DDE observation

[jjohnson]

When using my DDE card this week the bill automatically added 18% gratuity at every establishment. Last year I always added the 20% discount back to the CM. Anyone else notice this change? If not, make sure you double check your bill or you may be doubling the tip.

 

[lillygator]

Nope - we dined today at 50's PT and were not charged 18% gratuity and just as in today our tax is always recalculated even though it isn't supposed to be.

 

[Mary Anne]

Did you have 8 or more people. I think that is what triggers the tip to be built in.

 

[notnothin]

When using my DDE card this week the bill automatically added 18% gratuity at every establishment. Last year I always added the 20% discount back to the CM. Anyone else notice this change? If not, make sure you double check your bill or you may be doubling the tip.

Strange. That was not our experience in May. I always took the 20% discount and used that as the tip for the server. After hearing this, however, I will keep a close eye on the bill in December!

 

[jjohnson]

Hmm...There were 6 of us. I just doublechecked & each receipt has 18% gratuity added under the sub total & states at the bottom "gratuities included"

 

[agnes!]

Yikes, I certainly hope this is not a change, but maybe an aberration! I belive that the 10% was indeed added to your bill, but when we went last(this past April) no tips were included at any of the restaurants we ate & used our DDE at. I *hate* included-gratuities, when I am in a tipping environment I like to make up my own mind what to pay and am usually generous (based of course on the level of service).

Hmmmm...I wonder...would it be possible for the servers to somehow get the DDE & the DDP mixed up?

To the OP - thanks for the heads-up. We're going back ths month & I'll make sure to check our bill carefully.
agnes!

 

[Mary Anne]

I was just wondering the same thing about DDE and DDP getting mixed up. We will check our bill when we are there.

 

[notnothin]

I was just wondering the same thing about DDE and DDP getting mixed up. We will check our bill when we are there.

I could imagine this happening once, but not for the entire trip. Sounds very strange indeed!

 

[DeeDeeDis]

Was there first week of May and tip was not included in any of our checks.

thanks for the heads up i have to renew my card and will ask if there has been a change in this, also one of those who do not appreciate the amount of tip i choose to leave to be determined for me.

 

[lillygator]

We were also there 5/16-5/21 and not once were we given the auto gratuity.

 

[java]

hmmm very strange indeed....... I see you are from NY perhaps they heard your accent and assumed you were not from the US and didn't know the tipping practices..
(said with my NY accent that is turning Jersey since we moved here)

 

[Merriwind]

We just home Friday and there were no gratuities added in with our DDE. We just added back the discount for the tip, as many do. Strange... We will definitely keep it in mind and look in October.

 

[jarrdisney]

Strange. That was not our experience in May. I always took the 20% discount and used that as the tip for the server. After hearing this, however, I will keep a close eye on the bill in December!

I was wondering if it is proper to give the amount of the discount directly back to the server. If memory serves me correct it's 20% of the bill not including tax. I've always tipped 20% of the entire bill including tax. What do you make of this?

 

[jjohnson]

I tried to scan a few receipts, hopefully they come out clear enough

 

[Mystic]

I am not sure they confused you with the DDP because I just looked at my receipts from our Oct. trip with the free dining and the gratuity is 15%. Don't know if this helps anything...it was in '05.

 

[Raevyn_Wolfe]

I was wondering if it is proper to give the amount of the discount directly back to the server. If memory serves me correct it's 20% of the bill not including tax. I've always tipped 20% of the entire bill including tax. What do you make of this?

The "proper" way to tip is 15% of the total before tax, but before any discount as well.
So if you total is $20 (i wish), yet you have a dicount that gets you $5 off or whatever, making your new total $15 you still tip 15% of $20.
The reasoning is that the server worked just as hard to bring you your discounted food as he/she would have if it wasn't discounted so why tip less.

When we use our DDE card we generally tip back our 20% as well. Working the service industry we tip generously anyways (mainly 20% or more) it makes things much easier since the math is done for you already, your discount given back to you was 20% off of the original total.

To OP, wow, we'll have to keep an eye open for that in the future! While we generally tip more than 18% I too HATE it when a tip is added as an assumption! I hate people basicly telling me what I will or will not tip. I think if this happened I would demand the manager adjust it and the server would probably get less than they would have got if they hadn't added the "forced" gratuity.