Server sparks fury after revealing controversial hack for securing bigger tips from customers

Daily Mail​

01-07-2025

A picture paints a thousand words - but it's not guaranteed that those words are necessarily true.
Aislin Parker, a San Diego-based server, took to TikTok to share her trick for securing larger tips that sparked a heated debate over her ethics.
The restaurant worker revealed the she puts a childhood photo of herself in her server book to trick customers into thinking she is a mom which, in turn, encourages them to tip more.
'I put my baby picture in my server book to look like a single mom who has to provide,' she admitted in a video.
'When I'm taking orders I've got this,' she said, pointing to a picture of a small child wearing a pink outfit, which was stuck to the front of her book.
'They're like, "is that your daughter?" And I'm like "yeah, she's six, I had her when I was 19, her dad didn't want to stay,"' she continued.
'It's giving "single mom who works two jobs,"' she joked, quoting Reba McEntire's I'm a Survivor. '"Please help me support my baby, it's really tough,"' she added, in the vein of her serving altar-ego.
'But, it's working,' Aislin said cheerfully.
While the trick seems to be working for Aislin, not all her viewers agreed with the method.
'Sever here and I would neverrrr it's giving don't know how to support myself as an adult…' slammed one user.
'I couldn't imagine lying to make tips,' admonished another.
Someone else shared: 'And then there are the single moms ACTUALLY working to support our kids. Two jobs. If you're a good server, I promise you don't have to lie to get better tips. Just sayin.'
Others saw no issue with her little trick, saying they support doing whatever it takes to secure some extra cash.
'Technically you are working to support the girl that's in that photo... so you not lying lying you just a little lying lol,' one person joked.
'Every time I mess something up with a table I always say "sorry I have a lot on my mind, I'm trying to pay for med school,"' another person shared, admitting their own 'hack.'
'I did this when I was pregnant with my son,' shared someone else. 'I made so much money telling them his dad was a dead beat.'
While the trick seems to be working for Aislin, not all her fellow servers and customers agreed
Someone else declared that 'creating a whole new personality is a part of the job.'
Tipping is a hot-button topic for customers and servers alike, with some suggesting that tipping culture has gone 'too far.'
While tips are an integral part of American hospitality culture, and customers are regularly reminded that leaving the waiting staff empty-handed is out of the question.
Last year, Shea, a New York City-based actor and service industry worker, shocked her followers when she called out the alleged low tipper when she went to the bathroom.
'Not in this economy honey,' she raged. 'Not in New York City - one of the most expensive cities to live in.'
'Absolutely not. So what did I do?' she continued. 'I confronted her.'
Shea continued, explaining she had spoken to other servers and they had also received similar tips from the woman.
'I guess this is a pattern with her,' she said. 'Her tipping range is between seven to nine per cent.'
The server said she saw the woman waiting for the bathroom, which is when she went over to ask her about her low tips.
'I went up to her and I said, 'hey, how was everything tonight?'' she recalled, saying the customer had told her it was 'so great.'
'[I said] awesome,' she recalled brightly. '"You left me a nine per cent tip so I wanted to see if there's any way I can improve."'
The customer then reportedly paused and responded 'no.'