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The Godfather · Oct 17, 2008, 11:57 PM

Last week, I bought a few of those restaurant.com coupons because they were on sale. Good deal overall (go read the website for conditions and restrictions). What bothered me was that the coupon exhorts you to tip the waiter, even after it explicitly reads "Gratuity of 18% will be added".

Consider these two plans of action:
A. I pay a 15% tip, therefore screwung myself with a 34% tip overall.
B. I pay no tip, assuming that the 18% gratuity is actually pocketed by the waitress/waiter, and I never go back because I am going to get lousy service next time.

What's the lesser of the two evils? Can I assume that the servers aren't exactly lower income people, since my coupons are all for hoity-toity restaurants?

Andrew Stephens · Oct 18, 2008, 04:23 AM

hoity-toity restaurants don't normally pay servers any more than low rent diners.

The Godfather · Oct 18, 2008, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

hoity-toity restaurants don't normally pay servers any more than low rent diners.

That would be a problem if I went to those restaurants and order the onion soup and get out.
The food is more expensive, therefore the server nets more money with the 15%+ gratuity.

Rumor · Oct 18, 2008, 01:29 PM

Last restaurant I work at, I netted app. 24% of my sales as tips.

Andrew Stephens · Oct 18, 2008, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by The Godfather

That would be a problem if I went to those restaurants and order the onion soup and get out.
The food is more expensive, therefore the server nets more money with the 15%+ gratuity.

yes but he said paid not earned. He was talking about his tipping behaviour so your point is moot.

The Godfather · Oct 18, 2008, 04:52 PM

A.S.,
Was that a rebuttal towards me or towards Rumor?

torsoboy · Oct 18, 2008, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by The Godfather

Last week, I bought a few of those restaurant.com coupons because they were on sale. Good deal overall (go read the website for conditions and restrictions). What bothered me was that the coupon exhorts you to tip the waiter, even after it explicitly reads "Gratuity of 18% will be added".

I don't understand... what is it that says that an 18% tip will be added? If the tip is included in the price you pay, you definitely don't need to add anything onto that.

I think waiters and waitresses don't look for the tip on the table quite as much as they used to. A lot of people put the tip on their card when they pay for their order, so the waiter/waitress doesn't even know what your tip amount is (unless they also ring up your order). And if they ring up the order, then they will already know that 18% has been added as a tip automatically.

Eug · Oct 18, 2008, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

hoity-toity restaurants don't normally pay servers any more than low rent diners.

Actually, many do.

Originally Posted by torsoboy

I don't understand... what is it that says that an 18% tip will be added? If the tip is included in the price you pay, you definitely don't need to add anything onto that.

Correct. No point in paying a tip twice.

P.S. I almost never pay the tip on the table, unless I'm paying cash in the first place. I much prefer paying my restaurant bills on my credit card.

IceEnclosure · Oct 19, 2008, 12:07 AM

Godfather, why don't you just confirm with your waiter that the gratuity is either included or isn't. Regardless of what restaurants.com states. A waiter shouldn't suffer because a guest used a gift certificate or coupon.

If it's included, fine. If not, add it yourself.

If I go somewhere to eat with a gift certificate or coupon, I usually leave some real nice cash for the waiter. I've saved money, EVEN WITH a larger than normal tip, so I'm happy and so is the waiter.

torsoboy · Oct 19, 2008, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

If I go somewhere to eat with a gift certificate or coupon, I usually leave some real nice cash for the waiter. I've saved money, EVEN WITH a larger than normal tip, so I'm happy and so is the waiter.

The rule of etiquette for a tip (according to Dear Abby) is that you pay the tip on the amount of the meal before the coupon was applied. This way, like you said, the waiter doesn't get the shaft just because you used a coupon.

But don't pay it twice.

SSharon · Oct 19, 2008, 08:49 PM

I have got in the habit of paying for the meal by credit card and then where it leaves a line for the tip amount on the receipt I write "cash" and leave cash on the table. This way I don't have to carry tons of cash to pay for the meal and I know the waiter gets what I want them to get without the restaurant having to pay even more in credit card fees (assuming they pay a %).

ghporter · Oct 19, 2008, 09:24 PM

First, anyplace that automatically adds any gratuity CANNOT complain if you mark that out on the bill. It's not part of the price, so they can't force you to pay it. Frequently, I tip more than 18%, so it comes out good for the server if I do that.

Second, the manner in which you pay is irrelevant, so leave a decent (if earned) tip based on the bottom line of the check, NOT based on how much you actually pay out of pocket. The server does the same amount of work if you pay 100% with cash or 100% with coupons, and the tip is supposed to reflect the service, not your payment method.

Third, never be afraid to call the manager over and let him/her know about something, either bad or good. I've had visits to restaurants where the kitchen staff was abysmal, but the wait was great, and I let the manager know that precisely. And I tipped the wait a goodly percentage, too.