USA Gratuity And/Or Tip?
Discussion
yellowbentines said:
The Moose said:
yellowbentines said:
However, I don't for a second think it encourages good service - fast service yes - but getting my bill thrown at me the second I say I don't want dessert isn't a convenience for me as they like to pretend it is. It's a confirmation that my bill and therefore tip amount has now been crystallized, so pay up and let another paying customer sit down.
The idea of a relaxing meal then sitting to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine afterwards doesn't seem to exist in the US, you go, eat up and get out pronto!
It's just a different cultural norm. Yesterday I sat with a business associate and 2 hours after I paid the bill (and tipped!!) we were still sitting there chatting and still getting free refills of our tea and coffee. That's not unique.The idea of a relaxing meal then sitting to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine afterwards doesn't seem to exist in the US, you go, eat up and get out pronto!
I always get the feeling that once I'm done ordering more items, that they want me gone and the bill quickly appears without asking.
I've also experienced the opposite here in the UK, sitting chatting with extended family after eating and my American cousin confused as to why the bill hadn't arrived and why we weren't leaving immediately after eating.
Different cultural norms as you say.
Just last week I took my wife out for dinner, we finished our food and continued chatting for a while after paying the bill...and our checks are never that big as we don't drink alcohol - and that was in a restaurant where every table was occupied.
yellowbentines said:
Really? I'm surprised as that hasn't been my experience in the US - one night whilst out for a meal we politely declined dessert and wanted to enjoy the remainder of our wine instead and the server encouraged us to take it away and brought a brown bag to the table!
I always get the feeling that once I'm done ordering more items, that they want me gone and the bill quickly appears without asking.
Yeah well, at Taco Bell they need to keep those tables turning. I always get the feeling that once I'm done ordering more items, that they want me gone and the bill quickly appears without asking.
yellowbentines said:
unrepentant said:
Yeah well, at Taco Bell they need to keep those tables turning.
Hilarious.You seem to be taking the comments and opinions of others personally.
tThe Moose said:
yellowbentines said:
The Moose said:
yellowbentines said:
However, I don't for a second think it encourages good service - fast service yes - but getting my bill thrown at me the second I say I don't want dessert isn't a convenience for me as they like to pretend it is. It's a confirmation that my bill and therefore tip amount has now been crystallized, so pay up and let another paying customer sit down.
The idea of a relaxing meal then sitting to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine afterwards doesn't seem to exist in the US, you go, eat up and get out pronto!
It's just a different cultural norm. Yesterday I sat with a business associate and 2 hours after I paid the bill (and tipped!!) we were still sitting there chatting and still getting free refills of our tea and coffee. That's not unique.The idea of a relaxing meal then sitting to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine afterwards doesn't seem to exist in the US, you go, eat up and get out pronto!
I always get the feeling that once I'm done ordering more items, that they want me gone and the bill quickly appears without asking.
I've also experienced the opposite here in the UK, sitting chatting with extended family after eating and my American cousin confused as to why the bill hadn't arrived and why we weren't leaving immediately after eating.
Different cultural norms as you say.
Just last week I took my wife out for dinner, we finished our food and continued chatting for a while after paying the bill...and our checks are never that big as we don't drink alcohol - and that was in a restaurant where every table was occupied.
Another one to think about,
More food places in the US are moving electronic where you scan a barcode for menu, order from their website and pay within the website. Im not just talking about McDonalds here, this includes mid scale table serve restaurants like red lobster, olive garden, pubs etc.
Therefore you may only be engaging with the floor staff once when they deliver your food to the table. In theory they should now be covering more tables as they have more time as their historic interactions have decreased to a 1/4 (a. they no longer have to give the menu with the usual fake idle chat, b. no longer have to take your order with more fake chat, c. no longer have to interact when you request the bill and d. no longer have to process the payment with even more fake chat) so they should be taking tips from covering more tables.
Therefore shouldn't the tip % decrease? Payment process still guilts you into the standard % and if you want to return to that place then you feel obliged to give it.
More food places in the US are moving electronic where you scan a barcode for menu, order from their website and pay within the website. Im not just talking about McDonalds here, this includes mid scale table serve restaurants like red lobster, olive garden, pubs etc.
Therefore you may only be engaging with the floor staff once when they deliver your food to the table. In theory they should now be covering more tables as they have more time as their historic interactions have decreased to a 1/4 (a. they no longer have to give the menu with the usual fake idle chat, b. no longer have to take your order with more fake chat, c. no longer have to interact when you request the bill and d. no longer have to process the payment with even more fake chat) so they should be taking tips from covering more tables.
Therefore shouldn't the tip % decrease? Payment process still guilts you into the standard % and if you want to return to that place then you feel obliged to give it.
acer12 said:
Another one to think about,
More food places in the US are moving electronic where you scan a barcode for menu, order from their website and pay within the website. Im not just talking about McDonalds here, this includes mid scale table serve restaurants like red lobster, olive garden, pubs etc.
Therefore you may only be engaging with the floor staff once when they deliver your food to the table. In theory they should now be covering more tables as they have more time as their historic interactions have decreased to a 1/4 (a. they no longer have to give the menu with the usual fake idle chat, b. no longer have to take your order with more fake chat, c. no longer have to interact when you request the bill and d. no longer have to process the payment with even more fake chat) so they should be taking tips from covering more tables.
Therefore shouldn't the tip % decrease? Payment process still guilts you into the standard % and if you want to return to that place then you feel obliged to give it.
