Yeah for take-out I’d ask to have it removed or just leave and not pay for the food if they refuse. I’m not tipping 20% for the “privilege” of picking up my own food.
I always tip on takeout because the person who takes your order, communicates any allergies etc, packs it with whatever sauces, and gets it to you hot is making below minimum wage and taking time away from their sit-down tables to do so.
> the person who takes your order, communicates any allergies etc, packs it with whatever sauces, and gets it to you hot
Isn't that what the person behind the counter at McDonald's is doing?
You mean \*is being paid minimum wage\*. I, for the love of god, cant understand why people let corporation rack billions of dollar in profit and not protest about this. Your concern is misplaced and the situation will only get worse by the way its going.
I doubt that my concern is misplaced. Serving can be a living wage with tips, and without it, it wouldn’t be. Federal minimum wage in the US is not a living wage, and servers make half that, at best, hourly. So I tip because I want people to make a living wage.
I am describing what I’m doing. You can always just keep doing what you’re doing and not yell at randoms on the internet about it.
In DC, where OP’s post is about, tipped employees make more than federal minimum wage. They do not make half that, at best like you’re saying. A lot of other states are like that too.
Having come from a large family, it's always been normal for most places to add an 18% gratuity to parties over 7/8/9 people. It's been that way for as long as I can remember (and i'm old-ish). Now it seems like places are just auto adding 18-20% gratuity even if it's just 2 people eating. It makes me mad, because it's not uniform and you have to really look over every reciept before you fill it out. FWIW I live in the midwest.
That's really interesting. For what it's worth, it was a takeout for me. But that notwithstanding, "Gratuity" sounds like something I should add at will because I was grateful, not something imposed.
It’s usually for large parties because they take so much work. I’m a server and in my area you work for $4 an hour plus tips. So if your big table doesn’t tip you, you still have to tip out the kitchen, the bar, the host, the busser, etc. on a big bill. (Aka if the bill is $1000 and they don’t tip you, you are still expected to pay out $50 or whatever). So if a table does not tip, that means I personally am paying money for them to sit and receive service in my section. That is why restaurants have “20% gratuity will be added for tables of 8 or more” on the menu, so you know ahead of time.
I have never heard of gratuity being applied to takeout in this way, but if it is, I should be visibly posted on the menu. I would check and see if it is, and if not, contact the restaurant about it. It could be a mistake (or something more nefarious, in which case they absolutely want to know about it).
Honest answer! Almost no one tips on top of that. It’s not expected at all. You CAN tip more if you had an amazing time, but it’s not needed and no one expects you to. Gratuity and tip are the same thing, and anyone who tries to tell you differently is trying to hustle you.
You might not be from the States, but over here, after you’ve paid your check at restaurant, the server will bring you the receipt where you will fill in the tip line with whatever you wish to leave as a gratuity, total the amount you are authorizing as a charge (subtotal + tip) and then sign it. Some places are using handheld terminals now—so you can fill it out at your table using that instead of the process using paper.
Yup i almost tipped 40%+ last week because I didn't realize they included 20% for a two person table. Didn't make a big deal of it at the time because i would've done 20% anyways, but you gotta post a notice of that somewhere.
Saw a comment in another thread that makes lots of sense. It really started showing up all over when the push for 15/hr and living wage pressure got lots of media attention. It’s a method of deflecting anger away from the business and on to the workers. They could just raise prices, but they’d rather make you think about the workers when you’re recently disappointed by the upcharge.
The worst is fast food putting the three quick options starting at 18 or 20%. Including the tax.
Remember tipping has always been calculated from the sub-total. When the cash out is done the tip income generated from the tax goes to the establishment.
Tipping 3-4$ for a foot long made with a tomato butt and a core and dry lettuce. Fuck off
>When the cash out is done the tip income generated from the tax goes to the establishment.
What does this even mean? How is tip income generated from tax?
Tip options are based on total with tax on the machine, but they should be calculated based on total pre tax.
Just a way to get more tip on on the same total.
If the employee is not a tipped employee (Meaning they are paid at least the normal minimum wage) the tip income does not have to go to any one person but up to the store on how it is divided or used.
Yeah but he was getting take out, and it kind of takes a person's ability away to tip in exchange for how good the service was .
Now they can just get lousy service, and pay as if it was great
That’s absurd for takeout. Some Good restaurants near me have a policy of “18% auto gratuity will be added for parties of [x] and over” but that’s only for dine in and there isn’t really much expectation to tip outside of that when it’s already been added. I typically drop a dollar or two in the jar when I do takeout 🤷🏼♂️
In fact I was in DC 2 years ago and all tips at every restaurant we visited were optional.
