Randi Mahomes has long used her platform to uplift athlete-welfare programmes and support young parents navigating sport and family. Known for her contributions between the professional world and everyday human challenges, she now brings her voice to a more subtle yet pervasive American frustration. 

“Mia and I ordered fast food from a kiosk, and it asked what percentage I wanted to tip… seriously??”, Randi Mahomes wrote on X.

The question highlights how tipping culture has mutated into an expectation at every turn. But this was not the case 5 years ago, after the pandemic, access to everything got digitalized in a way that shifted a voluntary gesture of thanks into an expected surcharge.  

The primary goal of tipping was to help the workers who earned less than the federal minimum wage. However, the recent disruption in everyday life led to tipping making its way into every business sector.  Surprisingly, even vending machines have a tipping request screen on them. This is a clear indication of companies taking advantage of social expectations by making it inescapable. 

That evolution matters because it blends customer service with automated pressure, leaving little room for discretion. What once was a simple “thank you” has become a digital prompt, of obligation with guilt playing chorus in the background. 

Alongside Randi Mahomes, even the Guardian shared their take on the social concern getting “out of control.”

Randi Mahomes wants the nation to wake up

Not so long ago, getting takeout was about wondering what to order, rather than how to avoid the ‘tip-creep.’ This has turned from a customer problem to an American problem.

According to the Guardian, the average full-service restaurant tips in the fourth quarter of 2024 fell to 19.3%. This is comparatively less than a high of 19.9% in the first quarter of 2021.

Tips for taxis were understandable, but for basic amenities at a coffee shop or a water bottle is just outrageous. According to The Guardian, tipping in the U.S. has spun out of control. 

Primarily due to the commercial intentions of businesses to boost revenue and shift wage burdens onto customers. Normalizing the electronic point-of-sale cash registers, which end with a tipping screen, is affecting customers in America. While some workers depend on tips instead of structured wages, many feel pressured and resent the hidden cost of daily transactions.

With Randi Mahomes advocating for social challenges while bringing in a new spirit to the sport as an NFL mom with fashion and welfare. The simple gesture of thanks now functions not merely as a social courtesy, but as structural compensation; the ‘tip creep’ likely persists.