Difficult for us. Mrs BC doesn’t eat cheese and always asks the server to make sure it’s not in whatever we order. Can’t do that on an app.More food places in the US are moving electronic where you scan a barcode for menu, order from their website and pay within the website. Im not just talking about McDonalds here, this includes mid scale table serve restaurants like red lobster, olive garden, pubs etc.
Therefore you may only be engaging with the floor staff once when they deliver your food to the table. In theory they should now be covering more tables as they have more time as their historic interactions have decreased to a 1/4 (a. they no longer have to give the menu with the usual fake idle chat, b. no longer have to take your order with more fake chat, c. no longer have to interact when you request the bill and d. no longer have to process the payment with even more fake chat) so they should be taking tips from covering more tables.
Therefore shouldn't the tip % decrease? Payment process still guilts you into the standard % and if you want to return to that place then you feel obliged to give it.
Doubt that anyone is going to change .i have lived in multiple countries and spent my life travelling frequently. If I am in Japan I do not tip , if I am in the UK I do not tip for a pint of beer. In the US I generally tip 20% in a typical restaurant.
Not sure where people are eating but I travel all over the US and normally never have an issue with being rushed through a meal . There are a few places where they request 90 minutes for a meal and some infuriating places with no reservations. Fair enough and I just skip them.
In general I find US service very good, much better than Canada where I live or the service in France that can vary from arrogant to obsequious.
London is OK, not worried about service charges when I vibe across them,though top restaurants are not cheap. I usually tip 15% in London.
Not sure where people are eating but I travel all over the US and normally never have an issue with being rushed through a meal . There are a few places where they request 90 minutes for a meal and some infuriating places with no reservations. Fair enough and I just skip them.
In general I find US service very good, much better than Canada where I live or the service in France that can vary from arrogant to obsequious.
London is OK, not worried about service charges when I vibe across them,though top restaurants are not cheap. I usually tip 15% in London.
I've seen recently there's been more and more of a backlash against this whole thing in the US itself. There's now an argument of "gratuity" vs "tip" with servers trying to argue that the gratuity that's added automatically doesn't go to the server so people should be tipping as well!!
Plus as the commenter above highlights, many places are trying to add an automatic gratuity to things where you've done all the work yourself and the only staff interaction is charging you.
It really is getting out of hand and can't be sustainable.
Plus as the commenter above highlights, many places are trying to add an automatic gratuity to things where you've done all the work yourself and the only staff interaction is charging you.
It really is getting out of hand and can't be sustainable.
markiii said:
definately no tip if I'm ordering on an app
That's the conundrum, its not your typical McDonalds set up where wages are higher because they reflect no tips, the floor staff rely on tips to survive so I feel you have to give something. Plus you do get some level of service whether its a drinks top up or the usual "is everything okay".On a recent work trip I had some meals solo and after a long day of work didnt really want any chit chat so used the table barcode to order and pay, because i was expensing it I gave the 18% but if I was paying personally it would make me think twice but at the same time its someone's livelihood and I am doing something by choice that impacts on their earning potential and is outside their control (eg maybe they have always had 10 tables so getting $0 tips from some of their tables is an impact, versus they now have 15 tables because more people are not using them and they earn the same, I dont know which way it is so $0 tip is harsh).
markiii said:
none of teh companies I've worked for would let you expense a tip.
since the only reason I'm eating out is because business I certainly wouldn't subsidise it
A service charge was OK, up to 10%, but no tip. Probably because of bill line item. Don't know if that is still true. since the only reason I'm eating out is because business I certainly wouldn't subsidise it
Just come back from a week in Arizona, wait staff were pleasant, most restaurants we went to had a new business continuity fee of 4% added to the bill, no idea why they just can’t up the prices, it’s not fooling anyone that there is inflation, 16 oz pints ranged from $6 to $9 depending on where you are, while my wife picked a cocktail in on place that was $19!!
wibble cb said:
Just come back from a week in Arizona, wait staff were pleasant, most restaurants we went to had a new business continuity fee of 4% added to the bill, no idea why they just can’t up the prices, it’s not fooling anyone that there is inflation, 16 oz pints ranged from $6 to $9 depending on where you are, while my wife picked a cocktail in on place that was $19!!
Was the ‘business continuity fee’ compulsory? I hate hidden charges.Slightly off topic hotel service fees are an issue for me. I always refuse to pay and ask it to be removed from my bill.
This in my opinion, underhand for a upmarket brand like Four Seasons:-
They don’t even pretend that the ‘service charge’ goes directly to the staff. To quote:
A discretionary Service Charge of 5% of room rate (inclusive of applicable taxes) will be applied to all reservations. This charge is in addition to the room rate per night. This charge is intended to cover a portion of costs associated with our employees.
This in my opinion, underhand for a upmarket brand like Four Seasons:-
They don’t even pretend that the ‘service charge’ goes directly to the staff. To quote:
A discretionary Service Charge of 5% of room rate (inclusive of applicable taxes) will be applied to all reservations. This charge is in addition to the room rate per night. This charge is intended to cover a portion of costs associated with our employees.
acer12 said:
... its not your typical McDonalds set up where wages are higher because they reflect no tips,
Except McDonalds here in the UK now ask if you want to add a tip/service charge at the end of their touch-screen ordering process, and if you decline "no tip" is printed at the bottom of your picking list for the staff to see!bad company said:
Slightly off topic hotel service fees are an issue for me.
The joke is "Resort fees" in places where there isn't even anything resembling a resort.Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff