A waiter tried to stop customers from leaving because they didn't leave a tip (stock image) (Image: Getty)

       A furious waitress stopped customers from leaving a restaurant until they tipped her has gone viral on TikTok.

       The waitress in Mexico City, Mexico, stopped customers from leaving as they haven’t given her a big enough tip.

       According to Reporte Indigo, she complained because the customers only left her 100 pesos (￡4.55).

       The incident happened at the Train Bistro Altavista and sparked a debate about whether or not waiting staff in the city should be given mandatory tips.

       The customers can be heard explaining the laws around tipping to the waitress as she tries to prevent them from leaving.

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       The incident happened in Mexico City (Image: Getty)

       The customer said: “Tipping is not mandatory. No, according to the law, tipping is not mandatory.

       “We couldn’t leave a tip. We don’t bring cash. You can call the police if you want. How dare you stop us. Tell me, is tipping mandatory? It is not.”

       According to the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) tipping is “voluntary” and “cannot be included in the bill without the consumer’s consent”.

       It means neither restaurants nor their staff can force customers to pay a tip.

       Tipping culture varies from country to country (Image: Getty)

       In some restaurants in Mexico City, restaurants have put up signs explaining tipping is not mandatory.

       In contrast to this law, article 346 of the Federal Labour Law said “tips are part of the worker’s salary”.

       Tipping culture varies from country to country. In the UK, for example, voluntary tips are not mandatory, but in others they are.

       The USA, has non-mandatory tips, but they are encouraged, particularly in restaurants where there is table service.

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       Tips can significantly boost a waiter's salary (Image: Getty)

       According to Qantas, in America “tipping is optional in name only”.

       The reason why tips are often heavily encouraged is because, as in Mexico, they form part of the waiter’s salary and over the course of a year make a big difference.

       Speaking to the Guardian in 2016, one waiter working in London said: "If a table doesn't tip the waiter feels as if they are being robbed by the company and ends up resenting the customers.

       "Around 50 percent of a waiter's income is tips."

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