Restaurant tipping

[devorahS]

The restaurants add 18% gratuity to your bill. Does thay include the tip or I need to tip on top of that? They give you a receipt with a place to fill in a tip but what's the 18% for then?

[Dan]

That's the tip. If you're feeling generous or had exceptional service, you're always free to give more.

[Moshe123]

It's the first thing to go with inflation.

Prices have risen so drastically, that it's hard to swallow adding a tip if it's voluntary.

[Euclid]

Is this like cow tipping?

[Mordyk]

pet peeve- why do some to go restaurants add an option to tip. like seriously I came to pick up my food, or I paid for delivery. 

[AsherO]

pet peeve- why do some to go restaurants add an option to tip. like seriously I came to pick up my food, or I paid for delivery. 

With the default option being 25%, it’s retarded

[ushdadude]

pet peeve- why do some to go restaurants add an option to tip. like seriously I came to pick up my food, or I paid for delivery. 

yup especially when it's on a square type system and they flip the screen around for you to choose the tip.

[AsherO]

yup especially when it's on a square type system and they flip the screen around for you to choose the tip.

Yup, one wrong tap on a big order could cost you $100 with (little to) no recourse.

[devorahS]

Ok that makes more sense. I was wondering why on top of the 18% I had to add more!

[S209]

Yup, one wrong tap on a big order could cost you $100 with (little to) no recourse.

I don’t know what kind of food you eat but that’s a big meal-to-go.

[yitzgar]

I don’t know what kind of food you eat but that’s a big meal-to-go.

Maybe a large family?

[aygart]

I don’t know what kind of food you eat but that’s a big meal-to-go.

And if you are picking up for an office etc it can easily be much more than that.

[AsherO]

And if you are picking up for an office etc it can easily be much more than that.

Yup, for instance. Or sushi platters for an event.

[yuneeq]

pet peeve- why do some to go restaurants add an option to tip. like seriously I came to pick up my food, or I paid for delivery. 

Sometimes the answer is the software came with that option by default and it was never changed.

[daybyday]

I was at a restaurant the other day where the gratuity included was 15%. Oddly I was probably going to give more in the 20% range (it wasn't very pricey and the service was very good).
I do get the basic concept is protecting waiters from not getting paid, but it does defeat the purpose of tips which grow or shrink based on service.

[AsherO]

I was at a restaurant the other day where the gratuity included was 15%. Oddly I was probably going to give more in the 20% range (it wasn't very pricey and the service was very good).
I do get the basic concept is protecting waiters from not getting paid, but it does defeat the purpose of tips which grow or shrink based on service.

Agree. Sometimes waiters put in 0 effort because they’re guaranteed the 15/18% anyway.

[AsherO]

Sometimes the answer is the software came with that option by default and it was never changed.

It’s an ethically grey way to increase tips, which the software/platform company wants because it increased perceived value of the platform by the restaurant, albeit at the expense of consumers (restaurant patrons), but not to the extent that the restaurant will noticeably lose business.

[yuneeq]

I was at a restaurant the other day where the gratuity included was 15%. Oddly I was probably going to give more in the 20% range (it wasn't very pricey and the service was very good).
I do get the basic concept is protecting waiters from not getting paid, but it does defeat the purpose of tips which grow or shrink based on service.

"Mandatory gratuity" is simply a way to grab more money from customers without worrying about terrible service. If 18% tip is mandatory, the prices on the menu should include the cost of the tip. Mike's Bistro actually does this.

[Yaalili]

pet peeve- why do some to go restaurants add an option to tip. like seriously I came to pick up my food, or I paid for delivery. 

Huge pet peeve of mine too. Especially when ordering a prepared item to go. But it's awkward to tip 0%, when they flip around the screen with the tip options.

[devorahS]

 I went out tonight and the 18% was 24.84.
Then, if I feel generous I can give an additional 18%  at 30.96 which is tipping on the tip !!

I asked the manager and he was surprised as well.....