Customers angry at bar in Ha Long being charged 20% extra service fee

(Dan Tri) - When paying the bill at Bistro Fou bar in Bai Chay ward (Ha Long, Quang Ninh), a customer from Hai Duong was surprised to be charged an additional 20% service fee.

On the evening of June 18, Mr. NTT in Hai Duong and a group of friends went to Bistro Fou bar in Bai Chay ward (Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province) to experience.

Here, the group ordered a combo (many products combined into one package) for 1.2 million VND. The combo included beef jerky, a small fruit plate, mineral water, cold towels, beer and a few cans of soft drinks.

A customer uses service at a beach bar in Ha Long (Photo: Character provided).

After sitting for about 20 minutes, the staff at the counter brought out the bill and asked for payment. Afterwards, the staff said that at this time there were many customers, so the business would charge an additional 20% service fee. Adding 10% VAT, the total bill the customer had to pay was 1.57 million VND.

Mr. T. was surprised by the 20% surcharge, so he asked the staff, but did not receive a satisfactory answer. The customer was also upset because normally other bars he had been to only charge a surcharge of about 10%. Notably, customers will be informed of this surcharge before entering the bar.

However, at this establishment, Mr. T. said that the group was not informed in advance. Because this was the first time coming to the restaurant and the bill was not high, the customer did not want to make a fuss. After paying, he shared his experience on several social networking sites to reflect.

Mr. T's bill includes an additional 20% service charge (Photo: Character provided).

"Having been to many bars, I have not seen any cases of overcharging. However, I think the 20% fee is unreasonable. If the bill is up to tens of millions of dong, the additional amount is not small. Moreover, the bar staff needs to inform customers in advance about this fee," said Mr. T.

Mr. T.’s post quickly attracted a large number of interactions with many conflicting opinions. Some of them expressed agreement on whether the 20% surcharge at bars should be clarified or not.

When Dan Tri reporter contacted about this issue, Mr. D., the bar owner, said that previously, customers complained that the bar did not have a DJ (a person who plays music and adjusts music in bars) but still requested an additional 20% surcharge, which was incorrect.

According to this person, the business always has a DJ playing music from 7pm, but at 11pm the sound must be turned down according to the request of the local government so as not to affect the lives of the people.

Due to high operating costs, the restaurant is forced to charge an additional fee. Customers entering the restaurant will be informed of this fee by the staff. If the customer does not accept, they can refuse to use the service.

"We also received cases where customers complained about not knowing about the 20% fee. After reviewing and knowing that it was the staff's fault for forgetting to notify, the restaurant will handle it internally. In cases where customers have used the restaurant's services without being notified in advance about the additional fee, we will not charge extra," said Mr. D.

However, the owner admitted that the surcharge is currently only a verbal agreement between the staff and the customer. At this time, the restaurant is crowded, so there may be cases where the staff forgets.

To avoid a similar situation, the business owner plans to post a notice on the screen outside, stating that customers entering the restaurant will receive free tickets and a 20% surcharge.

Regarding this issue, speaking with Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son, Vice Chairman of Ha Long City People's Committee said he will check to verify the information.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/khach-buc-xuc-toi-quan-bar-o-ha-long-bi-thu-them-20-phi-dich-vu-20250621105525118.htm