Restaurants adding (unauthorized) tips to credit card/gift card receipts

[tvguy]

Sorry this is Red Lobster we're talking about. Not a mom and pop. I'm talking about policy a place enacts.

Yes, this is Red Lobster.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes, this is Red Lobster.

Yup which is why going to cashless for a national chain would be unlikely. I can see a system down issue, but a Red Lobster location going completely cashless and without patrons even knowing like yourself until you're paying? Odd to say the least.

 

[Donald Duck Family]

Not enough for me to waste my time calling in to file a dispute.

This is what they are hoping for. If they only skim a few bucks from everyone and nobody reports it, the end result is a lot of money. It is fraud. I once had a waitress add $4.00 extra (it wasn't a mistake, it was clearly a bump they gave themselves) to what was already a generous tip. You bet I reported it and got my money back.

 

[tvguy]

Yup which is why going to cashless for a national chain would be unlikely. I can see a system down issue, but a Red Lobster location going completely cashless and without patrons even knowing like yourself until you're paying? Odd to say the least.

Like Walmart here 15 years ago. Our location stopped offering bags, you had to bring your own. It was one of two locations in the U.S. they were experimenting with. They dropped it after a year.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Its also irritating when they ask for tips when they’ve literally done nothing for you. I was at a bulk candy store with my kids the other day, where you bag up the candy yourself. Staff does absolutely nothing but ring you up. When I checked out, not only were there two tip cups on the counter but the iPad checkout thing had all these options for a tip that had to be opted out of. It rubbed me the wrong way. I see tip cups in a lot of odd places now too, non service positions who have never been traditionally tipped. There’s a new age type store my daughter frequents that has a tip cup by the register, when staff only rings people up.

 

[DLgal]

This is what they are hoping for. If they only skim a few bucks from everyone and nobody reports it, the end result is a lot of money. It is fraud. I once had a waitress add $4.00 extra (it wasn't a mistake, it was clearly a bump they gave themselves) to what was already a generous tip. You bet I reported it and got my money back.

Maybe. The way I see it, if I don't notice it, they probably need the money more than me. I'd notice like $50 over and yeah, I'd report that. But I've also had a few restaurant bills NOT add in the tip, when I know for a fact that I wrote one in, so it probably all balances out in the end.

 

[dcassetta]

We like to go to a theater that has the dine in option where there’s a server and they bring food to your seats. It used to be that you would just leave a regular tip at the end, but recently they’ve started adding an automatic 18% gratuity. So now we pay the check with the 18% gratuity and go on our way. I would guess on most previous visits we probably tipped above 18%. But the automatic thing seems to mean we should just leave that.

 

[mrodgers]

The thing that gets me is, the electronic bill pay and tip, it's always based on the total amount, not the amount of the service pre-tax. So by just clicking 18, 20, 24whatever percent, you are also paying tip on the tax as well.

I do anyways as I just glance at the total, calc 20% and round to the nearest $1. It's the principle of it though that they give suggested tips based on the tax included total.

 

[Donald Duck Family]

Maybe. The way I see it, if I don't notice it, they probably need the money more than me. I'd notice like $50 over and yeah, I'd report that. But I've also had a few restaurant bills NOT add in the tip, when I know for a fact that I wrote one in, so it probably all balances out in the end.

Fraud is fraud and should be called out. Why do they get to be the one to decide that they need it more than you do?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Fraud is fraud and should be called out. Why do they get to be the one to decide that they need it more than you do?

I agree with you here. Sometimes these things happen even in fast food drive thrus only instead of it being a tip it's an extra charge on top of the amount paid. You really have no idea if the types of people who do this are ones that start small and then get bigger over time. Maybe it's $4.00 this time and maybe it's more and more or they end up taking down the CC number.

The one and only time I've had an issue with a tip it was at IHOP and I didn't know until it showed up on my bank account. I knew what I had tipped as I kept the customer copy (which I also put what I tip on). In my case I truly believe it was an honest mistake mixing up my friend and I's reciepts. But I went back and got it corrected (I was going to be out and about anyhow).

It's also not about a morality issue about "who needs it more" IMO.

