‘I’ve never tipped someone extra just because of their appearance’: Server reveals things she buys at Ross to increase her tips—do they actually work?
The tipping debate has reached a fever pitch over the past couple of years, with many thinking tipping culture has gone too far. Terms like “tipping fatigue” and “iPad tipping” plagued the internet post-COVID. In short, more was being asked of customers, and they didn’t like it.
It’s no surprise, then, that service workers feel they have to earn their tips now more than ever. This leads them to think outside the box. As one server put it, she needs to “stand out” from the rest, and it involves a quick trip to Ross Dress for Less.
How can a server increase her tips?
Most servers across the U.S. are paid a minimum wage of around $2.13 an hour. They make their “real” earnings via tips, so any little push helps. In a viral TikTok, server Janiah (@lifewithjaniah) shared how she makes sure to stand out as a server by boosting her appearance.
In the clip, Janiah browses through Ross, perusing several different beauty items. Her first stop is the hairpiece section, where she tosses a pack of hair bows into her cart. She then adds mascara and a highlighter. The latter gets her better tips when she wears it on her inner eye corners, she vows.
Her next stop is the fragrance section. Janiah says “smelling good” will significantly help in receiving better tips. She adds a pack of lip gloss before heading to the scarves section and advising her followers to add this to their shopping list as well.
Lastly, Janiah heads to Target for some acrylic nails and a beverage before concluding her shopping trip. Her video has earned over 1.8 million views as of writing.
Not everyone thinks she has a point
While Janiah’s text overlay read “Things I purchase as a server to increase my tips,” not everyone agreed it mattered.
One comment with 18,000 likes read, “I’ve never tipped someone extra just because of their appearance.”
“I have never tipped someone more bc they were wearing more accessories or makeup what it’s just 20% regardless, u ain’t gotta do all that,” another echoed.
However, several others agreed that appearance made a difference, especially if the customers were men.
“I see a lot of women saying they aren’t tipping based on appearance but I promise you men are,” one wrote. “I used to go home with AT LEAST $280 nightly.”
But was it true?
Does appearance actually earn you more tips?
This isn’t the first time female servers have earned more after putting more thought into their appearance. In 2023, several servers tested out the “pigtail theory,” where they conducted a “mini social experiment” to see how much having their hair in pigtails mattered, per Yahoo.
It turns out, it mattered a lot.
Several women saw a significant increase in tips after putting their hair in pigtails. However, TikTokers speculated on a darker meaning behind this, because of how young the hairstyle makes the servers seem.
@lifewithjaniah Appearance plays a HUGE part on your income! These are some things I buy to increase my tips! #serverlife #server #quitfulltimejob ♬ show me how – <3
Regardless of the reason why men tipped more when their servers wore pigtails, the workers were happy to be earning more.
But unofficial experiments are nothing new. In a Daily Meal article from 2012, a Live Science report revealed that women earned more if they wore red lipstick. So while several of Janiah’s viewers are of the opinion that it doesn’t matter how you look, it appears the money speaks for itself.
The Mary Sue reached out to Janiah via Instagram direct message.
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