modern tipping habits after her server reportedly thanked her multiple times for a 20% tip. Jenny, who posts under the handle @imjennyfromtheshop, recounted the experience in a TikTok video that has received more than 313,000 views.
According to Jenny, she and her family visited an Olive Garden location in North Richland Hills, Texas, for dinner. She said the group, which included her husband and their three children, ordered an appetizer along with a meal for each family member.
Jenny said the final bill came to approximately $113, and she tipped 20% on the total using a payment kiosk at the table. She said she tips 20% on the bottom line “unless the service is just, like, abnormally horrible, like, they didn’t care anything about us, they never came over.” She added, “That’s… I really can’t even remember a time that that has been the case. But I tip 20% on the bottom line, sign the check.”
Server allegedly returned to the table three times after the tip was given
After she completed the payment, Jenny said the server, identified only as Wes, approached the table to thank her and wish the family a good weekend. She said she did not think much of the gesture at the time, since her children were still eating dessert.
Jenny said the server returned a short time later to ask whether the family wanted any drinks to take with them, and thanked her again at that point. She said she still did not interpret the repeated thanks as unusual. Other diners have similarly reflected on their own tipping decisions after the fact, including one customer who made an embarrassing tipping mistake.
According to Jenny, the server came back to the table a third time about five minutes after that. She said he showed her a photo on his phone of his daughter, who she described as approximately six years old, and reportedly told her that the tip would be going toward her.
Jenny said she thanked the server again and wished him well before the family left. She said the interaction prompted her to ask her husband, “Do people not tip 20% anymore?” In the video, she asked viewers directly what they typically tip when dining out.
According to TipWhiz, Jenny’s standard tipping practice of 20% falls on the higher end of recommendations. The outlet Bankrate has previously recommended tipping at least 18%. USA Today has reported that tipping above that range is generally seen as a way to reward excellent service, while tipping closer to 15% is considered standard even when service does not meet expectations.
The report noted that many commenters online have argued that 20% should be considered the standard tip at most restaurants. Reactions in the comments section of Jenny’s video varied, with some viewers sharing their own tipping habits and experiences.
One commenter who identified as a server wrote, “im a server and most of the time were lucky if people leave us $5.” Another commenter described a family member’s experience working at Olive Garden, stating, “my daughter works at Olive Garden and has came home with $10… shes new at it but i doubt thats it… i think its the day shifts she’s working…. I work at a comedy club and get a automatic 18%.”
Other commenters expressed surprise at the idea that some diners might not tip 20%. One viewer wrote, “Reading the comments – do people really not tip 20%? After making them grate all that cheese? Seriously?” Tip amounts reported by other servers have also varied widely depending on the shift and table, as shown by one Hooters server who shared a breakdown of her shift earnings across an 11-hour double.
Published: Jun 23, 2026 12:34 pm