quick gratuity question

[doemichael]

I have been looking at a menu for Hard Rock Cafe and notice it says that for parties of 6 or more 15% gratuity will be automatically added to bill. I have never been anywhere that automatically add's a tip and do not mind paying it. Usually leave 15%-20% when in Florida.

Does this mean that we will not be expected to leave anything above the price on the final bill? or will server still expect a further cash tip on top?

 

[tashasmum]

If a tips included the server shouldn't expect anything else unless the service has been superb. On a quick note we got talking to a guy whose Son was working in Disney, and they were on £1.35 per hour and were basically living on tips, so next time we are in the Rose & Crown, we will certainly make sure we give them a bit extra.

 

[doemichael]

If a tips included the server shouldn't expect anything else unless the service has been superb. On a quick note we got talking to a guy whose Son was working in Disney, and they were on £1.35 per hour and were basically living on tips, so next time we are in the Rose & Crown, we will certainly make sure we give them a bit extra.

thats why I do not mind leaving a tip but here at home I would acually avoid places that include a "service charge " as I do not believe if this is included in th bill ther waiter/waitress's get this money. I have worked as a waitress before in the past. I wonder if the hratuity is acually passed to the servers?

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

While on this theme - check your bill. We went to Ruby Tuesdays at Florida Mall. There are only 4 of us & waiter had included gratuity on bill when he left it for payment!! I normally tip up to 20% & queried why he had put it on (service hadn't been that good - so think he was trying to get it) & asked that he remove it. I did leave a tip but he lost out for being underhand. I know they only automatically add it on for larger parties so it was a good job I checked.

 

[doemichael]

While on this theme - check your bill. We went to Ruby Tuesdays at Florida Mall. There are only 4 of us & waiter had included gratuity on bill when he left it for payment!! I normally tip up to 20% & queried why he had put it on (service hadn't been that good - so think he was trying to get it) & asked that he remove it. I did leave a tip but he lost out for being underhand. I know they only automatically add it on for larger parties so it was a good job I checked.

thanks will remember that

 

[Lindy Loo]

There was just 2 adults and a sleeping 3 yr old at Pizza Hut,opposite Wet and Wild area on I Drive. We had 18% gratiutity added automatically!!!! The service was terrible and cos she was so sneaky adding it on, I asked for it to be removed. She huffed off, and then another couple from the Uk asked for their to be taken off too. Interesting the american couple next to us, said they did not have it added to their bill. I made a nig thing of saying I was happy to tip, but now Im not going to tip anywhere near as much, as the service was poor and her attitude very bad.

We havent been back since, but im glad I stood up for myself!

 

[wayneg]

I usually leave 20%, if they add it on I have it removed and leave 10%.
If they write on the bill, not included, I write on you would have got 20% instead of 10% If you had not asked for it. (they usually do this to UK travellers I have found)
For bad service leave 1c on the table then they know you have not forgotten to tip and you were not happy or better still tell them or the manager.

 

[mike230652]

If a tips included the server shouldn't expect anything else unless the service has been superb. On a quick note we got talking to a guy whose Son was working in Disney, and they were on £1.35 per hour and were basically living on tips, so next time we are in the Rose & Crown, we will certainly make sure we give them a bit extra.

tashasmum

I was chatting in a Manchester restaurant last week with the manager...who used to work in the Rose and Crown. Her wage was CONSIDERABLY more than the $2 an hour ....and she informed me she made enough off tips to fund spending 4 months touring the USA. She never made less than $500 a week..and at peak times cleared $800 a week in tips ......all of which she kept herself.

Good luck to her indeed......but she assured me no-one in WDW is on the breadline. Outside the parks is probably much more difficult, I'd imagine for serving staff.

Mike

 

[Simon06]

tashasmum

I was chatting in a Manchester restaurant last week with the manager...who used to work in the Rose and Crown. Her wage was CONSIDERABLY more than the $2 an hour ....and she informed me she made enough off tips to fund spending 4 months touring the USA. She never made less than $500 a week..and at peak times cleared $800 a week in tips ......all of which she kept herself.

Good luck to her indeed......but she assured me no-one in WDW is on the breadline. Outside the parks is probably much more difficult, I'd imagine for serving staff.

Mike

I always thought that employees in the USA got at least the $5 or $6 an hour minimum wage

 

[gilld]

We have a friend who until 2001 drove the boats across the lake at Epcot. At that time, he was on $3 an hour.

