Woman realizes nail salon customized the tip menu. It starts at 75%

Photo byViewStock/Shutterstock @gabylacorte25/TikTok (Licensed) Remix by Caterina Rose Cox

'The number of likely times individuals have merely tapped on it': Woman discovers the nail salon personalized the tip selection. It begins at 75%. ‘Tipping culture in the United States has gotten out of control.’

A woman went viral on TikTok after sharing the ridiculously high proposed tip that a cosmetologist asked for after performing an eyebrow wax.

Gaby LaCorte (@gabylacorte25), a parent of two, launched her video with a critique of the tipping system.

"The tipping culture in the U.S. has spiraled out of hand," she remarked. By Monday evening, her video had reached over 205,000 views.

What was the suggested amount?

LaCorte mentioned that she had her eyebrows done at a salon without specifying its name, and the whole process cost her $21.

However, she shared that when she went to settle her bill, she was taken aback by the suggested tip amount.

“You know how when you go to use Apple Pay or insert your card… the tipping screen pops up?” she asked viewers. “Typically it suggests 15%, 20%, 25%, or custom.”

But LaCorte's experience at the salon she went to was different.

For a $21 service, the smallest tip suggested was 75% (equivalent to $15.75). It went up to 85% ($17.85) and then to 100% ($21). The salon also allowed customers to specify their own tip amount and offered the choice to not leave any extra.

LaCorte said the request “rubbed her the wrong way.”

"I've seen this happen so many times where people just hit the 'tip' button without realizing... that really bothered me," LaCorte shared. She concluded her video by stating that she would avoid that salon in the future.

Why is tipping culture getting so out of control?

The practice of tipping has been a controversial topic on social media for a long time. While some argue that customers should tip regardless of the service quality, others believe that the amount of the tip should reflect the level of service received.

Lately, a significant number of Americans have expressed in surveys that they feel tipping is more common today compared to five years ago. This phenomenon, known as "tip inflation," has led to a more negative view of tipping, particularly as the expectation to tip increases.

In the comments section of LaCorte's video, several customers shared their unpleasant experiences with tipping. However, the majority of these customers stated that they only tipped if the service was satisfactory and/or if the staff member or server had assisted them.

“I don’t tip for anything except eating at a sit-down restaurant and that’s IT lol,” one person admitted.

“The last few times I bought merch at a concert they have asked for a tip,” another said.

“I knew it was getting bad when a buffet asked for a tip but it was to-go and i got the food myself,” a third person added. “All they did was hand me the container.”

Some people were also surprised by the suggested minimum tip amount of 75%, especially for services that were already costly.

“LMAO that’s nuts,” one woman said.

“$21 just for eyebrows waxing/threading is another robbery too,” another person wrote.