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 in the noon hour.
Instead of having the customer leave it, many restaurants are now including gratuity on the bill.
Would you be upset if you were forced to give a certain percentage to a waiter or waitress if he/she didn’t do a good job of serving you?
Talk about it….
By definition in Webster’s dictionary, a gratuity is, “something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service.” In this case of this discussion, waiting on a table. I tip based on the quality of service. These days that’s usually 20% of the bill before tax. But that person has to earn that tip with the level of service they provide. You shouldn’t just receive my tip for being assigned to a table.
No
No to the tagline question.
Absolutely to the question in red….
I’d rather see the custom of tipping end. It should not be the restaurant’s place to demand extra cash from their customers. If they feel so strongly about it, they should increase the salary of their employees. They can raise the prices on their menu accordingly, and the customer will end up paying the same amount as if the tip was included. Trump said if he is elected he will end taxing tips, so with my idea they will still be taxed, but that should not be the customer’s problem.
The same goes with all service industries who think we owe them a living, demand more pay from the employer, not from the customer.
NOPE!!!!! Discussion over. I will be the judge on if I tip or not. I will not have my hand forced…..
Don’t want your tips taxed? Vote Trump
NO WAY!!
If a restaurant imposes automatic tips(gratuities), that place will NOT get my business, and I eat out a lot. That’s why I no longer dine at any restaurant in Lafayette, where an automatic 20% is added to your bill, not as a tip, but to pay for employee benefits. Let the restaurant raise their prices to pay benefits for THEIR employees; that’s their responsibility, not mine, just as tips are a voluntary action, intended as a “thank you” for good service, over and above the bare minimum required of an employee. In my case, the better the service, the larger the tip.
I have mixed feelings about that. My wife and I tip very well for excellent service; much more than the standard 20% when tip is included on the bill. And for rude service, which is rare but does happen, we would opt to go below 20% (though rarely below 15%).
Whatever the case, the restaurant owes a duty to inform diners of the service charge. We ate out recently at an establishment with 20% tip included, and the waiter reminded us of this when we were initially seated as well as when we got the check.
CONCORD GUY,
.
What is the name and location of the restaurant which included the mandatory 20% gratuity?
yes, I too would like to know, so we can avoid the place….
Pizza Antica in Lafayette.
Again, we were explicitly advised of this service charge before we ordered and again when we got the check. And it is prominently disclosed on the menu.
Thank you for letting us all know. I will be sure and never go there, and pas it on to everyone I know that they will automatically charge(a lot) for a tip, even if the service and food is subpar.
I would be upset if I was forced to tip. It happened 6 months ago at a Chinese restaurant in SF. The workers demanded all the patrons to tip. I told the cashier that I didn’t have any small change and she insisted to break the $20 bill so I could tip. Never go back to that restaurant again.
If the restaurant put a notice that tip is included in the check when the party has 6 or more people, I am cool with it.
I had a similar experience. The server wanted her tip in cash (policy for the cafe) and I explained I did not have cash and she said there was an ATM next door. I was dumbfounded to say the least.
Never should be added to the bill! I don’t mind a list of recommended tips but it should always be up to the person who pays the bill if there is to be a tip or not. If I find the tip added to the bill I never go back.
Mandatory? No.
A gratuity is just that, it’s extra.
I also don’t believe the business should decide what is an acceptable tip.
Upset? No.
Disgusted? Yes.
Gratuities are.earned. That is whybit is called a “gratuity”.
If I get crappy service, then the gratuity is zero.
No. I base my tip on service. What if the service is crappy?
I normally tip well, but do not like it added to my tap.
If that’s the case, I think I would like to see or hear that posted before sitting down.
NO! Tips are earned in many cases. While I understand that some people are just poor tippers, I also believe poor quality of service should not result in a set tip percentage.
Never.
A gratuity is for the quality of service.
Something that should never be guaranteed.
No not at all. If the server does a good job I will tip accordingly but if service is poor what the Hell am I paying for???? I already paid for the food and the people already receive a paycheck so ???????? I am not a slouch in tipping if I feel I am treated well “ok is even good” but I will not reward bad behavior or give extra for poor service. This goes back to Timothy 5.18 “The worker deserves his wages” . No different than reward for good actions and punishment for poor ones. So totally stupid that this is even a question our society is asking.
No. Automatic gratuity leads to crappy service.
No. Someone that provides great service deserves more that someone that doesn’t.
If it’s actually earned for good service, I tip very well, but if a tip is automatically added, some incentive to provide good service is lost.
NEVER!!!!!
Good service would be non existant.
No, not unless the tip gets drawn from the crooked legislators or even more so, greasy nuisance.
No …. if it gets automatically added that’s the last time I visit that establishment
Between government meddling with minimum wages, IRS taxing workers for tips they didn’t receive and niggardly diners leaving scant tips if any, restaurants will eventually become so scarce that getting a meal away from home will probably mean using a vending machine.
NO!!!!
The worse service I got was in Calais France with added tip. The waiter said “monsieur it is required”. Last time I ate there!
The next time I jet set my way over to Calais (first class of course) I’ll be sure to avoid the snazzy joints that add tips to the bill! What am I…. made of money?
In fact, I may just be an “Ugly American” and show ’em that old American prank called “Dine & Dash”
No. I think it all depends on how good food/service/cleaningness etc….I had a very interesting experience happened to us in mexico city airport. We were hungry so we decided to eat before going to hotel. The place was packed, food was terrible and service too…bill about $100.00 so when we got up to go I put $5 on the table for tip and waiter approached me as I was walking out and said they asked that we please give 10% tip..🤨 I felt some type of way..we did not think they deserved a 10%. But I was not going to argue..so I just said ” I see, is this how you guys do things around here? And put another $5 on the table..but I felt truly harassed
My gratuity is spending money in your establishment. If you have good employees, I tip.
If you add gratuity because you don’t pay your people well enough, I won’t be there to begin with.
Sorry, no.
An automatic tip is the equivalent of a participation trophy.