- Joined
- Sep 3, 2011
- Messages
- 34,817
- Reaction score
- 18,576
- Location
- Look to your right... I'm that guy.
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- Political Leaning
- Centrist
It is deceptive. The example in the video shows only "18% Gratuity". No mention whatsoever that it is only suggested and can be reduced or even eliminated. None. That is intentionally deceptive, and anybody who tries to claim otherwise is simply being an apologist for unethical business practices.Good. I hope the restaurants lose. It's a deceptive and tacky practice.
What I resent is how tipping has evolved into a literal entitlement mentality.I know it's a cultural thing but I ########## hate tipping. It just boils my blood. Especially this habit of automatic gratuities. How can that be conducive to good service when it's freaking automatic. For me (and pretty much the rest of Au) a tip is only rendered after outstanding service/excellent meal or for going completely out of their way etc. Grr.
Oh and stupid Sales Taxes, why can't they add them into the price? And they aren't even an even % that's easy to calculate. VATs ftw.
I'm gonna be the stingiest bastard when I come over.
My principle objection is the reduced wage waiters/waitresses get based on the expectation of tipping. I would rather the restaurant raise the price of the meal, pay the attendants properly and allow me the privilege of tipping or not based on the quality of the service.To Insure Prompt Service. A tip is not wages it is a reward for doing your job well and to punish those that sluff off by with holding the gratuity.
My principle objection is the reduced wage waiters/waitresses get based on the expectation of tipping. I would rather the restaurant raise the price of the meal, pay the attendants properly and allow me the privilege of tipping or not based on the quality of the service.
Back when they first proposed taxation on tips, and set a rate assuming servers etc. all get a certain amount of tips, I knew crap like this was coming.
Tips are not wages!!! Tips are supposed to be a reward for extra or good service. The amount, if any, should always be up to the patron.
But now we have these restaurants with pissy servers who act like they are doing you a favor, and they expect a tip. We feel obligated because of this tax crap. As for tacking on gratuities? This is not the first time I have seen businesses do this, and I simply avoid places that do.
If you're in New York and eating at Red Lobster you deserve to be ripped off
But this is the problem, tips are wages in America. Plenty waiters/waitresses don't get paid a wage at all, and the only money they get is in tips.
I wonder if these restaurants actually pass this mandatory tip to the server...or if they pocket the money?
Maybe in the U.K., but we've had a Federal minimum wage since 1938. Tips only started being taxed in 1984. The problem is that tips, as I stated, are NOT wages. Why? Because they are not guaranteed and are awarded based on each patrons view of the service they were given. Lousy service, no tip. Average service, no tip or minor tip. Good to excellent service, 10% - 25%+.
Servers got minimum wage plus tips. Tips were not taxed. Then Congress decided this wasn't fair and set up a system of taxing tips as if they were standard wages. So, once upon a time people providing a service did so with a smile and lots of effort. Now, restaurants treat tips as expected wages, reduce actual wages to a pittance, and patrons are guilted into paying tips because thats what the servers live on. As for the servers, they expect it just for showing up at your table.
I was talking about the US, not the UK.
I believe waiters/waitresses aren't eligible for the minimum wage in the US.
Tips are not wages. Tips are income. Income is taxable.
Wages are another category of income, also.
The whole thing works on the assumption that people don't know they have the option of reducing it. There are almost no other examples where it's accepted industry practice for additional charges that you didn't request to be added to your bill unless you ask for them not to be.if the guests have the option to reduce or remove the gratuity that was automatically added then I don't see a problem with it