Auto gratuity
Tips
Service charges to make sure the workers are paid a living wage




So if you go out to eat at a restaurant and get charged a , would you no longer be expected to pay , because the restaurant has already assessed a charge to make sure everyone is paid well enough?

What about about when the restaurant says doesn't go to the server?

[Edited on November 12, 2023 at 10:52 AM. Reason : h]

11/12/2023 10:51:01 AM

Move out of the city.

11/12/2023 11:11:48 AM

IDK, maybe start paying in cash

I've noticed some places do more of a fee than usual if you use a debit/credit

I didn't understand one the other day, when I went to eat at Subway (which I rarely do) and the first suggested tip is 15% so of course I'm just gonna do that to be nice

like maybe raise their wage? why am I paying their wage?

I don't mind tipping 20%-30% when someone is really good, in a dedicated waiter position, but wut?

I guess we should just feel sorry for them and their low wage and just pay the extra dollar

11/12/2023 11:31:19 AM

I have not seen this….just so I’m clear…

You get your bill. It either has an auto gratuity or a spot for you to put a tip. Pretty standard, im with it.

But then it has an additional service charge that is, presumably, for the server(s)? I’ve seen the service/convenience charge for credit card fees. But don’t think I’ve seen a service charge for the service employees in addition to the tip.

11/12/2023 3:21:10 PM

I generally pay with cash, but I tip only with cash.

I hate tipping via card, feels weird.

Plus it is good for their taxes

11/12/2023 3:29:51 PM

If they are tax cheats.

11/12/2023 3:35:05 PM

The Coz for honesty

11/12/2023 3:46:22 PM

Place that.used to be in Silver Spring, a while back

11/12/2023 5:15:15 PM

You know, when you think about it, % tipping doesn't make sense.

If you order a $15 dollar item vs a $35 item, and all the server does it bring it up to you, why would the tip be more than double for that?

Sure if the place is more expensive, I guess the tip should be a bit higher in accordance (cause they do extra stuff sometimes), but still.

Tip a lot if you have a group of people who all need to be served and taken care of.

And why is the % tip you need to 'societally' give inflating? Doesn't % already cover inflation via the prices at the restaurant?

I'm not a stickler for anything, just intrigues me

^
I'd be interested in seeing the stats of additional tips before this and after. Are they making any more money or is most of it just the 18% now.

11/12/2023 5:32:10 PM

^^ Interesting.

Maybe I’m in the minority and/or being a jerk about it, but tbh I’d take that as a sign that I don’t need to tip at that establishment. Idk. I could be convinced otherwise though. But that’s my knee jerk reaction to reading that

11/12/2023 5:36:00 PM

To really throw salt.in the wound, on this particular instance my wife and I sat at the bar and just hand a couple of drinks. The back of the house wasn't involved at all..

11/12/2023 6:26:45 PM

Lol, I was gonna say the exception to me not tipping in that case might be if i’m at the bar. That feels like a different dynamic and a different set of expectations and I’d be more inclined to tip the bar tender in addition to the service charge.

11/12/2023 6:42:22 PM

Let's be honest. The who concept of tipping reeks of graft and corruption. It's both annoying and infuriating. Abolish it. Pay your workers a fair wage and reflect the increased cost in the price of the food. Not that hard.

11/12/2023 6:58:35 PM

^A lot of workers prefer the tipping system, they often make a lot more money that way.

Also, Americans have grown conditioned to wanting "control" over their wallet rather than pay higher menu prices.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/05/15/478096516/why-restaurants-are-ditching-the-switch-to-no-tipping

Quote :

"On what made him decide to switch back to tipping: Attrition. We were losing staff, servers mostly. Kitchen was of course happy and turnover was nonexistent. And senior staff in the front of the house were happy. We were continuing to hire young, new people, train them, and then they'd get the set of skills necessary, and they would generally give notice and move to other restaurants in our community who were still on a traditional tip economy."

Not denying that there are probably servers out there somewhere that don't make enough in tips though

[Edited on November 12, 2023 at 7:44 PM. Reason : -]

11/12/2023 7:43:36 PM

Americans are idiots a lot of the time.

Of course the servers like it.

11/12/2023 7:45:16 PM

Quote :

"To really throw salt.in the wound, on this particular instance my wife and I sat at the bar and just hand a couple of drinks. The back of the house wasn't involved at all.."

Did you make your own drinks?

[Edited on November 12, 2023 at 8:12 PM. Reason : ]

11/12/2023 8:11:26 PM

Well, no.

But the way that note was worded, the charge was to ensure all those (front and back of the house) got a fair wage. I never got anything from the back of the house.

As for the front of the house, I usually tip 20%. But if you (the restaurant) are going to assume a tip, then that's that. You get what you take and not a dime more.

11/12/2023 8:21:16 PM

^

the 18% is a general fee which is distributed to all workers, not the bartender specifically...

11/12/2023 8:21:46 PM

^

Quote :

"So if you go out to eat at a restaurant and get charged a , would you no longer be expected to pay , because the restaurant has already assessed a charge to make sure everyone is paid well enough? "

11/12/2023 8:23:54 PM

^

I meant to do a ^^, but I typed my message while the other guy's was the last one was posted, so unintentionally ^'d you

11/12/2023 8:31:17 PM

What about those little fake $20 bills that when you unfold them they're actually a bible pamphlet?

11/12/2023 8:42:43 PM

Lol I saw one of those on the net

11/12/2023 10:30:11 PM

^^ ha, I used to be a waiter. I can say pretty confidently that if I had received one of those fake $20s as a tip, that would have been the singular event that started my super villian arc.

11/13/2023 5:31:04 AM

apparently bronco taco has a 5% carry-out fee.

11/13/2023 9:24:44 AM