Attention Restaurateurs

[Kurt]

Maybe I am behind the times...

You are sounding a bit like somebody's cranky father.

 

[localyocal]

20% tip on the sales tax?

What really gets me is when I go to a local restaurant with my family of six and they add the 20% tip to the total bill INCLUDING the State Sales Tax. If the bill is for $100 I should tip on the total bill, not on the total bill plus the 7-8% portion that is sent to Tallahassee.

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

Look at the total price and if you like the product, get to eating.

Thats part of the problem though Kurt, as the total price is often an unknown until you get the final bill due to undisclosed charges and gratuities. A bit more transperency on the restaurants side is needed.

 

[Beach Runner]

Is the food brought out to the customer's (dine-in) table at these venues? Just my opinion, but I still don't see the point in automatically tacking on the tip. If it's a counter-service restaurant, where the customer goes up, places there order, then returns to pick up their food, a tip seems kind of odd. Maybe they should instead adjust their posted menu prices and not solicit or tack on a tip in order to meet the costs, just an idea based on my opinion.

At Taco Bar you order at the counter and pay when you order. They tell you when you order that a gratuity is added, plus the policy is clearly posted on the chalkboard menu. You can take it or leave it. A runner brings the food to your table.

At Pizza Bar you order at your table or at the bar and then pay when you are finished. No automatic gratuity (well, there might be for large groups, but I've never seen the check in those situations). As a pizza restaurant they get a lot of takeout orders. When you order takeout, they make a point to tell you up front that there will be a 15% gratuity added to the check. At that point you can take it or leave it.

I think it's a fair policy because you are told up front about the gratuity being added, rather than being told after you've gotten your food which is too late.

 

[Andy A]

Not really sure about automatic gratuity on togo orders. However just keep in mind the points I mentioned above.


I've got a twist to this question for everyone. On buy one get one's at a restaurant, do you tip on the check after the discount? or what the check would have been before the discount? And I am talking about dinging in, not take out. Keep in mind the server is still doing the same amount of work....

It is considered proper to tip on what the amount would have been for both meals. At least that is what I do. You are right about the amount of work.

 

[PJJ]

I'll take the owner's side. They have to decide how to run things to keep staff happy (which gets harder and harder). They have to provide good service if they want a good business. If there are too many customers who are not tipping enough then the staff, if they are any good, will go work somewhere else. Keep in mind some of the customers around you never tip, make mistakes and tip a dollar when they meant to tip 10, tip 2%, and some walk out on the whole bill. Granted some great tippers make up for some of this, but an owner has to make SURE it balances out in their favor to stay in business.

The owner has to look out for staff. It's a constant balancing act of keeping staff happy, which keep customers happy and keep them coming back. A smart owner will keep it going and adjust when necessary. The price is going to go up somewhere if it needs to.

This is one of the inefficiencies of owners depending on tips to compensate their employees. If an owner was truly looking to keep his staff and customers happy he'd pay the staff a wage that is competitive with the market, and remove the opaqueness and price the menu to include all services. It baffles me that restaurateurs, applauded and awarded for their innovation, won't think to drift from industry standard compensation. It would solve the inherent back of the house/front of the house conflict, the owner/server conflict (think overpouring of drinks), clarify and standardize a byzantine system and align incentives for the entire restaurant. It is too bad that economists recognize the risk in the restaurant business because I don't see it ever changing.

 

[Green Knight]

Everyone has a differing Opinion on whether to Tip on To-Go Orders...I am in the No Category because they are doing nothing that Popeyes..Chick-Fil-A..Wendy's did not do and you don't tip them...This is more of an Owners being Cheap and trying to pay as many people as possible The Server Wage instead of The Minimum Wage...at places like Outback and Carrabba's who actually bring the food to your car they are paid The Minimum Wage or above and not The Server Wage...I know this because I know people who have done that exact job...Tipping is for people who serve your meal..take your plates.bring your drinks..the full experience IMO...Not stuffing some food into Sysco Containers(Which The Cooks do by the way) and putting it in a Plastic Thank You Bag....heck the guys at Chinese Take Out do more than that and they don't have a Tip Jar on The Counter

 

[30A Skunkape]

You are sounding a bit like somebody's cranky father.

I'm just looking out for us little guys. And I advocate the return of mandatory jackets in dining rooms, too.

 

[LuciferSam]

I've decided from hereon I'll keep my tipping habits to myself. What y'all don't know won't hurt you or me.

 

[scooterbug44]

I'm just looking out for us little guys. And I advocate the return of mandatory jackets in dining rooms, too.

I'd settle for a "no cell phone" policy and a little more attention paid to how staff/policies are representing your business and affecting your bottom line.

My criticisms tend to be rather minor because I know I would probably maim customers if I had to do those jobs, but friends in the service industry are constantly annoyed and pointing out that x,y,z are things that just should NOT be done.