Gratuities

[nazali]

a question/thoughts etc.

Staying in a 5X hotel, so prices for anything is high, but I get that, the service I get from everyone here is ALWAYS over and above. NOW I haven't stayed at this hotel in a while.

Now they have automatic daily break down of everything, I can access from my TV. I found on one in-room dining a gratuity of $27.24, which is an odd number for me.

I think that day I gave $20 (wrote on the in-room dining) so of course front desk say's they do an "automatic" gratuity, which for my $68 meal looks around 10%. Which I wish I knew and PRE-COVID, last stay here was about 2-3 years ago, I know there was no auto-tipping on in-room services

So today and last night, I don't do in-room, I go to the bar and pay with my card and give them a cash tip.

So a few questions...

1> What do you think of "automatic gratuities", personally I don't like them, it encourages staff being under paid and relying on tips to get by.

2> WHERE does the auto- tip actually go to ?

3> If I give a server a tip, in my mind I am tipping on quality of service, quality of food etc.

4> There were a lot of people behind my meal, washers, busboys, cooks, and the person who brought my meal, if I give that person a $10 cash- tip, are other people missing out, hence the auto tip

5> What do you guy's tip on

Anything else I left out.

I know the hospitality industry is really bad, and you get some very hard, low paid workers who rely on tips, so I don't have a problem with that.

Housekeeping always get's a tip from me.

[nazali]

google (for the US says)

Auto gratuity is when a restaurant automatically adds a gratuity charge to the bill of a party. Usually, this gratuity is equal to 18% of the bill and is only applied to parties of six or eight or more.

[nazali]

my actual tip for the bill was 40.05%
WTF

[nazali]

so added thoughts

A gratuity is defined as
"a payment voluntarily made by a customer to the employer for employees"

Employers can decide if there will be a tip pooling arrangement in the workplace, including who will participate, and how it will be distributed. For example, the employer can determine:

fun fact:
In Quebec servers are automatically taxed on 8% of their gross sales each payday. If you have a meal for two that costs $100 before taxes and you don't leave a tip the server will be taxed on $8 of that sale - so serving you has actually cost the server money.

fun fact etiquette
If you are invited to a Canadian home for dinner, it is normal to bring a small hostess gift or contribution to the evening. Flowers, a bottle of wine, or a box of chocolates are typical gifts
No one has ever brought me $h1T LOL

[TiMSport]

Are you always high when you post new threads? You have a regular monologue routine down. Lol.

[Finn Germai-Yaz]

What a weird place to ask strangers about tipping.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Are you always high when you post new threads? You have a regular monologue routine down. Lol.

He seems to like to answer his own questions. :

[Fritzer]

The very existence of tipping is antiquated and retarded. More specifically, compulsory tipping. Compulsory and/or "automatic" tipping completely defeats the purpose of tipping in the first place. Tipping has evolved from rewarding extraordinary services, to just another revenue stream through businesses that can become taxed revenue. All tipping has brought in it's modern iteration is restricting worker's income growth potential by businesses factoring in prospective "tips" into an employee's wage. Thus requiring them to "live off of tips" - which brings about the compulsory or "automatic" gratuities - which in turn defeats the purpose of tipping. All tipping is now, is the business pushing off it's cost of labor, onto the customer.

If you as a business, provide a higher quality of service than the previous business, you should compensate your employees more and adjust prices accordingly. Tipping should be outlawed.

Originally Posted by nazali

fun fact:
In Quebec servers are automatically taxed on 8% of their gross sales each payday. If you have a meal for two that costs $100 before taxes and you don't leave a tip the server will be taxed on $8 of that sale - so serving you has actually cost the server money.

This is psychotic. Is this to somehow pre-emptively tax server's tips?

[Tommy-G]

Ill skip the drama portion of the post and reply.
Growing up, I never had money so I find that now and especially NOW I try to be as generous as possible.

(Side story)We went out to lunch Sat and some nutsacks old enough to know better (45-50) were really treating the bartender (approx same age) like dog sh!t. My wife handed her a nice cash tip and told her this is for having to deal with these little dicks and walked out. Not having any more cash, I left the regular tip on my card and waited to get stabbed in the parking lot but nothing like that on this day

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by Tommy-G

Ill skip the drama portion of the post and reply.
Growing up, I never had money so I find that now and especially NOW I try to be as generous as possible.

(Side story)We went out to lunch Sat and some nutsacks old enough to know better (45-50) were really treating the bartender (approx same age) like dog sh!t. My wife handed her a nice cash tip and told her this is for having to deal with these little dicks and walked out. Not having any more cash, I left the regular tip on my card and waited to get stabbed in the parking lot but nothing like that on this day

They have to take a lot of crap. It's not right. They're just trying to make a living.

[ASAP]

My opinion on tipping is this-

If you do a good job, you get a good tip. Completely understanding of the fact that this is part of your salary... however what if you do a shitty job? Do i still tip? And what do I tip?

Conversly, what if we removed tipping? Would service just get shittier and no one would be incentivized to work well?

Are companies screwing us to pay their employees less? I dunno...

[fiveohwblow]

Originally Posted by Tommy-G

Ill skip the drama portion of the post and reply.
Growing up, I never had money so I find that now and especially NOW I try to be as generous as possible.

(Side story)We went out to lunch Sat and some nutsacks old enough to know better (45-50) were really treating the bartender (approx same age) like dog sh!t. My wife handed her a nice cash tip and told her this is for having to deal with these little dicks and walked out. Not having any more cash, I left the regular tip on my card and waited to get stabbed in the parking lot but nothing like that on this day

[Esteban]

[TiMSport]

Ahh good 'ol Mr. Pink. Such a great movie. You just knew it would be good when this was the opening scene.

[TheWatchGuy]

pre-covid i tipped ~20-25% minimum, and included whatever auto-gratuity they included into that.

since covid, i tip 30% minimum and usually on top of any auto-gratuity. if someone goes above and beyond or is clearly dealing with some shit, ill go as high as 50% or more.

i never get the people that will tip poorly on poor service. How many times have you gone to work and been like "fuck this shit". Servers deal with the same thing and then have to put on a fake face so Karen can get her extra ranch, and getting a poor tip on a table doesnt help. Its not like they are getting rich of tips. In probably 99% of places, that tip isnt just for the server. Its for the cooks, bartenders, servers, bussers and sometimes the hostess.

If you think you shouldnt have to tip servers because their bosses should just pay them more, and tip poorly because of it, you are punishing the server for you having a problem with the owner. The owner doesnt gaf, they are still getting the money you paid for the meal.

[Fritzer]

While I agree that in North America tipping should still be practiced given the current structure, it's pretty blatant that it is the result of the cultures and ideological values in place failing society. No one should have to depend on tips as a significant portion of their "living wage", or to make ends meet. All this withstanding the fact that there are many harder and more tolling jobs, with less pay, and significantly worse risk. Where are their tips?

While it seems to be a necessity and socially acceptable as of right now, don't make the mistake of equating that to an ethical or moral way of conducting business.

[nazali]

some good replies and outlooks,

I have always tipped and only on 2 occasions, and very far between, did not tip.

But that was before I read up on it, does the server not deserve a tip, because, the kitchen screwed up ?

What I don't still know is if, the tip is "shared" or just for the server. It seems maybe it is, I do think and probably a lot of people agree, everyone should get a good wage and not rely on tips, except for say people on commision (but as long as they also get a good wage).

Basically, if an employee pays you (argument) $5/hour in a job in any job you get paid $10/hour, but the employer is saying. "but oh you'll make that up, so your really making $10"

Which is fine... but as a server your relying on other people and process's which are out of your control. So how can you rely on the other half of your wages.

It's sad and really say's something about our world.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Ahh good 'ol Mr. Pink. Such a great movie. You just knew it would be good when this was the opening scene.

One my favorite scenes. Mr. Orange is telling the story to Mr. White and 'Nice Guy' Eddie, and all of a sudden he's in the bathroom with the cops, then the next thing you know he's telling the story to the cops. Just done so well IMO.

"Buddy, I'm gonna shoot you in the face if you don't put your hands on the f**king dash!"

Apologies to the OP for going OT.

Guilty of doing this often…

[nazali]

These few day's I've been in contact with staff who just fall over themselves to be nice. I used to work in a job which wasn't high profile, (after a redundancy) and I saw first hand how people looked down on me, because of my job (there own self-importance)

and also when I landed in a factory production line, after landing in a new country, I spoke to one of the "technical guys" about a problem they were having and he kinda looked at me as if, "who the fuq are you, just keep putting the square peg into that hole" until i politely told the guy, what job I had been doing, what my actual profession was, and I also let slip, in my last role, I held a what something like a "special clearance" 1 level down from "top secret" and the check was £6000 paid by my employer, took 6 months to complete and was a full background check of me, my family and even my then partner.

He never looked down on me again, I learned from that, and never look down on anyone, regardless of there job. Not that I ever have.
My father was a cop in his home country, immigrated and was shoveling snow and living 5 to a room, never took a day in his life off
worked whatever job put food on our table and all hours.

He eventually bought a house and put his 3 kids through college.

[nazali]

I think, from your "key" comments, ATM it's a necessary evil, especially after covid,

Employers in the hospitality industry have to change but we have to have hearts tooo

I'm lucky to blow money in a 5x hotel for a few nights and drive a brand new BMW, who am I to begrudge some person a few bucks... yeah... I think I get it now.

[nazali]

I do not appreciate this comment, you and me outside at dawn bubba,
what is your preference , fisticuffs or pistols !

I warn you of you decide on un-armed combat, I have a blackbelt in Origami

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

He seems to like to answer his own questions. :

[Tyga11]

I don't really stay at fancy hotels so no idea about that but for restaurants I always leave 20%. If the service sucks I leave 15%. If the service is beyond suck I'll leave 5-10% I guess.

The one that always gets me is tipping for take out. I've been tipping for takeout recently but still on the fence