The permanently heated debate surrounding tipping culture has yet another fiasco on its hands after it was revealed that a popular hotspot was found to keep a list of customers who don’t tip very much.
The tourist trap has been a go-to location for jet-setters all across the globe who clearly love to indulge in the finer things in life.
However, new information has come to light that certain eateries actually keep tabs on just how generous customers are with their tips to store on a database to be used to either deny or accept their future reservation requests.
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Best known for its beautiful vistas and picturesque beaches, St. Tropez, a coastal town on the French Riviera in southeastern France, first started to soar in popularity back in the 1950s and 1960s.
Made famous by celebrities like Brigitte Bardot and Alain Delon who frequently holidayed there, St. Tropez has since attracted herds of the rich and famous, bucketloads of Hollywood A-listers and a whole lot of yacht owners who flock to the town's luxurious hotels and fancy beach clubs.
While it's well-known as one of the most desirable summer destinations in the Mediterranean - what many don't know is what goes on behind the scenes in the service industry there.
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It seems booking a table at one of the posher places to dine isn't as easy as simply ringing up and showing up anymore.
Oh no - the booking system reportedly has its very own politics.
In some of the fanciest restaurants, staff were found to have allegedly compiled databases listing which particular customers fork out the most and how much they tip.
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The kicker? If it's deemed the customer doesn't flash enough cash, staff will ban them the next time they try to book.
St Tropez Mayor Sylvie Sire, who was also born there, has since likened the ordeal to 'extortion' and 'racketeering.
"These illegal practices must cease immediately," she said. "These forced tips are akin to organised racketeering. We are a long way from the essence of a tip, representing customer satisfaction.
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"This means a tip is paid at the discretion of the consumer, when it is not part of the bill, because in France service is included."
Sire went on to dub the practices 'detestable' not only for visitors 'but also for the people of St. Tropez'.
She also called it 'extortion, pure and simple' noting that the database was an 'illegal use of data' given that the customers don't 'consent' to their information being stored.
"We have already been driven out of our homes and soon we will no longer be able to eat out because we will be driven out of restaurants," she said, commenting on the increase in price in the St. Tropez area.
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Sire added: "St Tropez gets more expensive every year and if you can't afford to compete with the big rollers, you could find yourself humiliated."
Topics: Money, Travel, World News
Rhiannon Ingle