Discretionary tips added to bill.
Discussion
Following on from the do you tip thread.
Maybe I’ve lead a sheltered life living in a small town.
Went to a local pizza place that’s just opened a few months ago and had a nice meal and paid by card as usual.
There was a 10% discretionary service charge already on the bill which to be honest I’ve not encountered in that particular place before. I’m sure the last time I was presented with the card machine that had the option of adding a tip.
I’m assuming this happens at a lot of restaurants.
Do you just pay up with the assumption you we’re going to leave a tip anyway?
Does anybody query it and get it removed?
Drawweight said:
Following on from the do you tip thread.
Maybe I’ve lead a sheltered life living in a small town.
Went to a local pizza place that’s just opened a few months ago and had a nice meal and paid by card as usual.
There was a 10% discretionary service charge already on the bill which to be honest I’ve not encountered in that particular place before. I’m sure the last time I was presented with the card machine that had the option of adding a tip.
I’m assuming this happens at a lot of restaurants.
Do you just pay up with the assumption you we’re going to leave a tip anyway?
Does anybody query it and get it removed?
Sometimes I’ll ask the server person if they get it, have knocked it off and given it in cash, but usually it take so long to get the receipt I can’t be bothered to wait for a reprint.Maybe I’ve lead a sheltered life living in a small town.
Went to a local pizza place that’s just opened a few months ago and had a nice meal and paid by card as usual.
There was a 10% discretionary service charge already on the bill which to be honest I’ve not encountered in that particular place before. I’m sure the last time I was presented with the card machine that had the option of adding a tip.
I’m assuming this happens at a lot of restaurants.
Do you just pay up with the assumption you we’re going to leave a tip anyway?
Does anybody query it and get it removed?
Sadly I guess the margins are so tight s
te like this keeps the top brass in cheese covered yachts or whatever they like Had this a few times - I leave a tip for good service as a matter of course - but a while ago had a shocker - an lo and behold the discretionary tip was already on the bill which was a bit rich considering the manager had been grovelling and apologising thoughout - had it summarily removed.....
Fist time I had this I didn't notice until I randomly pulled receipt out of my wallet a few days later - was more than a bit grumpy about it as had left a fiver on the table in accidental addition - won't be using that place again on principle....
Fist time I had this I didn't notice until I randomly pulled receipt out of my wallet a few days later - was more than a bit grumpy about it as had left a fiver on the table in accidental addition - won't be using that place again on principle....
I had it once on a hotel stay, 14% added to my bill for this purpose on check out..... "Its in our t&cs sir"
The annoying thing was I'd tipped waiters etc as normal & had been very underwhelmed by the overall stay anyway.
They really pushed back when i asked for it to be removed and made a right song & dance needing to get the manager down, delaying departure, but the cost was the equivilent to a nice dinner out for the family, which had neen sprung on me last minute.
I stood firm & got its removed then used trip advisor to leave further "feedback.
The annoying thing was I'd tipped waiters etc as normal & had been very underwhelmed by the overall stay anyway.
They really pushed back when i asked for it to be removed and made a right song & dance needing to get the manager down, delaying departure, but the cost was the equivilent to a nice dinner out for the family, which had neen sprung on me last minute.
I stood firm & got its removed then used trip advisor to leave further "feedback.
Andeh1 said:
I had it once on a hotel stay, 14% added to my bill for this purpose on check out..... "Its in our t&cs sir"
The annoying thing was I'd tipped waiters etc as normal & had been very underwhelmed by the overall stay anyway.
They really pushed back when i asked for it to be removed and made a right song & dance needing to get the manager down, delaying departure, but the cost was the equivilent to a nice dinner out for the family, which had neen sprung on me last minute.
I stood firm & got its removed then used trip advisor to leave further "feedback.
Was this in Germany Holland or Belgium by any chance? The annoying thing was I'd tipped waiters etc as normal & had been very underwhelmed by the overall stay anyway.
They really pushed back when i asked for it to be removed and made a right song & dance needing to get the manager down, delaying departure, but the cost was the equivilent to a nice dinner out for the family, which had neen sprung on me last minute.
I stood firm & got its removed then used trip advisor to leave further "feedback.
At a friend's after wedding party at a rather expensive hotel local to us, a friend is queueing at the bar to get drinks, the man behind her whispers to her, "just to warn you, they add a 20% decretionary service charge to the bill".
The drinks were bloody expensive as they were, then adding 20% for a sullen young woman to pop the top off a bottle of beer and pour 2 glasses of wine, our friend asked for it to be removed before it was added.
Generally I'm fine with it at a restaurant, however I do think it's a bit of a cheek though.
The drinks were bloody expensive as they were, then adding 20% for a sullen young woman to pop the top off a bottle of beer and pour 2 glasses of wine, our friend asked for it to be removed before it was added.
Generally I'm fine with it at a restaurant, however I do think it's a bit of a cheek though.
sjabrown said:
I think this is an American thing mainly?
I don’t and won’t tip as routine but will tip for good service. A discretionary tip automatically on a bill would see me not return to that place again.
Pretty much the same here, if i think the service and food has been above and beyond what i expected, then i am happy to add 10% as a standard tip on the bill, but if they add 20% as a standard measure then i wont be eating there again no matter what.I don’t and won’t tip as routine but will tip for good service. A discretionary tip automatically on a bill would see me not return to that place again.
MarkJS said:
This would be a lovely problem to have right now.
We were once followed out of a restaurant (more of a diner) & down the street after lunch in New York by a waitress who felt that we hadn’t tipped enough. It escapes me now what the expected percentage of the bill was.