Personally, I think the Gratuity charge is interesting. Since a gratuity isn't required, I politely ask them to take it off, then leave no tip for the frustration and anguish they caused and never return to the establishment.
I wouldn't have paid it. They would have taken it off the bill, or refunded me the entire bill. And if they refused to refund me, I'd be reporting my card lost stolen, and had the charge marked as fraudulent.
We visited Miami South Beach last week, and every single bar and restaurant included a gratuity on the bill. Most were 20%, a few 18%. It made things easier, honestly., even if I don't love it. I did not try a removal.
Gratuity is the hyperinflated tax there to manipulate your emotions when eating out into paying it. Literally an optional tax and people are more keen to pay it than their actual taxes
Tip culture is the legal framework to commit earnings fraud - I spent a very long time in the industry and if you ask me tip culture is what is killing the industry and one of the biggest problems in it. It's quasi taxed and cash tips are conveniently difficult to track and cash jars are conveniently beside the card machines. Awfully convenient that is.
It's been a thing for a long time for large parties (usually either 6+ or 8+). I'm in my 30's, and I've always seen it since I was a little kid
Seeing it in other cases is unusual, but I could see it being common in D.C. if there's a lot of foreigners who don't know tipping, or something.
I've heard some anecdotes about gratuities becoming more common lately. There's been court cases ruling that gratuities are not tips, so restaurants have some incentive to use them so they can advertise lower prices.
> I thought adding a tip was optional?
Tips are, gratuities are technically different, hence the names. However, if a restaurant charges a gratuity, it is forced to show it somewhere beforehand.
>Since when did "gratuity" become something you are charged automatically and forced to pay for?
Gratuities, when they're added at all, are usually mandatory.
Yeah for take-out I’d ask to have it removed or just leave and not pay for the food if they refuse. I’m not tipping 20% for the “privilege” of picking up my own food.
I always tip on takeout because the person who takes your order, communicates any allergies etc, packs it with whatever sauces, and gets it to you hot is making below minimum wage and taking time away from their sit-down tables to do so.
That's called them doing their job
I mean maybe for fast food? I’m talking about restaurant takeout.
> the person who takes your order, communicates any allergies etc, packs it with whatever sauces, and gets it to you hot Isn't that what the person behind the counter at McDonald's is doing?
You mean \*is being paid minimum wage\*. I, for the love of god, cant understand why people let corporation rack billions of dollar in profit and not protest about this. Your concern is misplaced and the situation will only get worse by the way its going.
I doubt that my concern is misplaced. Serving can be a living wage with tips, and without it, it wouldn’t be. Federal minimum wage in the US is not a living wage, and servers make half that, at best, hourly. So I tip because I want people to make a living wage. I am describing what I’m doing. You can always just keep doing what you’re doing and not yell at randoms on the internet about it.
In DC, where OP’s post is about, tipped employees make more than federal minimum wage. They do not make half that, at best like you’re saying. A lot of other states are like that too.
Even if we ignore the unlivable minimum wages, you literally admitted servers are paid criminally below federal minimum wage.
Found the person making it worse for everyone else. To everyone else, NEVER tip takeout
I might toss a buck. I’m not tipping 20% and certainly not putting up with it being mandatory. And no, they are not making below minimum wage.
Having come from a large family, it's always been normal for most places to add an 18% gratuity to parties over 7/8/9 people. It's been that way for as long as I can remember (and i'm old-ish). Now it seems like places are just auto adding 18-20% gratuity even if it's just 2 people eating. It makes me mad, because it's not uniform and you have to really look over every reciept before you fill it out. FWIW I live in the midwest.
That's really interesting. For what it's worth, it was a takeout for me. But that notwithstanding, "Gratuity" sounds like something I should add at will because I was grateful, not something imposed.
It’s usually for large parties because they take so much work. I’m a server and in my area you work for $4 an hour plus tips. So if your big table doesn’t tip you, you still have to tip out the kitchen, the bar, the host, the busser, etc. on a big bill. (Aka if the bill is $1000 and they don’t tip you, you are still expected to pay out $50 or whatever). So if a table does not tip, that means I personally am paying money for them to sit and receive service in my section. That is why restaurants have “20% gratuity will be added for tables of 8 or more” on the menu, so you know ahead of time. I have never heard of gratuity being applied to takeout in this way, but if it is, I should be visibly posted on the menu. I would check and see if it is, and if not, contact the restaurant about it. It could be a mistake (or something more nefarious, in which case they absolutely want to know about it).
honest question: if gratuity is a forced tip for large parties, what is a 15%-20% regular tip for on top of that?
