A frosty reception is greeting the latest expansion of American tipping culture, as consumers grow increasingly frustrated with daily requests for gratuity. In recent years, businesses have progressively begun asking for service tips when minimal service is actually provided.
The Froyo Flashpoint
The frozen yogurt industry has become the latest battleground in this cultural conflict. Self-serve establishments like 16 Handles and Yogurtland, long considered American staples, allow customers the fun of selecting their own flavours and toppings. The unpleasant surprise comes at payment, when employees flip the dreaded transaction screen and request a tip after customers have done all the work themselves.
Outraged frozen yogurt enthusiasts are asking the obvious question: For what? Online discussions feature customers arguing that since workers neither serve the frozen yogurt nor scoop the toppings, there exists no justification for tipping them.
Customer Experiences Go Viral
TikTok user 'Bitez for Baddiez' documented what she called a criminal experience at 16 Handles. She described creating her classic salted caramel froyo cup with two toppings before reaching the counter. After I swipe my card, a tip screen appears... for the frozen yogurt I poured myself and the toppings I put on myself, she explained, adding This is getting out of control guys.
Another TikToker, 'jonnyhuxe', echoed this sentiment, stating tipping culture has gotten way out of hand. He detailed gathering his own bowl, pulling levers for yogurt, and adding toppings completely unaided. Upon payment, an employee had the audacity to flip the screen and announce it's gonna ask you a little question. As a restaurant worker himself, he normally has no issue tipping deserving staff, but couldn't comprehend the justification here.
The dilemma extends to Reddit, where a user questioned their decision not to tip at self-serve shop Froyoland after encountering their new iPad checkout system. For one, I have no clue who I would be tipping, and for two, no one working there helped me do anything, they reasoned, while expressing concern about potentially depriving workers of fair wages if the establishment follows tip-credit policies.
A Wider Cultural Backlash
This frozen yogurt frustration represents just one symptom of a broader American tipping fatigue. Where 15 percent was once the standard for average service a decade ago, expectations have now spiked to 20 percent or frequently more. Tipping below this threshold has become a significant cultural taboo that often baffles foreign visitors.
Recent research reveals that three-quarters of Americans believe tipping culture has gone too far. The study also found that two in three Americans frequently engage in guilt tipping, feeling pressured by checkout prompts to add gratuity against their better judgment.
The phenomenon of tipflation has spread beyond traditional bars and restaurants into retail stores, takeout chains, and self-service environments. One customer reported being forced to tip for a pizza pickup order when the payment system wouldn't proceed without entering a valid tip amount, effectively making the gratuity mandatory rather than optional.
Even the hotel industry is testing boundaries, with some Marriott and Hyatt properties now requesting tips at front desks during check-in—a practice many guests find off-putting compared to traditional tipping for specific services like luggage assistance or housekeeping.
As one UK transplant to the US summarized the pervasive nature of the practice: What the hell is tipping? I don't get it. Tipping here, tipping this, tip tip tip. I've spent two months here and [it's] tip, tip tip. Can I get a tip? Why do I have to pay you?
