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Unruly Group Gratuity Assessment? (1 Viewer)

Van Patton

Second Unit
Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Messages
456
Me and a few buddies of mine were at a local restaurant last nite and the food was taking SO incredibly long to get to our table so I asked her when the food would arrive. Well when she comes and hands us our checks she tells us that she already put in 15% because she said we were smartasses and there is a law that states that you can do this if the people you're hosting are assholes. She says it's on the menu so I ask to see a menu and it's not there. So I go and talk to the manager and demand my 15% back because I said that what she told us was BS so he gave us our WHOLE money back! I was like "Look I don't want that much back.." but he didn't say anything. I'm 99% sure that was BS and I never fall for a scam. Anybody know?
 

Leila Dougan

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 27, 2002
Messages
1,352
There is no such thing.

The waitress was being whiny and decided to take her "cut". The manager knew that his employee was causing problems and therefore refunded the whole amount to you.

They can't charge you for things you didn't agree to. When you order food, you agree to pay the prices that are listed on the menu. Many restaurants include a gratuity for large parties, but that is clearly stated on the menu. Paying anything beyond that is completely and totally up to you. Heck you don't even *have* to leave a tip ever, at all (but you wouldn't be welcome at many places isn't you didn't).
 

Holadem

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2000
Messages
8,967
You don't want to piss off the people who prepare your food. You did the right thing, but I wouldn't go back there.

--

Holadem
 

Jed M

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2001
Messages
2,029
Count me in somebody who wouldn't. Its disturbing that there are people out there that would "taint" somebody's food just because the customers happen to be jerks. Thats sick, and 500x worse than the behavior they are trying to rectify.
 

JeremyFr

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
794
I know many restaraunts here in Washington state have regulations where if your party is 8 people or more its automatic 15% gratuity. Every resteraunt is different though.
 

Mark Shannon

Screenwriter
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
1,991
Ok, this isn't about pissing anyone off, but am I the only one here who's reminded of the seinfeld episode with the cheg who doesn't wash?
 

Scott Leopold

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 21, 2001
Messages
711
Around here, I believe most restaurants add the 15% gratuity for parties of 6 or more. We've had to ask management to remove that automatic gratuity on several occasions due to poor service. We had one manager insist that he wouldn't remove the automatic tip despite the poor service we'd endured, so we said we'd just walk out without paying instead. He agreed to remove the tip. On another occasion, we had five people and a poor waitress. She wasn't so bad that we weren't going to tip, but it wasn't going to be more than 10% or so. She added a 15% tip without telling us, and when we called it to her attention she said that she added it because we made her do so much work. After a brief talk with the manager, the 25% she'd have gotten had we not paid attention to the bill quickly became a well-deserved 0%.

On the brighter side, we've also had plenty of occasions where we left more than the mandatory 15% for large parties. We did have one manager who wouldn't let us, though. For whatever reason, the credit card slip printed out without a place for the tip. We asked the waitress, and she wasn't sure, so she called out the manager. He said their system doesn't print up the extra space for the tip when the gratuity is automatically included in order to avoid confusion and double-tipping. We told him we wanted to leave more than 15%, but we didn't have any cash on us and needed to leave it on the card instead. He insisted there was no way to redo the transaction without the automatic tip included, and in the end the waitress only got the mandated 15%.
 

Chris Hovanic

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Messages
545
Auto adding the 15% tip is BS :angry: ! A tip/gratuity is just that, a bonous for doing a good job. I do not get tips after fixing a computer for someone at work. A tip should never be included in the price of anything.
I think maybe once I have been in a group party at a resturant and got good to excellent service.
I hate the fact that tips are added to the bill when you allready have a huge tab from the group and are making the resturant a load of $$$ and you are rushed through your meal so they can get more people in and make more money. Maybe the cheep a:angry::angry: resturant owners should give a tip to their employees.
I do not mind tiping when the service is good and I tend to tip 20% or more when I get good service. After all I would never make it as a waiter.
 

John Thomas

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2000
Messages
2,634
Reading the first part of this post, I'm in total agreement with Leila, Holadem and Jack. Your waitress was trying to put the screws to you. Her manager was trying to get you out of there without causing a scene where he'd have to discipline the waitress. She'll more than likely still be working there so I'd avoid the place for at least a few months. It is sad that there are people who will contaminate your food in these circumstances but you've always got to watch out for it.

Now as far as the automatic tipping, I'm all against that. If there's going to be automatic tipping, then why not raise these people's pay? I suppose it's one of those ideas that had a good reason for coming about but I'm of the opinion that it just became standard practice among all restaurants to make a few extra bucks regardless of the situation. I think there's a variant of this going around that all tickets after a certain time have the 15% added to it automatically. If I'm not mistaken, the local Applebee's does this.
 

DaveBB

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 24, 1999
Messages
788
Auto adding the 15% tip is BS ! A tip/gratuity is just that, a bonous for doing a good job. I do not get tips after fixing a computer for someone at work. A tip should never be included in the price of anything.
Are you talking about for large groups or in general?
 

Glenn Overholt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 24, 1999
Messages
4,201
If I saw a 15% clause on a menu it would be the last time I'd go there. I cannot see how they can justify this - and what do they do if a party of 15 comes in, and they want separate checks?

A tip is a tip, and force-feeding it on anyone is rude.

Glenn
 

Lee L

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 26, 2000
Messages
868
If I saw a 15% clause on a menu it would be the last time I'd go there. I cannot see how they can justify this - and what do they do if a party of 15 comes in, and they want separate checks?
Most restaraunts that have this policy will not split checks for large parties.
 

JeremyFr

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
794
I agree with auto gratuity for large parties I used to work in an atmosphere where I made tip's. If you're helping a large partie thats one party that could easily be 4 or 5 tables you'd be helping that would all tip seperately. Working with a large party is dificult and most people whether they realize it or not are complete A-Holes when they are with a large group of people whether it be friends, family or whatever. They think that everything can be out instantly when in fact it cannot. the thing to remember is you have to be patient and realize its a lot more work for that person to do getting 8 drinks and carrying 8 + plates of food etc. I was at Applebees yesterday eating with my wife when I overheard one of the waitress talking with the bartender stating she had just gotten a $5 tip on a $95 dollar tab and it had nothing to do with her quality of service but simply becauase it was Sunday Afternoon and people are cheap on Sundays. Anyways I agree pay what the service was worth but also realize that Wait staff as anyone in customer service does not have to deal with you being an ass its not a job requirement.
 

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