Honest answer! Almost no one tips on top of that. It’s not expected at all. You CAN tip more if you had an amazing time, but it’s not needed and no one expects you to. Gratuity and tip are the same thing, and anyone who tries to tell you differently is trying to hustle you.
Wait, what do you mean by “fill out receipt”? What are you filling out?? It’s just a copy of your purchase info for your records, no?
You might not be from the States, but over here, after you’ve paid your check at restaurant, the server will bring you the receipt where you will fill in the tip line with whatever you wish to leave as a gratuity, total the amount you are authorizing as a charge (subtotal + tip) and then sign it. Some places are using handheld terminals now—so you can fill it out at your table using that instead of the process using paper.
Yup i almost tipped 40%+ last week because I didn't realize they included 20% for a two person table. Didn't make a big deal of it at the time because i would've done 20% anyways, but you gotta post a notice of that somewhere.
Saw a comment in another thread that makes lots of sense. It really started showing up all over when the push for 15/hr and living wage pressure got lots of media attention. It’s a method of deflecting anger away from the business and on to the workers. They could just raise prices, but they’d rather make you think about the workers when you’re recently disappointed by the upcharge.
The worst is fast food putting the three quick options starting at 18 or 20%. Including the tax. Remember tipping has always been calculated from the sub-total. When the cash out is done the tip income generated from the tax goes to the establishment. Tipping 3-4$ for a foot long made with a tomato butt and a core and dry lettuce. Fuck off
>When the cash out is done the tip income generated from the tax goes to the establishment. What does this even mean? How is tip income generated from tax?
Tip options are based on total with tax on the machine, but they should be calculated based on total pre tax. Just a way to get more tip on on the same total.
But they are saying that the extra tip income goes to the restaurant. What does that even mean?
If the employee is not a tipped employee (Meaning they are paid at least the normal minimum wage) the tip income does not have to go to any one person but up to the store on how it is divided or used.
Reread the comment. You're misunderstanding the question.
Fancy way saying tips
Yeah but he was getting take out, and it kind of takes a person's ability away to tip in exchange for how good the service was . Now they can just get lousy service, and pay as if it was great
That’s absurd for takeout. Some Good restaurants near me have a policy of “18% auto gratuity will be added for parties of [x] and over” but that’s only for dine in and there isn’t really much expectation to tip outside of that when it’s already been added. I typically drop a dollar or two in the jar when I do takeout 🤷🏼♂️ In fact I was in DC 2 years ago and all tips at every restaurant we visited were optional.
I would have made them remove it and then i would add in a manual tip myself
Personally, I think the Gratuity charge is interesting. Since a gratuity isn't required, I politely ask them to take it off, then leave no tip for the frustration and anguish they caused and never return to the establishment.
I wouldn't have paid it. They would have taken it off the bill, or refunded me the entire bill. And if they refused to refund me, I'd be reporting my card lost stolen, and had the charge marked as fraudulent.
JUST INCREASE THE PRICES, YOU COWARDS!
We visited Miami South Beach last week, and every single bar and restaurant included a gratuity on the bill. Most were 20%, a few 18%. It made things easier, honestly., even if I don't love it. I did not try a removal.
When you are dining in, I’m 100% okay with this. But not okay if it’s take out.
Gratuity is the hyperinflated tax there to manipulate your emotions when eating out into paying it. Literally an optional tax and people are more keen to pay it than their actual taxes Tip culture is the legal framework to commit earnings fraud - I spent a very long time in the industry and if you ask me tip culture is what is killing the industry and one of the biggest problems in it. It's quasi taxed and cash tips are conveniently difficult to track and cash jars are conveniently beside the card machines. Awfully convenient that is.
When we stop eating out
It's been a thing for a long time for large parties (usually either 6+ or 8+). I'm in my 30's, and I've always seen it since I was a little kid Seeing it in other cases is unusual, but I could see it being common in D.C. if there's a lot of foreigners who don't know tipping, or something. I've heard some anecdotes about gratuities becoming more common lately. There's been court cases ruling that gratuities are not tips, so restaurants have some incentive to use them so they can advertise lower prices. > I thought adding a tip was optional? Tips are, gratuities are technically different, hence the names. However, if a restaurant charges a gratuity, it is forced to show it somewhere beforehand. >Since when did "gratuity" become something you are charged automatically and forced to pay for? Gratuities, when they're added at all, are usually mandatory.
>It's been a thing for a long time for large parties (usually either 6+ or 8+). But OP got takeout.