 

[wayneg]

I always thought that employees in the USA got at least the $5 or $6 an hour minimum wage

From 1st Jan 07 the minumum wage is $6.67 unless they are tipped employees who's minimum wage is $3.65

So for a 40 hour week eg, they earn £76.84 basic

Don't understand Florida wage and tax system but heres a link if you want to read more.
http://www.floridajobs.org/resources/fl_min_wage.html
Wayne

 

[Simon06]

From 1st Jan 07 the minumum wage is $6.67 unless they are tipped employees who's minimum wage is $3.65

So for a 40 hour week eg, they earn £76.84 basic

Don't understand Florida wage and tax system but heres a link if you want to read more.
http://www.floridajobs.org/resources/fl_min_wage.html
Wayne

wayne thanks for the info you learn something new everyday, its know wonder that they want their tips, to top up their wages. At least the UKs minimum wage is £5.35, there wouldnt be many people taking jobs that were as low as the tipping wage earners

 

[Andy B]

wayne thanks for the info you learn something new everyday, its know wonder that they want their tips, to top up their wages. At least the UKs minimum wage is £5.35, there wouldnt be many people taking jobs that were as low as the tipping wage earners

I know a guy who used to be a restaurant manager in a large hotel in Orlando and he would do occasional shifts as waiting staff when busy as it was not unusual for the waiting staff when tips were included to clear more than he did as the Manager. The basic may be low in the US but they have a much more common policy of tipping than the UK, having said that I am surprised you said you have not had services added to a Bill before, I find it faily common.

 

[Simon06]

I know a guy who used to be a restaurant manager in a large hotel in Orlando and he would do occasional shifts as waiting staff when busy as it was not unusual for the waiting staff when tips were included to clear more than he did as the Manager. The basic may be low in the US but they have a much more common policy of tipping than the UK, having said that I am surprised you said you have not had services added to a Bill before, I find it faily common.

Andy,

I was surprised that the waiters could earn more than the manager, surely that cant be right. Perhaps services are added to the bill over here, I wouldnt know dont go out for dinner much.

 

[Andy B]

I think it depends on the restaurant, at an expensive one where service is expected at about 20% of the bill on everything and this could include drinks. a waiter could serve say 6 tables at a time and they could turnover 3 times a shift. say a bill of $100 per table (two people) x6x3 = $1800 20% =$360!

Now as I have not worked in a restaurant I do not know if my numbers of tables or turnover are reasonable but only two people is not many and I do know that some people tip more.

Not uncommon in this country to have a tip of 10-17.5% added to a bill for 6 or more people.

 

[Simon06]

I think it depends on the restaurant, at an expensive one where service is expected at about 20% of the bill on everything and this could include drinks. a waiter could serve say 6 tables at a time and they could turnover 3 times a shift. say a bill of $100 per table (two people) x6x3 = $1800 20% =$360!

Now as I have not worked in a restaurant I do not know if my numbers of tables or turnover are reasonable but only two people is not many and I do know that some people tip more.

Not uncommon in this country to have a tip of 10-17.5% added to a bill for 6 or more people.

they could maker quite a bit of cash, I suppose thats the reason why they want people in and out quick

 

[cleo]

If a gratuity has been included in your bill you do not add any more on top of that. That IS your tip, you just don't have a choice about it being a lower %.

I worked as a waitress for years, putting myself through college. I have never heard of any restaurant that pays its wait staff the full minimum wage as dictated by the US government. They 'assume' a certain weekly 'tip income', then pay an hourly wage based on that. Some restaurants I worked in assumed more, some less, as regards tips, with the lowest actual wage I ever earned being $2.02 (plus tips).

Bear in mind, most restaurants also require their wait staff to fill in forms indicating what their tips were for that day/week/month. That amount then goes toward their yearly income on their W-2 form and they are taxed on their tips as well as their actual wages.

Still...if you work in a better restaurant that's usually busy, you'll do well waiting tables in spite of your actual wage.

 

[Jestocost]

There is a specific provision in the U.S. minimum wage law that allows employers to pay 40 percent of the minimum hourly wage to employees who derive a certain amount of their pay from tips. Employers also are required to withhold taxes assuming that waiters receive a certain percentage of their gross sales in tips. Most states follow this same model, although there are some that require that even tipped employees receive the full minimum wage. Florida is not one of the latter.

It is not uncommon for restaurants to add an automatic gratuity of 15 percent to 18 percent for larger parties, although what constitutes a larger party may vary from establishment to establishment. Six and up is within the usual range, however. In most cases, this policy is printed on the menu or disclosed in some other way.

If a restaurant or individual server is adding an automatic gratuity for a smaller party, they're likely just trying to take advantage of someone who they expect may be unclear on what is to be expected. I would not be at all surprised if that's what was going on in the example cited earlier. As a former waiter it's very frustrating to be undertipped by someone who doesn't understand the norms--and it happens--but that's no excuse for trying to deceive someone into tipping for poor service.

 

[freckles and boo]

If a gratuity has been included in your bill you do not add any more on top of that. That IS your tip, you just don't have a choice about it being a lower %.

I disagree with this statement. Unless there is a clearly posted policy (either in the menu or on the wall) stating that a gratuity will be added, it is NOT up to the server to determine the tip. I understand that Europeans often have a bad reputation as poor tippers, but that doesn't mean that they should be ambushed this way. If this happened to me and I didn't agree that the service was worthy of whatever percentage was added, I would speak to a manager and politely demand that it be changed.