A user on TikTok has sparked discussion after claiming that a restaurant attempted to increase her tip from 20% to 30%.
In a video with over 68,000 views, TikTok user Brenttany (@brenttanye) says she visited The Mark Restaurant By Jean-Georges at the Mark Hotel in New York. She claims to have tipped 20%, as she says she always does at restaurants.
However, her bank later sent an email asking to verify if she had tipped 30%, as that’s what the restaurant had claimed. Brenttany says she was able to resolve this issue with the restaurant, but she advised viewers to double-check their bank statements.
“When you guys are dining at these really nice restaurants, make sure you are checking your bank statements and your receipts after you leave the restaurant,” she suggests.
@brenttanye #nyc #finedining #scam ♬ original sound – Brenttany Sharraine
While the restaurant seems to have handled this as though it was an innocent mistake, Brenttany suspects that there might be something else going on.
“Now I feel like I can’t trust the staff,” she explains. “The reason that I feel like this is common at upscale restaurants specifically is because the bills are a lot larger, and so are the tips. And if it’s a restaurant where the people dining there have a lot of disposable income, they probably don’t even notice that this is happening.”
In the comment section, some users agreed with this idea, citing similar incidents.
“This happen to me @ [Jean-Georges] @ Columbus Circle last year,” claimed a user. “This is why I always take a pic of my SIGNED receipt…Let’s just say I’m not the only one out of my friend group who this happened to and there is a reason why my bfs firm won’t do corp dinners with them.”
“I had this happen on a work card!!! He tipped himself $70 on a bill. The GM was appalled and refunded me,” added a second.
However, some thought there was a more innocent explanation.
“I understand but I’m not sure what else you wanted the manager to do. He resolved the issue it could have been an honest mistake on the server’s part,” offered a user.
In response, Brenttany wrote, “This is actually common. I know people who work in the industry.”
Further users shared tips on how to prevent things like this from happening in the first place along with other advice.
“This is why I just pay tips in cash now,” stated a commenter. “This has happened to me as well [too] many times smh.”
“This is why you should carry cash and on the receipt, make sure to put a line through where the tip is so they don’t change it!!” echoed another.
“Also, check to see if they already included gratuity!” suggested a third. “I’ve accidentally tipped a lot bc 18% tip was already included and I tipped on top of it without realizing it.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Brenttany via Instagram direct message and The Mark Restaurant By Jean-Georges via website contact form.
