TikTok creator Miss Redacted has sparked a debate over tipping, arguing that owner-operators should not expect gratuities from customers. The discussion led commenters to weigh in on tipping at salons, tattoo studios, concert merchandise booths and other businesses.
In her video, Miss Redacted focused on owner-operators who provide services directly to customers. She argued that these business owners set their own prices and profit directly from their work.
@awalmartparkinglot do you tip owner operators? ♬ original sound – miss redacted????
Why Miss Redacted Says Owner-Operators Should Not Expect Tips
Miss Redacted said tipping makes more sense for employees who earn hourly wages. Those workers may rely on gratuities to supplement their income, she argued, while owner-operators can determine their prices and benefit directly from the revenue.
She also said customers should not feel pressured to guess whether a business owner expects a tip. That uncertainty, she argued, can make an otherwise simple transaction uncomfortable.
Many commenters disagreed with her position.
Several said they associate tipping primarily with traditional restaurant service. One commenter wrote, “I only tip waiters and bartenders.” Another took a firmer stance on tipping outside restaurants, writing, “Im not tipping anyone who is NOT a waiter/waitress.”
A third commenter questioned why businesses increasingly show customers tipping prompts during checkout. They wrote, “There’s tips at MERCH BOOTHS, MER CB BOOTHS AT CONCERTS!! WHY!”
The debate also included whether employees earning standard wages should receive percentage-based tips. One commenter wrote, “I HATE IT. if you make at least the federal minimum wage, why are we expected to tip a %?”
That commenter argued that tipping traditionally helped support restaurant workers whose base wages were unusually low.
Do Customers Tip Hair Stylists and Tattoo Artists?
The discussion became more complicated when commenters described their relationships with individual service providers.
One commenter said they continued to tip their hairstylist even though the stylist owned the business. They explained that the stylist had served them for years and sometimes offered discounts or waived certain charges.
Another commenter drew a distinction between personal services and tattoo work, arguing that customers should not tip when they have already agreed to a specific price. “If you tell me you will do a project for me for X price, that’s the price,” they wrote, comparing the arrangement with hiring a general contractor. “Do you tip a general contractor?” they asked.
Commenters reached no clear consensus on tipping owner-operators. Some viewed gratuities as appropriate when customers develop an ongoing relationship with a service provider, while others argued that business owners who control their own prices do not need tips.
The Daily Dot could not independently verify the creator’s claims about tipping practices. The details reflect Miss Redacted’s perspective and the opinions shared by commenters on TikTok.
