I think whether to tip or not and how much if so should be MY prerogative based on quality of service received...... not mandatory.

I think whether to tip or not and how much if so should be MY prerogative based on quality of service received...... not mandatory.

EXACTLY....................this is my whole point, give people the choice.

I normally tip 20%. when I see a mandatory 18% added to my bill I just give them the 18% instead of 20%. So they lose out.

This is on AOL today - a slideshow of "What Waiters Don't Like About You" (Or something like that). It's the counter to a previous story "What We Don't Like About Restaurants" (Or something like that).

"IF YOU CAN'T TIP, DON'T EAT OUT

Quote: "Oh and here's a little tip for those of you who don't know: we don't just want tips for our pocket, we want 'em for the food that Uncle Sam taxes US to feed you. That's right, I get taxed for what I sell. So if you order a huge meal, and then sheepishly tell me that you're sorry but you just don't have enough for a tip, I may smile and say, "That's ok, just get me next time." (Which is exactly what I do.) But inside I'm thanking you for giving me the privilage of paying for part of your meal, and for working for you for free. I'm sure my kids will too."
"Does anyone realize what a waitress/waiter gets paid an HOUR!?!? I work in a restaurant that is like Eat n Park. Make ALMOST $3.00 an hour for wages, but HAVE to pay TAXES on $4.35 an hour! If I do not "bust my butt" and try to get AT LEAST 15% TIP from a table, I am LOSING money!"

Wanna tip us off to your pet peeve? Sound off on our blog.

Wow my tip covers the taxes on the meal? I didn't know that. I wonder if waiters with this kind of attitudes understand that the customer may choose to eat out at a different restaurant.

I know that's what it sounded like she was saying, but what she meant was your tip covers her "phantom" tax on the $1.35 per hour that the IRS ASSUMES she's making. Waitpersons are assumed to be making at least minimum wage, though most aren't, because the Feds allow them a lower minimum because they earn tips. That's where her $3.00/hr comes in. So she has to earn at least $1.35 in tips each hour just to make the $4.35 that the IRS will be taxing her for whether she makes that or not. And remember, there's no guarantee that she'll have a customer every hour, either, so every dollar is very important to them.

I don't mind the minatory tip, but let us know, ... don't let us double tip, it totally sucks to find out later on that "we" double tip for such slow terrible service, the Waite staff suuuuucccckkkkkkssssssss[/b]

Not making enough an hour should be an issue with your employer not your customer.

i've not read all the responses, but i will after i post this.

i will no longer frequent shipwreck tavern because they placed an 18% tip on my bill without my permission. when i questioned it, i was told that the information was already given to me. it's on the menu in fine print, but i believe that the tip should be at the discretion of the diner.

i always have, and i always will. so, i make a choice on my own as to where i will dine. nobody forces me to tip, and the audacity to ask for an entire 18%.

was one of my favorite places, but no longer.

"Is the gratuity included ?" - a simple question to ask these days.

Anita, this thread was over two years old, dead and gone before someone resurrected it. Honestly I'm appalled that Shipwreck is still pulling this same scan after this issue was brought up not on just this forum but on other visitor forums. Outrageous!

And, ExitZero, if apologies are in order for being feisty late at night then consider them said, but a customer should NEVER have to beg that question.

I may well have said this a couple of years ago on this same thread but it bears repeating since my stance hasn't changed. Adding on a gratuity is fine for a large party but should be spelled out on the menu and NOT in teeny tiny print.

As a restaurant owner I've NEVER put a gratuity clause on the menu but, if I did, it would be in big and bold letters.

Shame on Shipwreck for continuing this nonsense despite a couple of years of negative posts. Guess they think it's of no matter. AA4rgh.

No apology is ever necessary to me, you are too well respected for that -- I just think if you care about the tipping scenario -- just point blank ASK - it isn't begging the question; it is a question.
I imagine Shipwreck is dealing with many cruise ship customers and in all fairness if they are going to automatically put a gratuity on some checks, it should go on all checks. BIG print would help alleviate some worries I guess.

