The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: Would you be mad (even if the service was good) if you were at a restaurant, you got your bill, and there was 15% – 20% gratuity already added on?
Talk about it!
35 comments
I want restaurants to simply raise the prices so they can properly pay the staff without needing to deal with tips.
I don’t tip most places that provide services and its not like “tipping” has meant overall superior service so just charge what’s needed and I can skip the whole tip thing.
I understand when gratuity is included on the bill for large groups. Otherwise, I hate when there is an automatic service charge added to the bill. Many business owners state that the charge is so that their staff is paid a “living wage.” I’m all for paying a “living wage,” but the “living wage” should be built in to the menu costs. It’s on the owner to pay a “living wage” to all staff.
I don’t like it being implied a tip is due at the cash register when I’m getting food to go. A tip is for service provided, as in taking care of the table cleanliness, checking in on how the food was prepared or tastes, etc. Simply cooking the food does not deserve a tip, that’s what the bill takes care of.
Please stop asking us to sign a receipt, which implies a tip, for take out.
I have never really understood the whole tipping thing. Why should a restaurant owner not be able to calculate what to charge the customer to include the wages of their employees? Other businesses seem to be able to do so. I don’t need to tip the nurse or the receptionist at my doctor’s office, or the people at my grocery store etc..
Obviously, I expect good service not only in restaurant but also at the grocery store, my doctor’s office etc. If I’m unhappy my remedy is to complain to the management or if I think that will not help to take my business elsewhere, but I don’t expect to stiff the employees on their wages at that business.
Tips are for those that give good service. You don’t get a participation trophy if you don’t earn it,
I got into this discussion with my adult son who believes in tipping pretty much everyone. I asked why should a barista be tipped for a coffee. He said for the service. I said, you ordered a black coffee and they fill a cup, why tip (type of drink shouldn’t matter since the more you get the more you pay)? I then said, you think they should be tipped for a coffee…why do you NOT tip when you go to fast food and they provide A LOT more than a coffee (no answer). Tipping is out of control IMO. I still tip, but I resent it outside restaurants and don’t think to go orders should be tipped unless they did something special or it was a large order.
Your son is a generous person, and you should be proud. Generous people are happier people. A lot of people really enjoy tipping, and that’s a good thing…
Most restaurants have mandatory tip added for groups for 5 or 6 people, so pretty much all of us have been in this situation. Problem is, in many cases the mandatory gratuity is given for substandard service.
And no, I’m not talking about a waiter being at your beck and call all the time, I’m talking about basic things like bringing food while it’s still hot.
I have reached the conclusion that baristas do not need to be tipped. I got a dirty look from one because she poured me a cup of coffee. She forgot about the tip I left her 5 minutes earlier for a cafe mocha. I used to throw in small changed when I bought coffee but no more. These are not highly trained employee and they don’t even have to leave their station.
I want to continue to have the option. I have been a generous tipper over my long life but there have been 3 occasions where a tip was not deserved due to poor service.
Beware the tip scam–this has happened to me at more than one restaurant. You go to a restaurant with a large party and the server quickly shows you the total without leaving the billfold…or you are in a hurry and don’t notice the 18% gratuity was already added in when you give it back. You give the card to the server who then brings back the total receipt, (the itemized bill is magically missing) which does not show that the gratuity was already included, just the grand total, and there is a line for a tip. ALWAYS ask to see the itemized receipt…otherwise you might end up tipping 30% or more.
So what actually does the word “TIPS” mean….to insure prompt service!
Yes if you travel to Europe, the tip is already factored in….
But here, if I don’t get good service, I should be allowed the right not to tip…
Should be optional…..and most cases I leave a hell of a lot more than the 15 – 20%
Not at all…just “add it off” and leave want you want. If you feel compelled to leave a surly note to train the owner…that would be a bonus.
I prefer the Costanza Tipping Model.
Depends.
The consumer should ask before services are provided.
only if there was no advance notice of it. I’ve been to places where it stated on the menu “Large parties will automatically have a %15 charge added to their bill”……….you have the option of bailing out at that point.
if I am made aware of the policy, I do not mind.
Waiters are dependent on tips. I believe it should be included.
Baristas, on the other hand, should not be tipped. their salary is not based on tips.
I just visited Mainstreet Kitchen & Bar in Walnut creek. The waiter informed us that it was a “no-tip” restaurant. I appreciated that.