A similar thing happened to the wife in New York. A moody waitress, one of the meals wrong but other than that not too bad. They left a 10% tip and the waitress said 10% wasn’t enough for NYC and followed them to the door. Wife’s sister told her to start giving NYC levels of service in that case. We were once followed out of a restaurant (more of a diner) & down the street after lunch in New York by a waitress who felt that we hadn’t tipped enough. It escapes me now what the expected percentage of the bill was.
I think at least 20% is expected.
Little Pete said:
MarkJS said:
This would be a lovely problem to have right now.
We were once followed out of a restaurant (more of a diner) & down the street after lunch in New York by a waitress who felt that we hadn’t tipped enough. It escapes me now what the expected percentage of the bill was.
A similar thing happened to the wife in New York. A moody waitress, one of the meals wrong but other than that not too bad. They left a 10% tip and the waitress said 10% wasn’t enough for NYC and followed them to the door. Wife’s sister told her to start giving NYC levels of service in that case. We were once followed out of a restaurant (more of a diner) & down the street after lunch in New York by a waitress who felt that we hadn’t tipped enough. It escapes me now what the expected percentage of the bill was.
I think at least 20% is expected.
Back in 2000, we went to the newly opened Sanderson Hotel for some pre- getting wkered drinks. We didn't want to sit and headed straight for the bar. 2 whiskys and lemonade and i received about £1.20 change from a £20 note. On checking the receipt there was a 20% service charge for US to go and get our own bloody drinks!
kered drinks. We didn't want to sit and headed straight for the bar. 2 whiskys and lemonade and i received about £1.20 change from a £20 note. On checking the receipt there was a 20% service charge for US to go and get our own bloody drinks!It’s fairly standard to add 12.5% these days.
I don’t have a problem with it. Having worked as a waiter in a country house hotel during A levels some years ago you would be surprised at the number of people who leave a few pound coins regardless of the size of the bill.
It tended to be the vulgar flash types ordering ostentatiously ie champagne etc and then you’d see 2 or 3 quid on a 100 quid bill.
Now I’m in a fortunate position I always tip generously. Mean tippers are the worst.
I don’t have a problem with it. Having worked as a waiter in a country house hotel during A levels some years ago you would be surprised at the number of people who leave a few pound coins regardless of the size of the bill.
It tended to be the vulgar flash types ordering ostentatiously ie champagne etc and then you’d see 2 or 3 quid on a 100 quid bill.
Now I’m in a fortunate position I always tip generously. Mean tippers are the worst.
I dislike this practice immensely. It assumes that service was worthy of tipping and assumes that I am happy to leave a tip. nine times out of ten I am but I would like to retain that privilege myself.
I'll always ask for it to be removed and leave a cash tip.... unless they have assumed a tip amount less than I was thinking of which is almost always the case.
I'll always ask for it to be removed and leave a cash tip.... unless they have assumed a tip amount less than I was thinking of which is almost always the case.
StevieBee said:
I dislike this practice immensely. It assumes that service was worthy of tipping and assumes that I am happy to leave a tip. nine times out of ten I am but I would like to retain that privilege myself.
I'll always ask for it to be removed and leave a cash tip.... unless they have assumed a tip amount less than I was thinking of which is almost always the case.
So you never asked for it to be removed then? I'll always ask for it to be removed and leave a cash tip.... unless they have assumed a tip amount less than I was thinking of which is almost always the case.
Spare tyre said:
Andeh1 said:
I had it once on a hotel stay, 14% added to my bill for this purpose on check out..... "Its in our t&cs sir"
The annoying thing was I'd tipped waiters etc as normal & had been very underwhelmed by the overall stay anyway.
They really pushed back when i asked for it to be removed and made a right song & dance needing to get the manager down, delaying departure, but the cost was the equivilent to a nice dinner out for the family, which had neen sprung on me last minute.
I stood firm & got its removed then used trip advisor to leave further "feedback.
Was this in Germany Holland or Belgium by any chance? The annoying thing was I'd tipped waiters etc as normal & had been very underwhelmed by the overall stay anyway.
They really pushed back when i asked for it to be removed and made a right song & dance needing to get the manager down, delaying departure, but the cost was the equivilent to a nice dinner out for the family, which had neen sprung on me last minute.
I stood firm & got its removed then used trip advisor to leave further "feedback.
It's one thing if it's a restaurant, I can see the point as long as the staff actually get it, after all if you just tip the waiter with the bill then all the chefs and everyone else that has (hopefully) given you a good service misses out.
If it's just a bar, where they don't even bother to pour your beer into a glass then definitely not!
I've asked to have it removed in a hotel once (really st service and very overpriced for the state of it!)
My mum (who doesn't live here) was once very surprised by it, it was either a harvester or carvery type place, she was horrified they had added a service charge to the bill - as we had served our own drinks and some or all of our own meals!
If it's just a bar, where they don't even bother to pour your beer into a glass then definitely not!
I've asked to have it removed in a hotel once (really s
t service and very overpriced for the state of it!)My mum (who doesn't live here) was once very surprised by it, it was either a harvester or carvery type place, she was horrified they had added a service charge to the bill - as we had served our own drinks and some or all of our own meals!
Generally I think I’m at least an acceptable tipper, if not good. However I have to be honest, the assumption pisses me off so much that I have it removed and leave no tip.
One restaurant we visit regularly (or did pre Covid) started doing this. Fortunately we only had to have the tip removed once and then it was never added to my bill again.
One restaurant we visit regularly (or did pre Covid) started doing this. Fortunately we only had to have the tip removed once and then it was never added to my bill again.
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