Another exciting Tipping thread - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

driveway · 03-09-2009, 01:28 PM

The restaurant I manage is planning on being the first in Calgary to initiate a policy of automatic gratuities on our bills. We have several reasons for it and this is something common in larger cities, I'm just wondering how a section of the public (you guys) would feel about an automatic 14% gratuity on your restaurant bill.

A few things to note:

This policy would be clearly indicated to the customer in several places (on the menu, inside the bill-fold when the bill comes).

If you were unsatisfied with the service, you would not be required to pay the gratuity - you would be expected to let the manager (myself) know that you will not be paying the gratuity. We hope this will lead to better feedback from our customers and help us give better service. We think it's better to know why someone is upset and maybe try to help the situation, than to simply find a 75 cent tip on a table and not be able to do anything.

All of the gratuity will be going to the servers, none of it to the restaurant.

What does CP think of the idea of automatic tipping? Hate it? Love it?

jam26 · 03-09-2009, 01:30 PM

I think it's a fine idea, as it would save me 6%.

Russic · 03-09-2009, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by driveway

The restaurant I manage is planning on being the first in Calgary to initiate a policy of automatic gratuities on our bills. We have several reasons for it and this is something common in larger cities, I'm just wondering how a section of the public (you guys) would feel about an automatic 14% gratuity on your restaurant bill.

A few things to note:

This policy would be clearly indicated to the customer in several places (on the menu, inside the bill-fold when the bill comes).

If you were unsatisfied with the service, you would not be required to pay the gratuity - you would be expected to let the manager (myself) know that you will not be paying the gratuity. We hope this will lead to better feedback from our customers and help us give better service. We think it's better to know why someone is upset and maybe try to help the situation, than to simply find a 75 cent tip on a table and not be able to do anything.

All of the gratuity will be going to the servers, none of it to the restaurant.

What does CP think of the idea of automatic tipping? Hate it? Love it?

I was a little weary until this point. Truthfully unless the service/food was exceptional in some way I would probably find this mildly annoying and not return. I like the idea that I could opt out of the tip should things go downhill, but I still would feel as if I was put on the spot a little.

I totally see what you're trying to do, but it reminds me of the Simpsons where Homer wants to leave the cult training video and a giant spotlight hits him and a voice booms over an intercom says "you're free to go, but would you mind telling us why?" followed by him slowly sitting back down.

To be honest if it was me and the service was less than awesome but better than terrible I would just pay the gratuity and not return.

Bagor · 03-09-2009, 01:38 PM

Like it as long you're not pulling a fast one and using it as an excuse to bump your prices up 25%

4X4 · 03-09-2009, 01:39 PM

So you wouldn't be expecting anything above and beyond the 14%? Like, the bill comes, then there's a line similar to the GST, but with the added tip, then you pay the balance? Does the waitress think you're a chintz if you scoop up the buck twenty five afterward?

RW99 · 03-09-2009, 01:41 PM

I would be fine till I had a bad CS experience and then never return.

KTrain · 03-09-2009, 01:43 PM

There are restaurants that already do this for larger parties (8 or more people).

Just a question: What are you going to do if someone doesn't want to explain to you their reason for not tipping?

The Ditch · 03-09-2009, 01:44 PM

So I would have to call over a manager and say I only want to tip 10% because my service was ok, not bad, not great (theoretically?).

Jason14h · 03-09-2009, 01:44 PM

Just curious, what is the main purpose of this? Is it just for customer feedback when they are not leaving a tip? Whats do the servers think of it?

4X4 · 03-09-2009, 01:44 PM

What about if someone's reason for not tipping is that they don't believe in tipping. Didn't a few people admit that that's their policy in the last tipping thread?

Galakanokis · 03-09-2009, 01:46 PM

Not a bad idea if you're one of those restaurants that have one person take your order and than 15 others bring you drinks and your food out. You never know who you are tipping in that case. But, if you have one server per table than no automatic gratuity. Being put on the spot to explain the reason for not tipping would suck and most people would not do it anyways so they would pay and probably not come back.

Mightyfire89 · 03-09-2009, 01:46 PM

I make it a point to always tip at least 20% unless the service/food is absolutely atrocious. If I'm not leaving a tip or leaving less than 20%, I usually explain why.

That said, a restaurant's service and food would have to be off the charts fantastic for me to return once I found out they had an automatic gratuity. If I knew beforehand that there was an automatic gratuity, it is unlikely I would even enter such a place.

I don't care for this idea at all.

Just my opinion though.

Russic · 03-09-2009, 01:51 PM

In my opinion if surveying customers is one of your main reasons for this I would much rather have the manager come to my table just before the bill arrives and discuss the meal. I don't just mean a "hey how was everything?" followed by a brisk stroll towards the front of the restaurant, but an actual mini-discussion. Perhaps that would also annoy people, but for me I would find myself more inclined to up my tip after something like that.

Gozer · 03-09-2009, 01:52 PM

The city in China?

To answer the question, I wouldn't really care.
A downside I see is that the customer could think the staff doesn't really care about above-and-beyond service because their tip is "locked in."

And "just talk to a manager and you don't have to pay it" doesn't fly with me. I find protesting anything on a bill to be rude and I only do it if out of fairness. Disputing or reducing a tip like that would be more hassle then just paying and not returning.

4X4 · 03-09-2009, 01:53 PM

Seems a little suspect that you have to force people to tip. If your servers aren't getting tipped, perhaps they're not doing their job very well.

Ronald Pagan · 03-09-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4X4

Seems a little suspect that you have to force people to tip. If your servers aren't getting tipped, perhaps they're not doing their job very well.

Or they're serving ass hats.

Swayze11 · 03-09-2009, 01:56 PM

This will be the first in Calgary to have this policy? Really? I am positive Flight Deck does the same.

Canada 02 · 03-09-2009, 01:57 PM

i don't like automatic gratuity

i don't think its the restaurant place to tell me how good their food and service is. Thats my decision.

i likely would not go to a restaurant that had this policy

mykalberta · 03-09-2009, 02:00 PM

I would never talk to the manager regarding not tipping. I simply would pay and then not come back.

FFR · 03-09-2009, 02:03 PM

Just a question for those who are opposed to this idea - or to tipping in general really...would you support it if it was built into the price of the food instead? Like if the restaraunt was declared a tip-free place because they bumped the prices of their food up 20% to cover the tips?

I'm also interested in this concept as I was a server for many years and know a couple people in the restaurant industry as managers who have been thinking of similar ideas.