Via iStockphoto / @jdmacias77 TikTok
Eating out in the US can go hand in hand of leave a tip– whether that is the case 15%, 18%, 20% or even 25%. But what happens if loads an electronic tip column one customer more than the allocated percentage they planned to give?
That’s apparently what happened to a customer who made a trip to Applebee’s. TikToker @jdmacias77 posted his very first video on TikTok about the restaurant chain. The reason why? He saw a tip percentage on the electronic kiosk which made him pull out a calculator.
After calculating the tip himself, he realized that 20% of his total, $49.49, would be rounded up to $9.90. Despite this, the tip calculator said a 20% tip would be about $11.30.
Why is the tip recommendation more than 20%?
“If I want to tip 20% of my total of $49.49, I get a total of $11.30 in tip. When I calculate it on my phone, it actually comes to $9.89,” he says in the video.
The text overlay reads: “Applebees got caught stealing your tips.”
But @jdmacias77 didn’t necessarily encounter a bug. In his video, he captured the entire screen of the kiosk, including a notification he may have missed.
The kiosk read: “Tips are calculated after taxes and before discounts.” After taxes, the total for the TikToker meal would have been $56.50. When calculating a 20% tip from €56.50, the result is €11.30.
One commenter pointed this out. “It says right on the screen that the tip is calculated after taxes and before discounts. Look at the entire receipt and you will see your answer,” they wrote.
Do people feel cheated by Applebee’s?
Despite the announcement, many people said they would not visit the restaurant chain. In the past, customers have felt somewhat ripped off by the company for a variety of reasons. One customer thought he was getting a good deal at Applebee’s bottomless snacksfor example. Then he realized he would only get one tray at a time from his server. In the comments section of his video, several viewers claimed that Applebee regularly microwave entrees for his guests. A few said the chain wasn’t worth visiting.
Another person said $1 margaritas aren’t worth trying sanitary problems. An alleged former Applebee’s employee claimed that staff members used “a floor hose and a dirty bucket” to prepare the drinks at her location.
So while viewers offered an explanation for the discrepancy in the comments section, many still encouraged bringing cash as a tip.
“Why do we tip on taxes? When did this start?” someone wondered.
“Cash tips only. The store gets the better cut if this is done electronically, not the server,” another person advised.
“I believe you should tip on the pre-tax amount, and it’s even better to give it in cash. You can tip on the taxes if you want, because adding the tax to the food total makes the amount higher, but you only need to tip on the food, not the taxes,” says a third.
BroBible reached out to Applebee’s via email and @jdmacias77 via TikTok for more information. This article will be updated if they respond.
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