Tips can be mandatory, when good service is mandatory!!!

exit zero wrote:
"Is the gratuity included ?" - a simple question to ask these days.

so it's my fault.

fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

STT Resident wrote:
Anita, this thread was over two years old, dead and gone before someone resurrected it. Honestly I'm appalled that Shipwreck is still pulling this same scan after this issue was brought up not on just this forum but on other visitor forums. Outrageous!

And, ExitZero, if apologies are in order for being feisty late at night then consider them said, but a customer should NEVER have to beg that question.

I may well have said this a couple of years ago on this same thread but it bears repeating since my stance hasn't changed. Adding on a gratuity is fine for a large party but should be spelled out on the menu and NOT in teeny tiny print.

As a restaurant owner I've NEVER put a gratuity clause on the menu but, if I did, it would be in big and bold letters.

Shame on Shipwreck for continuing this nonsense despite a couple of years of negative posts. Guess they think it's of no matter. AA4rgh.

stt resident,

it's their prerogative as an establishment. it had come up on this board, but when i went there, i saw a series of tip suggestions on the bottom of my bill, but it was never added in. i have been several times since then, it was a fave of mine. until recently when i decided to invite a friend to dinner.

maybe they decided to drop the flexibility. or, maybe they only add it on at their own discretion.

no matter, i am only one customer and they won't miss me. and they won't have to worry about me being surprised by it any more.

Why not ask to speak with the owners [ Don and Jutta] about the policy - maybe flexibility was considered discrimination for some reason - certainly the server shouldn't be the one forced to make the decision.
Many establishments now charge the server the credit card fee on the credit card tip as a deduction on their paycheck and in that case most servers end up with a net loss on the check each week and must pay the restaurant cash to take care of that deduction - was the tip included in the total on the credit card and the gratuity space left blank? If you paid cash where was the tip added? It is always open to your challenge unless it is clearly and openly stated on the menu that a" #% Service Charge is Added on All Items."

exit zero wrote:
Why not ask to speak with the owners [ Don and Jutta] about the policy - maybe flexibility was considered discrimination for some reason - certainly the server shouldn't be the one forced to make the decision.
Many establishments now charge the server the credit card fee on the credit card tip as a deduction on their paycheck and in that case most servers end up with a net loss on the check each week and must pay the restaurant cash to take care of that deduction - was the tip included in the total on the credit card and the gratuity space left blank? If you paid cash where was the tip added? It is always open to your challenge unless it is clearly and openly stated on the menu that a" #% Service Charge is Added on All Items."

the check had that on it when it was brought to my table. no discussion about method of payment at that point, it was just on there.

i spoke to the waitress, and she spoke to someone about it although i did not participate in the conversation. overheard: "it is what it is". so that was that.

i told her that when i tip it's intended for the server/staff benefit and i objected to management adding on a tip as they don't know what kind of job she may have done for me. she did a good job, by the way, and she handled my annoyance very well.

i also told her that i understood that during the day many patrons from the cruise ships perhaps did not tip, but at night, for residents, that should not even come up. why should we be punished for the daytime crowd's failure to tip?

maybe they should just raise their prices and pay the staff better.

anyway, it is what it is.

My best guess is that Shipwreck due to its location doesn't get a lot of cruise ship passengers.

Shipwreck does close to 300 lunches on a good cruise ship day and that is 90% sheeple. Read the SOURCE article about the harbor pilot problem yesterday - an exact quote from the executive chef. Not the sheeple part!

Hard to grab onto that 300 person number. You'd have to have a pretty savvy restaurateur being able to accommodate that many folks that just show up. Even if they knew a couple of hours ahead of time getting a head count from the ships, would be hard to come up with that much food variety. Would definitely have to see where you came up with that number. Seems a bit iffy to me.