Cancún Server Demands 35% Tip, Sparks Outrage

Cancún, Mexico — A video shared on the social media platform TikTok has sparked widespread indignation after it showed a server at a beach club in Cancún demanding a 35% or 40% tip and subsequently launching a series of racist and classist insults at a customer who refused to pay the requested amount.

The video was posted by the user @carlosdruckerg, who used the platform to publicly denounce the poor treatment he received. While the user did not specify the name of the establishment, the footage quickly went viral, drawing attention to what viewers described as unacceptable behavior exacerbated by gentrification.

Server Insists on High Tip Percentage

In the video, the server, whose face is not shown, is heard clearly explaining the bill to the young man, who asserts that he is being overcharged. The situation escalates when the employee states that the tip for her should be 35% or 40%, at the customer’s discretion.

The man, identified as Carlos, expresses surprise at this declaration and states that he is only willing to leave a 15% tip, explaining that this is what he is accustomed to leaving regardless of the venue.

This response appears to greatly annoy the employee, who reveals her classism through deeply hurtful comments aimed at the man’s appearance.

“We are at the beach […] Yes, the minimum is 35%, have you never left your village? […] If you didn’t have money for a tip, you shouldn’t have gone out. I knew I should have taken the other table […] With that look, everyone here comes with brand-name items and it’s immediately obvious that yours are fake,” the server says, referring to the man’s appearance.

Remarks Turn Racist as Customer Holds Firm

Throughout the exchange, Carlos maintains a calm demeanor and an attitude of incredulity, standing firm on his decision to leave only a 15% tip. The server, however, persists in making comments about his clothing and even his skin color, asserting that foreign customers leave “better tips.”

“Rich people come here […] No, that’s it, this is the last time I serve a person like you… of your race. I’m only going to serve fair-skinned people […] It even looks like I earn more than you, and when I go out here I leave a 35% tip,” the server declares.

At that moment, Carlos tells her that her salary should be guaranteed by her employer, but she counters that her income comes from tips, stating, “if you don’t have money to spend on a tip, stay at home. Don’t leave your village if you don’t have money to pay tips,” a statement that caused outrage among those who saw the video.

Server Issues Threat

The confrontation does not end there, as the employee threatens Carlos with security, saying they will send him back to his village.

“I’m going to get someone right now to throw you out of here and send you back to your village […] If you’re not going to pay the 35%-40% tip, so they can send you back to the village you came from, because with that look you came from a village,” said the server.

The video ends abruptly before the outcome of the situation is revealed.

Online Reaction and Legal Context on Tipping

The video quickly went viral on TikTok, where users pointed out that tipping is not mandatory in Mexico, let alone at such a high percentage. Many also questioned the server’s rude attitude and the insults she hurled at Carlos. Some of the comments included:

“That’s a no; if they answered me like that I would go crazy hahahaha”
“This happened to me in Isla Mujeres and the tip was forced. The server was super rude and on top of that they didn’t even accept cards.”
“I leave the loose change I have, it’s not mandatory.”
“Where is it established that they get to say the percentage of tip you have to leave? With that attitude I highly doubt she leaves 35% at other restaurants.”
“I love that he is so calm that he even continues drinking his beverage.”

In Mexico, there is no law that obligates customers to leave a tip; it is a voluntary practice that depends entirely on the client. If a restaurant includes a tip on the bill without notice, the consumer can request its removal.

The Federal Labor Law, in its Article 346, establishes that tips are part of the salary of workers in restaurants, hotels, bars, and similar businesses. Therefore, tip money belongs to the employees, not the employer.

The law further states that the employer cannot keep any part of the tips, nor use them to pay salaries or business expenses, as workers can agree among themselves on how to distribute them.

Mexico’s Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office (PROFECO) has also clarified that tipping is voluntary, and although establishments can suggest an amount or percentage, they cannot impose it without the customer’s consent.