julieb
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,845 
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Post by julieb on Jul 22, 2015 20:49:57 GMT
I don't think any restaurant should presume good service to add a tip of any amount. You tip to thank the server for the service you have received - and it is up to you to decide how satisfied you were with that service. I have never been to a restaurant where they have added a tip under 6 or 8 people.
I also agree with many that adding the tip could be giving the server less. It's much easier for me to add 20% then figure out 18%.
Also- do you do 20% with the amount before taxes? I do.
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mallie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,253
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Post by mallie on Jul 22, 2015 21:17:22 GMT
Thank you for your replies. This is a local restaurant that we like and go to several times a month. We will call their attention to it next time we go. I needed the peas to validate my feelings because I thought maybe I was being petty.  They are counting on customers worrying about being thought cheap and petty -- that's how they get away with it. They are doing it deliberately to squeeze money. It may seem like small amounts, but in the grand scheme? It's actually big bucks. In fact, those round-ups accumulate into big bucks for the company. Years ago, the State AG's office sued JC Penney because their system was set to round up anything marked .95--.99 to the nearest round dollar amount. The total the store ripped customers off in this state alone was worth many millions of dollars. |
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Post by padresfan619 on Jul 22, 2015 21:20:11 GMT
It reminds me of the scam Peter tried to do in Office Space, just pocket those fractions of a penny over time to make a fortune. No one will notice because it is small enough for the average person not to notice, but over time you end up with a huge sum of money from those 2 cents here and there.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 22, 2015 21:46:31 GMT
If I read the OP correctly she was charged $20 per dinner instead of $19.99. Yes. They didn't order drinks. The bill total should have been $39.98, but it was rounded up to $40. 18% of the rounded up $40 is $7.20, but the tip was rounded up to $8. cadoodlebug / Joy, I would ask next time you go in. You can couch it in "I was wondering what the auto-gratuity policy was? Because last time we were here the tip included was 20%, not 18%". Since $8 is 20% of $40, I wonder if it wasn't a case of rounding up, but charging a different percentage than you thought.  |
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Nicole in TX
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Posts: 2,951
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Post by Nicole in TX on Jul 22, 2015 21:56:36 GMT
I worked at Applebee's and we could split up a check a ton of different ways. If Applebee's can do it, a nice restaurant should be able to do it.
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Post by mirabelleswalker on Jul 22, 2015 22:04:12 GMT
I don't think any restaurant should presume good service to add a tip of any amount. You tip to thank the server for the service you have received - and it is up to you to decide how satisfied you were with that service. I have never been to a restaurant where they have added a tip under 6 or 8 people. I also agree with many that adding the tip could be giving the server less. It's much easier for me to add 20% then figure out 18%. Also- do you do 20% with the amount before taxes? I do. Where we live the minimum wage is $12.25 plus mandatory paid sick leave. Restaurant owners felt that they either had to include the gratuity or raise prices to cover this increase. Many restaurants have decided to include the tip in the bill. As I have seen it, the tip is generally 15%, and there is space to add more if you wish. |
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,539
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Post by MerryMom on Jul 22, 2015 22:08:07 GMT
I would have complained to the manager before we left. Empty glasses is a pet peeve of mine at a restaurant. You don't bring me refills, I don't tip. Okay Mr. Pink |
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Post by 950nancy on Jul 22, 2015 22:09:01 GMT
If I knew that the wait person got the extra $ I could easily live with it. If I thought it was going to the restaurant, that would make me feel differently. As far as splitting checks, almost every single person that works has hassles in their job that makes it more difficult. It is just part of that profession. Today at a restaurant we were asked by the hostess if we needed to split checks or if it would all be on one bill. I saw her give the waitress one piece of paper to write down the order. That made sense to me for the wait person to know ahead of time so she was prepared.
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Post by 950nancy on Jul 22, 2015 22:10:31 GMT
I would have complained to the manager before we left. Empty glasses is a pet peeve of mine at a restaurant. You don't bring me refills, I don't tip. Okay Mr. Pink I would tip less, but I would still tip. |
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Post by gramasue on Jul 22, 2015 22:24:52 GMT
I don't think you're being petty at all. I think they're extremely presumptuous. I totally agree with this. They are operating under the assumption that every single person who dines in their restaurant gets stellar service. Obviously, that was not the case for you. What incentive is that for a server if they know they're going to get a good tip regardless of the type of service they provide? And how can management keep tabs on the performance of their servers if it's simply an across the board added-on charge? |
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Post by myshelly on Jul 22, 2015 22:47:13 GMT
I would have complained to the manager before we left. Empty glasses is a pet peeve of mine at a restaurant. You don't bring me refills, I don't tip. Okay Mr. Pink I didn't say I don't believe in tipping. I'm generous with tips when I get good service. But if service is bad I don't feel bad about not tipping. |
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Post by anxiousmom on Jul 22, 2015 23:16:08 GMT
What really bothers me is when they add the gratuity but don't do it obviously. I have been to several restaurants that were relatively expensive with large groups of family members-where my parents will pay the whole bill. There was one occasion where the tip was included, but also the line to add more if you wanted to. Because of how the bill was printed out, it wasn't obvious at all and my mother ended up tipping twice to the tune of about $175. I was equally disappointed that the wait staff didn't mention the additional tip. She tipped 20% so it was pretty clear that it was a fairly standard amount.
