Suggested gratuity

[twing]

The only bars I'll tip at are cocktail bars with table service when I stay for an hour or two, generally tip the same as I would at a restaurant when the service has been as expected.

[Cotty]

bhstewie said:

Never will understand how culturally it became acceptable not to expect staff to rely on this rather than pay decent wages to start with.

Its mainly an American thing

[Cotty]

Just curious, if you go to a Toby Carvery where you choose your meat then serve your own vegtables, do you tip as you are serving yourself?

[Milkyway]

Cotty said:

Just curious, if you go to a Toby Carvery where you choose your meat then serve your own vegtables, do you tip as you are serving yourself?

Harvester...but they still have to bring you the bowl.

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 19th August 16:54

[paulwirral]

Cotty said:

Just curious, if you go to a Toby Carvery where you choose your meat then serve your own vegtables, do you tip as you are serving yourself?

No , put a couple of quid in your back pocket , you’ve earned it , after all , you’re not getting paid a wage to do that job , regardless of if you do it well or badly .
My original point is we’re now almost being bullied - shamed into paying someone extra for something they’re being paid to do .

[goldar]

It's getting bad. I went to a pub for a meal and they added service charge to the bill. I paid it, but I would have told them to FRO if I had bothered to look at the bill first.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I've asked for the service charge to be removed twice and both times the reaction was surprising to shocking.

Even though it was obvious that we had been waiting almost an hour for starters and anytime we tried to get any service we were walked past.


In one place, a restaurant in Castlefield Manchester it was explained to me the tables were divided up and only that sections waiter/waitress could serve me/us. Hence completely blanked when others walked past or caught my eye.

They still expected the service charge.

Usually I just pay up and never return but when it's bad (point to note I expect "rude" service in a Chinese restaurant. But its quick, efficient) - when it's really bad I pay minus the service charge.

I think the owner has a right to know what the staff are doing to his/her business.

[Dingu]

paulwirral said:

My original point is we’re now almost being bullied - shamed into paying someone extra for something they’re being paid to do .

We aren’t, don’t be dramatic.

[miniman]

I’m in the US at the moment. Tip options on most of the card machines I’ve used start at 20% and go up to 30%

[paulwirral]

Dingu said:

paulwirral said:

My original point is we’re now almost being bullied - shamed into paying someone extra for something they’re being paid to do .

We aren’t, don’t be dramatic.

I maybe eat and drink out more than you do .
It’s getting much worse than it ever was in my experience.

[popeyewhite]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I've asked for the service charge to be removed twice and both times the reaction was surprising to shocking.

They don't understand the meaning of 'gratuity' in this context, clearly. You tip or offer a gratuity if the staff performance is good - subjectively obvs. Quite how this can be decided for you is IMO bloody rude. I never pay a tip added on a bill. Ever. In Europe anyway. Last time in the States my parents paid any meal bills, it was that long ago.

[snuffy]

There's a large restaurant in Chester where we eat every few months or so that has been adding a gratuity/service charge (they change the term on their menu) on and off for the last 18 months or so. They never used to, then 10% appeared on their menus. Then it disappeared (and I'd read some negative Trip Advisor reviews about them adding it on), then it appeared again. I'd say it stared around 18 months ago (I know because I downloaded the menus to my phone, so I've just checked). Having just looked today, it's 8.5%.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

miniman said:

I’m in the US at the moment. Tip options on most of the card machines I’ve used start at 20% and go up to 30%

Wow but is the starting price, I.e. food price usually reasonable? So it's palatable?

Or is it similar to the UK then plus 20-30%?!

[cliffords]

I know I will be accused of being a grump but I would never ever ever use that bar again , it's just what it does to me . I pay the price advertised or not but I don't just add on some as I am asked.

The bloke with the dog outside the bar was begging, not the bar man.

[miniman]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

miniman said:

I’m in the US at the moment. Tip options on most of the card machines I’ve used start at 20% and go up to 30%

Wow but is the starting price, I.e. food price usually reasonable? So it's palatable?

Or is it similar to the UK then plus 20-30%?!

Pizza (very good and large one!) $23
Beer $7

Exchange rate isn’t helping but everything is notably more expensive than last time I was over (2018)

The homeless situation is also very bad indeed

[snuffy]

miniman said:

I’m in the US at the moment. Tip options on most of the card machines I’ve used start at 20% and go up to 30%

Last time we were in the States, I was getting checks with various options, and 22.5% (on more than one occasion) were on some of them. I found that bad enough - but 30% ?

[paulwirral]

snuffy said:

There's a large restaurant in Chester where we eat every few months or so that has been adding a gratuity/service charge (they change the term on their menu) on and off for the last 18 months or so. They never used to, then 10% appeared on their menus. Then it disappeared (and I'd read some negative Trip Advisor reviews about them adding it on), then it appeared again. I'd say it stared around 18 months ago (I know because I downloaded the menus to my phone, so I've just checked). Having just looked today, it's 8.5%.

Opera perhaps?
I’m just guessing as we regularly jump on the bus for a couple of beers and a meal in Chester.

[snuffy]

paulwirral said:

Opera perhaps?
I’m just guessing as we regularly jump on the bus for a couple of beers and a meal in Chester.

I was wondering if you'd guess it as I know you are fairly local to me. But no, Chez Jules.

[Cotty]

miniman said:

I’m in the US at the moment. Tip options on most of the card machines I’ve used start at 20% and go up to 30%

I have seen examples of self service till at supermarkets having a tip option.
Who are you tipping its self service.

I am getting to the point that I refuse to tip. You display a price and I pay it thats all. You pay your staff not me.

[bad company]

I got grumpy in a London hotel bar last week. The billed arrived and the drinks were expected as you’d expect but a service charge was added AND there was an additional request on the machine for a tip.

Since when was a service charge and tip acceptable?