Tipping culture in the US is much more of a thing than it is here in the UK.
While we Brits do leave tips in many cases, you’re never far from some chuntering about how many restaurants now include a 12.5% tip on bills as standard.
In the US, serving staff make the majority of their money from tips, so it’s more of a cultural norm to tip often and generously.
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As much as you might argue that serving staff should earn enough before tips to pay their bills, there is something quite nice about the social cohesion that comes from experiencing human kindness on a regular basis, either as a tipper or a receiver.
And that’s before we consider just how much money some servers make in tips.
Haven Tunin, a pizzeria worker, posted on her TikTok account in 2023 that she had made over $600 in tips after just one shift!
On her account @haven.tunin, Haven can be seen with a thick wad of cash after completing her 12-hour shift.
Haven then counts out a whopping $674 and can scarcely believe it herself, as she had completed sales worth over $2,000 during that shift, so it had obviously been a very busy day.
“Oh my f**king god, I don’t think I’ve ever claimed this much,” she said in the video.
“Today was insane and people were so generous and nice. It was amazing.”
“That is insane for a 12-hour shift, for a Sunday especially. And my sales were $2,200 so, like I said, people were very generous today.”
Signing off with heavier pockets than she expected, her video amassed tonnes of comments from wowed viewers.
“Pop off queen that’s a good ass day,” said one person.
“Wow. You have to be a phenomenal server that tip to sales ratio is insane,” said another. “Kudos.”
Another said: “F**king no way bro I make $100 on a good day rn I’m sobbing.”
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Others were desperate to know Haven’s secret: “I think I might be doing something wrong because I make like $300 on a 12 hour shift.”
In response, Haven was quick to remind everyone that this was a bit of a freak evening for her.
“I don’t always make this much, I normally make between $150 on a slow day and $600 on a good day on Sundays. It really just depends on the day.”
Her TikTok, which has since pivoted to being pottery-focused, has a fair few banked videos featuring her healthy hauls. In other videos she can be seen with $324, or $237 on a “really slow day”.
In one instance, she made $393 from a nine-hour shift despite the fact she only “took one table” that day.
While Haven’s clearly got some secret sauce when it comes to customer service, users nevertheless joked: “Where tf you work???? Y’all hiring????”
Here's to hoping her pottery escapades are as fruitful for her.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Peter DazeleyTopics: US Food, Restaurants and bars
Kerri-Ann Roper