 

[fla4fun]

Its also irritating when they ask for tips when they’ve literally done nothing for you. I was at a bulk candy store with my kids the other day, where you bag up the candy yourself. Staff does absolutely nothing but ring you up. When I checked out, not only were there two tip cups on the counter but the iPad checkout thing had all these options for a tip that had to be opted out of. It rubbed me the wrong way. I see tip cups in a lot of odd places now too, non service positions who have never been traditionally tipped. There’s a new age type store my daughter frequents that has a tip cup by the register, when staff only rings people up.

I agree it’s irritating, however, it could be that the company purchased an off the shelf point of sale system where the tip option is included in the software and they can’t turn it off. We had custom point of sale software built for our company, twice from two different companies over the years, and it is a lot more expensive.

Tip cups/jars are just wishful thinking a lot of the time though. Like you, I have seen them in places where the person is simply a cashier. I do not feel obligated to tip unless a person has performed a specific service that goes above and beyond. For example, there is a mom and pop candy store near my sister that makes their own candies. They sell some in pre-boxed containers, and then they have a candy counter where they will custom fill boxes for you. If I go in and grab a pre-boxed container, I do not tip. If I go in and someone spends 15-20 minutes helping me put together a custom box, I do.

 

[sam_gordon]

Fraud is fraud and should be called out. Why do they get to be the one to decide that they need it more than you do?

Agreed. I got dinner on a business trip last month and when I had to reconcile, I noticed they had added a couple extra bucks. That became a nearly 40% tip on not so good service (I had tipped 18%).

Yes I complained. I contacted the owners via the website, the restaurant GM reached out to me, and supposedly they're refunding me. I can't see the statement until the end of the month, so we'll see.

My boss said its such a small amount, they wouldn't worry about it. Its the principle of the thing though.

 

[DLgal]

Fraud is fraud and should be called out. Why do they get to be the one to decide that they need it more than you do?

Like I said, *if I don't notice it.*

Honestly, I'm not gonna cry over a couple dollars here or there. YOU can do whatever you want.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Like I said, *if I don't notice it.*

Honestly, I'm not gonna cry over a couple dollars here or there. YOU can do whatever you want.

Eh, there are IMO two types of people who report small fraud like this:

1) Those only concerned with getting that small amount back because bygone it it's their money (truth it is their money)
2) Those who are thinking "is this something that also affects others?"

Clearly there are also several types of people who don't report it

1) It's too much of a hassle (truth it can be)
2) It's really not that big of a deal to me that is (me being general me as in what the person is thinking about themselves)
3) They must need it more than me.

If you're only thinking about yourself (which is what you're doing) that's your choice but some people like to consider others at times. Even as much of a society as we are about looking out just for yourself sometimes it's important to do it for others. Sometimes these situations turn out to be ones made in the news where it's a manager who is doing this (skimming for instance) or an employee who has done it to business after business after business. It's rarely a one time thing.

Not all the time are people bad but if someone doesn't at least make notice of it, it just continues.

 

[anjuan]

Never heard of that. No offense but that sounds off maybe because you've spent a lot of time talking about cashless vendors and many people just don't have your experience. A national chain restaurant even with a franchise would be unlikely to be cashless as a policy.

I know that this isn't exactly the same, but a Chicago-based chain, Portillos, recently announced that their drive-through is going cashless. (Of course this has nothing to do with tips since they are a fast food restaurant.) The said the reason was because their staff was getting robbed frequently.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I know that this isn't exactly the same, but a Chicago-based chain, Portillos, recently announced that their drive-through is going cashless. (Of course this has nothing to do with tips since they are a fast food restaurant.) The said the reason was because their staff was getting robbed frequently.

I can understand a drive-thru especially for the reason you listed. From what I read if you want to pay cash you just go inside.

 

[pindecisive]

I know that this isn't exactly the same, but a Chicago-based chain, Portillos, recently announced that their drive-through is going cashless. (Of course this has nothing to do with tips since they are a fast food restaurant.) The said the reason was because their staff was getting robbed frequently.

It absolutely grosses me out when an associate doesn't wash their hands immediately after taking cash from a customer.

“Salmonella species, Escherichia coli and S. aureus are commonly isolated from banknotes from food outlets.”

“And bills are a hospitable environment for gross microbes: viruses and bacteria can live on most surfaces for about 48 hours, but paper money can reportedly transport a live flu virus for up to 17 days.”