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Service Charges at Restaurants

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Postby Liv » Tue Aug 13, 2013 11:59 pm

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So I think American just went crazy today. I took the family out to lunch at a local pub (Piedmont Ale House) in Burlington. Grabbed a couple beers, and burgers and left sweaty and fat. It all seemed good till I looked down at the bill and noticed a $9.55 service charge for the food.

Was it a tip they demanded (when did it not become voluntary [this was a family of four, not a party, and the bill was under $50])? I mean I've taken large groups to restaurants, or when bills have orbited above $100, I've seen the 10%-20% gratuity on the bill (and menu), but it's always clear as day and always said GRATUITY on the receipt.

I had happened to be using a gift certificate on this occasion, and I'm wondering if they consider this a fee for using the Gift Certificate (equally outrageous)?

Of course the line for a Tip: was still added onto the receipt (not shown) which further confused me.

Isn't the point of tips to reward good service?

I ended up adding a tip to the bill, though quite upset, I was prepared to write a raving review of the establishment prior to the check. I've since emailed customer service with the gift certificate company, and await a response. I'm not sure what's going on here- I mean, what's wrong with America. You sell crap at a set price, and I buy it at a set price- I don't expect surcharges on my bill, especially at the neighborhood bar!

What it did do was turn me off to returning to this restaurant, though I did feel the food was pretty good. There's no point in taking a gift certificate worth $25, and only receiving $15 of it, because the owners have chosen to do business in this matter.

If it was a tip, then let me decide the amount. I actually quite hate the idea of tipping, but continue to be a good tipper at traditional restaurants. However this new trend to put a tip box at Subway, or Ice Cream shops, gas stations, etc... is enough to blow my mind. Do I really need to tip you to do your job now? Do I really need to question the quality of food I receive from a fast-food because you may or may not have liked my tips the last time I visited?

Really? Just do your bloody job, shove the tip jar where the sun don't shine, and if I think your deserving: I'll slip something in your pocket... otherwise stop your complaining and enjoy your minimum wage (waitress/waiter wages not included). Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

So somehow in America we went from tipping service style jobs (waiting, pumping gas, etc.) to tipping EVERYWHERE, and now we're moving on to mandatory tipping. God Bless America.
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Postby SouthernFriedInfidel » Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:25 am

When eating at a place that I'm not familiar with, I always check for tacked-on "mandatory" tips. I run into such things occasionally. And when I see that they've added one, I NEVER add a tip of my own on top. And I never return to such places.

I mean, I know that a lot of people don't tip for good service, and that kind of sucks. And as A Person points out, it also sucks that these places generally make enough money that they COULD pay their wait staff enough that they wouldn't have to rely on tips to actually earn their living. Still, tipping for good service is a traditional part of the process of dining out for me.

I think of it as a means for me to give the servers tangible feedback for their efforts... you do good, you get 15% of the take. You suck badly enough, you might get a rusty old dime out of my pocket. I LOVE nuance. Taking that option out of my hands doesn't sit well with me, ever.
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Postby Liv » Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:12 pm

I agree, and I really, really loved the food there... but a service charge at a pub seems silly.

I went to Ruth Chris last week, and used a gift card... there was no surcharge- and it's a very swanky place.
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Postby SouthernFriedInfidel » Thu Aug 15, 2013 7:01 am

Oh geez, we LOOKED at a Ruth Chris Steakhouse menu once... In Mississippi, IIRC. The prices scared us right off, and we have never even considered looking inside. I've eaten some expensive meals in our lives, but that place still gives me the heebi-geebies. ONLY with a HUGE discount would I ever consider trying it.. and ONLY if I just happen to be wearing a tux at the time.
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Postby Liv » Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:24 pm

Annually they do a $78 for $48 gift card sale, and I grabbed one this year.

I will say this, best steak I've ever had. The meal was absolutely die for. Everything superb.... if you get the chance GO!

Will definitely buy one again if I have the chance.
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