[HOOT]

Originally Posted by driveway

Our servers like the idea - this is going to sound strange, but I'll try to explain myself - because they don't like feeling they have to earn their tips.

That is strange. If I don't feel that person is deserving of or has not earned that tip why should have be forced to leave one?

That is my money that I may have felt I earned why should someone get it for not giving me the same effort?

Our servers really like their jobs. We are a great place to work, we have awesome customers (for the most part) and our servers are very good at and enjoy what they do. They feel that with automatic tipping, they would be free to simply enjoy giving great service, as opposed to feeling like they need to prostrate themselves before our customers for cash.

If they are enjoying their job, customers will see that. If they are good at their job, customers will see that. If I see a server enjoying his or her job and is doing a good job they will be tipped and a lot more than 14%.

It's the difference between working on salary and working on commission. It works for some people, it's motivating for some people, but for a great many people it's simply stressful and the effort frequently not worth the reward.

Someone should simply be able to do their job commission or salary. No matter how you are paid if you do it well and love it, the money will come. if they can't handle that "pressure" of doing their job well they need to find a new one.

Commission workers have to sell a product, a server just brings you want you order. It's not like I sit down, wait for the waitress to sell me on the restaurant then order or go somewhere else. I am ordering no matter what.

It can be disheartening when you give exactly the same effort to one table that you do to another, treat them the same way, and one table leaves you 20% and the other 5. Perhaps one table had had a bad day, maybe they just didn't have another 5 in their wallet, who knows? It's still hard on a server when that happens, and it can impact the service they give to other tables.

How can that impact their service to other tables? So you mean to tell me if you go 20 from one, 5 from another you just made 12.5% avg on those two tables.

So that 3% is bringing down the service of an employee?

We think an automatic gratuity policy "levels the playing field" for both our customers and staff.

Though, judging by the reaction from this board, we may re-think our plans.

It levels the playing field for the server, not the customer. This means the server will now guarantee themselves 14%+ for a tip because some people will still leave more if they get good service.

So if the server is having a bad day and doesn't do their best they know the tips will keep rolling in. I'm sure some will complain but if you have a $50 meal how many do you think will make the uncomfortable conversation with the manager over $7? Personally I would just write it off and never come back.

If you guys do change it over, I'd be curious of the to get a report back in 6 months with the amount sales and tips have changed. Maybe I am in a small group but the fact I leave more than nothing they should be grateful. Tipping is so overrated now and expected no matter your customer service level.