Via iStockphoto / @vannibk TikTok
A woman says she went out to eat for a birthday with her family of five in New Jersey, and a 18% tip was automatically applied to her bill.
Tipping culture in the U.S. is something that many believe is getting out of hand. It feels like every establishment is swinging around the iPad for the option to add a tip. One woman says she went out to eat for a birthday with her family of five, and a 18% tip was automatically applied to her bill.
“These restaurants and waitresses are getting out of hand with these tips,” Vanessa Cruz (@dollar_menu_) begins in a clip that has nearly 200,000 views.
Cruz shares how her family went to a nice New Jersey restaurant for her mother-in-law’s birthday. The group consisted of her husband, the mother-in-law, two kids, and herself to make a table of five. The digital menu notes an automatic gratuity charge will be applied for any table of six or more.
“Parties of six or more, we’re gonna add 18%. That’s fine. We had five,” Cruz shares.
Cruz claims the service was subpar, as it took a while to get food and drinks. However, they still had a good time celebrating—until the bill came out. She says it was for over $300.
“They automatically add the tip 18%, and I was like nah,” she says.
The Diner Gets The Server And Manager Involved
Cruz says they called over the waitress to clarify the charge, and the server blamed the automatic charge on the system.
Cruz says she referred to the automatic gratuity fine print on the menu and then asked for a manager.
The manager, she says, told her the system automatically applies the gratuity.
Cruz says she told the manager that the amount of food and drinks the group ordered—and how much those food and drinks cost–shouldn’t justify an automatic charge and that the manager agreed with her.
“’You’re right,’” she recalls him saying.
The manager then requested that Cruz submit a review about this. The feedback, she says he told her, needs to be documented so that a change could be taken into consideration by the owner.
“It’s not that we didn’t wanna pay, but it’s just, like, how dare you tell me how I have to be generous based on the level of service you gave me? It wasn’t even up there,” she explains.
She concludes by saying she’s going to be tipping in cash going forward.
“It’s the entitlement at the end of the day I cannot stand,” she concludes.
When Can A Restaurant Instill An Automatic Gratuity?
Automatic gratuities are used by restaurants to ensure servers receive tips. This legal practice is typically done for larger groups. By adding an 18% or 20% tip to the bill, the worker is guaranteed a payout for the extra work it takes to server a large party.
In the eyes of the IRS, this charge is classified as a service charge versus a voluntary tip.
Restaurants must clearly state that there is automatic gratuity during the dining experience—whether that be on the menu, during the booking confirmation, or via a server’s mouth, 7Shifts shares.
If a restaurant doesn’t state that there is a charge, guests may have the opportunity to dispute it.
‘I Tip According To Service’
Viewers in the comment section understood the principle Cruz was attempting to stand for.
“It’s not about the tip, it’s about the premise. If you allow people to do whatever they want with your money without your consent then it will become the norm. Heck no, fix my check and lemme decide,” one commenter wrote.
“I agree with you 100% you cannot force me to give 20% when you only gave me 1% of service,” another added.
“She 1000% offered subpar service because she assumed the tip would be automatic. You stood on business. Kudos,” a third chimed in.
Others expressed their belief that tipping culture is getting out of hand.
“I can afford it, but I am DONE tipping,” one revealed.
“I tip according to service, not how much the bill,” another shared.
BroBible reached out to Cruz via email and TikTok direct message.