Over the last few years, tipping culture has spread beyond its usual boundaries, infiltrating unexpected areas of the service industry. TikToker Ina Josipović recently posted her bewildering experience of being asked for a tip after buying a wedding dress, igniting a bigger discourse about the changing environment of tipping customs.. In her TikTok video, Josipović recalled her recent visit to a bridal store. After successfully choosing the right wedding dress and bringing out her card to pay, the employees flipped an iPad around, expecting a tip..

She expressed her shock, saying, “I stood there, and I believe they witnessed the blood exit my body. I didn’t anticipate to have to tip when buying a wedding dress.”The store was almost empty, with only Josipović, her friend, and three staff members present. She questioned whether she needed to tip at all in such a scenario.The unexpected request took her aback and left her wondering if she should add a gratuity to an already pricey bridal dress..

“So I just sort of stood there. And, fortunately, I speak a different language, and my closest friend bought a wedding dress at a different store last year, so I glanced at her and said, ‘Hey, did you tip when you got your wedding dress?’ She said, ‘No’. And then I said, ‘Did they ask you to tip?’ “And she said no,” Josipović explained.”So I am just standing there trying to do the math in my head because the dress is already expensive, right?”

And then a 10% tip on a $1,500, $2,000 garment is like an extra $200.” And if the dress is even more, you’re paying a couple $100,” she added, adding: “Which, I guess, if you can afford a $10,000 dress, maybe a tip isn’t that big of a problem.”But most people can’t, correct?” The bride-to-be then mentioned how ashamed she felt, offering a smaller tip and said, “Anyway, I just stood there. I decided not to tip a couple $100 since it was too much.

So then I’m doing the arithmetic and thinking, maybe I’ll just press custom and do a $50 tip, which I believe ends up being around 1.5%, which is almost embarrassing. “But if you think your stylist deserves a tip, why don’t you just give her a commission instead of expecting me to tip? […] I’m not sure if I’m being odd, but I didn’t feel like that was a service that… I suppose she brought outfits out for me, but I did that when I worked in stores.

I received a commission for selling goods to customers, but it was not… Nobody was tipping me in a retail store. I do not know. Tipping has become unusual in recent times, she explained. Josipovic’s experience highlights the global diversity of tipping culture. In general, it is regarded as a reward for great service, but in the United States, it is seen as a crucial aspect of pay for low-wage workers..

The TikTok video resonated with viewers, prompting them to share their thoughts on the widening reach of tipping expectations. This conversation focused on how tipping has just become the norm in America and has appeared to spread into industries where it was previously absent. People have suggested that tipping should be reserved for services where workers earn low pay and hence require additional recompense. However, the practice of tipping in settings where it is not normally required raises concerns about the appropriateness of such practices and the potential financial strain on customers.