I also visited Puesto in Concord when they first opened. They, on the other hand, just added it without saying anything. After questioning the fee, we were kindly informed that it was posted on their menu. (which we saw after checking real closely)
” I tip everyohe……that’s my philosophy”
—– Steve Martin
” Blue Heaven”
Yeah wow
A tip is just that a tip and add on not associated with the bill at all
Wow the sociaialsit agenda is in full swing everyone gets the same
Not in America
You have every option and program and club and therapist available to you so you can succeed
as well as Owners to price correctly
A tip is a gratuity
I still can not believe that a table has to have a tip included
It should be a surcharge for a large table
Informed upfront
Not a tip
If the service is great I give a tip accordingly not a percentage
Bad service or cold food a dollar
Great service and tentative even if busy and I have Seen it done regularly
The sky is the limit and noted to the server
This mandatory tip is rediculous and unnecessary
And promotes laziness and entitlement
Both of which are happening at an alarming rate
Every job does not mean a retirement wage or support of a family
Most families parents both work and have a side business
Sitting at a drive through and messing up orders and saying well I would like more money from this job I can’t pay my cell phone bill is the mentality being used today
Mandatory tips seem like a participation trophy.
Sorry, but you have to do something to earn it.
I tip for good service… not for “to go” food unless I see it prepared in front of me , like at Togo’s or a deli…. or a bar… if the carwash guy does a really good job… there’s a couple bucks, same with the valet.
You know it’s not the same thing but Safeway was hitting up everyone for donations to “Feed the Children” the other day and they set the price at $10.00
Since when do they do that?
It used to be you’d donate what you could…. but now it isn’t worth their while to accept less than $10 bucks?
Skerooyu Safeway!
Yeah I don think 10bucks is going to feed a lot of children. I think the artificial intelligence is messing with you Doctor !!
Nah! It was the clerks at checkout asking for $10
Is it just me or does everyone feel like no matter where you go somebody is always putting the arm on you?
Salvation Army
Boyscouts
Girl Scouts (at least they have cookies)
Firemen (in the middle of the street even)
Bums
That guy whose car full of kids in the hot sun, it keeps breaking down or runs outa gas (his price went up too!).
I just get so tired of it!
@Jellyfinger Yep. It’s like everybody’s a begger these days. There used to be a certain amount of shame associated with begging. But, what started out as an anomaly in Berkekey in the 70s has now been legitimized by the groups you mention. It’s especially disconcerting when they tell you how much to give. At some places, it’s even an extra button to push on the card reader at the checkout stand.
Whose children are they feeding anyway, the check out clerks?
I usually tip 20%, so wouldn’t really care, unless the service was poor.
Maybe restauranteurs should post how much they are paying the waitstaff, so we can decide how much to tip.
Unless there’s a party of 8 or more, tipping should otherwise be optional. Tipping is an incentive for anyone in the service industry to do their best work; sometimes, efforts are recognize (in the form of tips), and sometimes not (people can be a$$__les), but either way it balances out.
When I leave a gratuity, it is to acknowledge good service by the food server. It is not intended to make up the wage gap between what the restaurant pays their employees and what the employee needs to live on. If I was presented with a bill that automatically included a gratuity without prior notice that a preset gratuity was going to be added, I would demand that the gratuity portion be removed. Then, that would be the last time I patronized that restaurant.
Tipping is suppose to be an incentive for the wait person to provide excellent service. I grew up in Europe so when I came to the States in my twenties, this was very foreign to me. I 20% most of the time, unless the service is bad. I tip at Denny’s and similar coffee shops, because I know they are not paid well, and are on their feet all day, if I was wealthy I would tip more. My guess is that wait persons who are professional and provide excellent service want it left to the people they are serving, because they probably make more money that way. I work at Macy’s at I treat my customers very well, make sure I give them the coupon who saves them the most money, if a customer is looking for an item I leave my register and help them find it, some sales people, just point in a general direction when a customer ask for an item, etc. If I was paid for the service I provide I believe I would make more than some of my co workers.
I often wonder as I am calculating what is expected from me as a tip, is everybody around me doing the same? Also, what are the profile differences of those who tip vs. those who don’t? I believe tipping when leaving should be eliminated and the total cost of product/service should be factored into the posted price.
That is like aggressive pan handling.
If there were 8+ people at the table, or if service was excellent. I like to be able to tip the person what I feel is appropriate. Having said that, we were just at Roy’s in Maui and they comped my $58 steak because couldn’t cook it the way I wanted. I still tipped the waitress on our total including the steak as it wasn’t her fault and I wasn’t going to take money away from her.
TIP: To Insure Performance
I recently went to la Pinata and they added a “service charge” without telling us. It was only a party of 5. I totally get adding it to a large party. Had we not noticed this we would have doubled tipped. If you are going to add the “service charge/tip” I feel they need to highlight on the bill or let you know.
I was rather put off by this. I most often tip 20% anyhow.
Just my opinion.
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