A Boston woman says bars “have gotten out of control” after she spots a mysterious charge on her bill.
In a video with over 482,000 views, TikToker Monica Canova (@moncanova) says she was in a crowded bar in Boston when she approached the bartender to order two drinks: a bottle of Coors Light and a can of Suncruiser.
“They take my card and swipe the bill. It’s $26. That’s kind of crazy,” she says. She takes a closer look at the bill to see how much the drinks were and notices an automatic 20% gratuity tacked onto the total.
“I’m sorry. You have to provide service in order to get a tip,” she says. “You did not even say hello when I approached the bar. I said hello and asked you how you were. You just looked at my flatly and said, ‘What do you want?’”
She believes 20% is too high for simply “opening a bottle and cracking a can.”
“I’ve worked quite literally every position at a restaurant besides the line, so I get how tipping works,” she clarifies. “That’s not tipping. Now you’re just charging me a fee for having it staffed.”
How much should you tip at a bar?
According to Food Republic, a standard tip depends on the type of drink served. For cocktails that take more preparation, a 20% tip is the best gesture. For canned or tap beverages, $1 per drink is standard.
In the comments, viewers discuss the tipping etiquette.
“20 percent tip for DRINKS?! It’s $1 per drink, that’s ridiculous,” one writes.
“I’m a bartender and this is crazy,” another says.
“20% to literally pull them out the cooler and crack them open then to overcharge on them in the first place. It’s literally all outta hand!” a third adds.
Has tipping really gotten out of hand?
Many bar customers agree with Canova that tipping has gotten out of hand, sharing their own “ridiculous” experiences.
“I got 6 suncruisers for $85. She flipped me the handheld card reader with the default tip set to 25%. The other options were 22% and 20%,” a commenter shares.
“I had a bartender give me HORRIBLE service one night 10 years ago in Boston, then proceeded to tip herself $100 on my card. Cancelled the charge, called the bar, and reported them to the BBB,” another says.
However, some come to the bartender’s defense.
“Meh, they did provide a service. They’re busy AF. Does anyone really enjoy small talk? I don’t think it should be automatically added, but I’d hope people are tipping on bar bills? The outrageous part is how expensive the drinks are,” one suggests.
“Unfortunately, too many people have probably not tipped, which led to an issue with staffing & getting people to work certain shifts, so the bar added it on to avoid this issue,” another writes.
@moncanova Make it make sense??? #tip #tippingculture #bar #bartender #restaurants #boston ♬ original sound – Monica Canova
The Mary Sue reached out to Canova for further comment.
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