An uncomfortable conversation is happening on Black TikTok right now as service industry workers are sharing some of their negative on-the-job experiences. While they say they do their best to provide their customers with good service, they're often met with attitude and a whack-ass tip. And while the treatment alone is enough to make them want to walk out of the restaurant and never look back, these servers say it hurts even more because the abuse is coming from other Black people.
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TikToker @jamesdelisco told his followers he still has PTSD from his days as a server at Red Lobster in college. He went on to tell a particularly painful story about waiting on a party of 12 Black people. After dedicating most of his shift to serving the group (including, bringing them extra biscuits), he said he was left with a pathetic two-dollar tip on a $400 bill. When it comes to gratuity, he's asking Black folks to do better.
"You tip your Uber Eats or your DoorDash to drop the food off on your porch, but when someone’s actually touching your food in real time, checking on you, you give them two dollars or no tip at all?” he asked. “You have to be good to people handling your food in real time because you never know, you might get some extra little sauce you didn’t ask for.”
Other service industry workers who watched his post overwhelmingly agreed, adding that some of the worst treatment came from their Black customers.
"Omg, I worked at Red Lobster. It's not for the weak, the stereotypes are real," one person wrote.
But other commenters argued that these servers gripes don't apply to all Black customers.
"I literally go out of my way to make sure I am setting a different standard of blk," someone wrote.
TikTok user @robsmithonline takes the argument even further, saying no one wants to wait on Black people at restaurants anymore. Based on his experience as a server in college, he says Black customers are always on some "extra stuff."
“They come in there with their noses turned up at you because they think they are about to pay for a service, and they think that they are the Queen of Sheeba or Beyoncé," he said in a post. "I don't know who they think they are, but when they come in there, there's always an attitude.
Another user, @isisnirye, shared her experience working in a restaurant with predominately Black customers. She said she’s often mistreated by Black people who are both unusually demanding and bad tippers. And it's not just bad attitudes she deals with on a daily basis, she says she's even been physically threatened on the job over lemons.
“I had someone who literally wanted to fight me because I could not continue to give her free lemons," she said.
In her opinion, being treated badly by her own people is especially painful.
“I feel like as a Black person, it feels even worse to have your own people come into your job and do you dirty and low-key embarrass you,” she said.
She went on to tell Black folks that it's up to us to hold ourselves (and our relatives) accountable for our behavior.
“Y’all need to do better. And when you come out to eat with your family and you see them acting a fool, you need to hold them accountable,” she added.
Most commenters agreed that when you go to a restaurant, the people who help you deserve respect...and a tip.
“All servers deserve respect. Also, please tip. If you aren’t going to tip, hit the drive-thru. Everyone should wait tables and see what it’s like. It may curb some bad behavior. Signed, a former waitress,” someone wrote.
While the common thread was that Black folks need to treat each other better, especially when receiving a service, one commenter warned white people to stay out of this argument and resist the urge to be racist.
“Dear certain yts, don’t take this post as an invitation for racist or ignorant comments. This creator is speaking as an advocate and an educator so don’t start bashing blk ppl and ruin the message behind her post. This ain’t that,” they wrote.
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