My feeling is that if you are going to include the tip, include the tip. But don't be sneaky about it.
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Post by elaine on Jul 22, 2015 23:20:56 GMT
What really bothers me is when they add the gratuity but don't do it obviously. I have been to several restaurants that were relatively expensive with large groups of family members-where my parents will pay the whole bill. There was one occasion where the tip was included, but also the line to add more if you wanted to. Because of how the bill was printed out, it wasn't obvious at all and my mother ended up tipping twice to the tune of about $175. I was equally disappointed that the wait staff didn't mention the additional tip. She tipped 20% so it was pretty clear that it was a fairly standard amount. My feeling is that if you are going to include the tip, include the tip. But don't be sneaky about it. I agree - it should be clear. I also like that a number of places I've gone to also include, on the bill, what the tip would be for 15%, 18%, and 20% and you can circle the amount you want to tip, or write it in. Much better than having to do math in your head after dinner. Given how computerized most restaurant bills are, it is an easy way to make things easier for your clientele. |
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,617
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Post by basketdiva on Jul 22, 2015 23:27:11 GMT
"Where we live the minimum wage is $12.25 plus mandatory paid sick leave. Restaurant owners felt that they either had to include the gratuity or raise prices to cover this increase. Many restaurants have decided to include the tip in the bill. As I have seen it, the tip is generally 15%, and there is space to add more if you wish"
I have some questions about this policy:
a) Does the server get that tip in addition to the $12.25 an hour or
b) Does the owner add up the tips for the shift ( per server) and get an hourly amount, then pay the server the difference between the tips and the required wage?- does that make sense??
If a is the answer a then I'm certainly not tipping 20%, thereby paying the server $20 or more per hour (based upon a $50 bill and being there an hour)
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Post by elaine on Jul 22, 2015 23:32:36 GMT
Things have changed since I used to wait tables. It used to be that employers didn't have to pay you minimum wage if you worked in a job that also got tips, such as waiting and bartending. Has that changed nationally? Or is it a state-by-state thing? Hawaii, California and Ohio all allowed me to be paid under minimum wage when waiting tables, but that was more than 20 years ago.
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freebird
Drama Llama
'cause I'm free as a bird now
Posts: 6,927
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Post by freebird on Jul 23, 2015 0:12:38 GMT
It's only a $2.00 overcharge for her because of their rounding up meals and tips. However, multiply that by each customer they do that to and you will arrive at a sizable sum in short order if they are a busy restaurant. What they are doing is dishonest and they should be called on it. There are government agencies that regulate and supervise these type of things. Depending on the response of the restaurant, I'd be tempted to report them. There have been cases locally where gas stations have done something similar. The rounding up of the dinners comes to $.02 and the tip rounding $.20 or a total of 22 cents. I have better things to do with my time than to call about 22 cents. If you think the food and service are not worthy of an 18% minimum gratuity in this case $1.78 over a standard 15% then there have to be better places to dine.
No, she was ripped off for .82 and that's not the point.
if they have 300 of those a day, 365 days a year, that equals $89,790 a year that they are *stealing* from their customers. I would not do business with someone so dishonest and I'd call them out on it. And I'd use hard numbers.
Obviously they're more than happy to pay 18%, they continue to eat there so she's not complaining that it's more than 15%. it's the fact that she was told it would be one amount and they dishonestly snuck in an extra .82 for themselves.
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Post by mirabelleswalker on Jul 23, 2015 0:18:22 GMT
"Where we live the minimum wage is $12.25 plus mandatory paid sick leave. Restaurant owners felt that they either had to include the gratuity or raise prices to cover this increase. Many restaurants have decided to include the tip in the bill. As I have seen it, the tip is generally 15%, and there is space to add more if you wish" I have some questions about this policy: a) Does the server get that tip in addition to the $12.25 an hour or b) Does the owner add up the tips for the shift ( per server) and get an hourly amount, then pay the server the difference between the tips and the required wage?- does that make sense?? If a is the answer a then I'm certainly not tipping 20%, thereby paying the server $20 or more per hour (based upon a $50 bill and being there an hour) I believe it is meant to be divided among wait staff, bussers, and kitchen staff. I don't think there's a mandate about it. I suppose the owner could just keep it if he wanted, but then he'd have crappy servers and no customers. It has really hit waiters hard. Some waiters made minimum wage and tons in tips. With this model they can't really make that much in tips anymore. My understanding is that if you leave the additional 5% it goes to the server. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jul 23, 2015 2:06:04 GMT
Some restaurants will calculate it tips with tax included and others don't. That could explain the difference. I hate autotips. I don't mind the suggested tip amounts but not it being added automatically. We have had really good service and really crappy service lately. They get tipped accordingly.
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