In regards to tipping

[mattnewhampshire]

I've read a ton of threads about this and I've decided that if I receive a check with the 15% "surcharge" already on it, I will not be leaving an additional "tip".
In fact, I'm considering crossing out their "surcharge" and just signing the bill for the food.
If I receive a bill with no surcharge I'm tipping 15-25% as I ususally do in the States depending on the service.

[Andrea J.]

if you cross out the surcharge (aka gratuity) that is added on to some restaurant checks, i can be relatively certain it will cause quite a commotion.

why don't you check out the restaurants policy before you go? you could avoid the places that add in the service charge.
it certainly would make sense and save a lot of frustrations on your end and on the restaurant servers, maitre d and manager end.

the tipping issues have always been a huge source of conversations and disagreements.

fwiw
paul and i just paid a $800+ mandatory gratuity on my son's wedding reception. (wedding aug 15)
the gratuity is 19.1% of the total cost.
i have no idea if they will do a good job.
i hope so.
if they don't, what recourse do i have?
if i had crossed the surcharge they would have told me that the reception was cancelled.
andrea

[xobxdoc]

I used to be a server. So this is a sore spot with me. You are dealing with people from all over the world in Aruba and it is customary in some countries not to tip servers because they are paid a lot more than servers in the US which receive very little per hour and survive on tips. So to counter the people that don't tip, it is added in. By all means, if you receive bad service, bring it up to the management. They will usually make it right. Don't screw over your server because you are offended by the add on.

[abj]

there are plenty of places in the states that do that. especially if you have more then 6 people. i always tip 20% + unless its horrible service. so if 15% is already added and i have good service i would add enough to make it 20%. if its bad service i talk to the manager and get it reduced.

[qlaval]

I think most don't really mind about the added 15% gratuity, the real problem is that in many places it not considered as a gratuity and that a tip should be added on top of that...

[Shnyda]

As long as it is disclosed that they are adding on 15% or 18% on the menu I don't mind. Unless there is some AMAZING service I won't tip on top of that.

If the restaurants are not paying that "mandatory" tip out to the waiters - that is not my issue. The employee should consider working at a restaurant that pays fair. I don't feel it is my place as a patron to be responsible to pay extra because the restaurant owner is greedy. If the restaurant would just raise it's prices 15% - I don't think it would bother me as much.

[Shnyda]

Originally Posted by Andrea J.

if you cross out the surcharge (aka gratuity) that is added on to some restaurant checks, i can be relatively certain it will cause quite a commotion.

why don't you check out the restaurants policy before you go? you could avoid the places that add in the service charge.
it certainly would make sense and save a lot of frustrations on your end and on the restaurant servers, maitre d and manager end.

the tipping issues have always been a huge source of conversations and disagreements.

fwiw
paul and i just paid a $800+ mandatory gratuity on my son's wedding reception. (wedding aug 15)
the gratuity is 19.1% of the total cost.
i have no idea if they will do a good job.
i hope so.
if they don't, what recourse do i have?
if i had crossed the surcharge they would have told me that the reception was cancelled.
andrea

I had a similar issue when I got married. The reception hall was charging 15% service charge. They then had the nerve to tell me that it was my responsibility to tip the wait staff and the bartending staff. I couldn't really get a straight answer out of what the 15% charge was for. Additionaly - on top of all other charges - I had to pay the Maitre 'D a sepereate fee of $300.

They get ya every way they can and throw the employees under the bus.

[Shelly]

Dh and I just arrived in beautiful aruba. We went to dinner at the Pelicans Nest. The menu said a 15% gratuity added to your bill. When we got the bill, there was a servers tax which was 15% of our bill, and hand written was "waitress tip not included". I was confused, isn't the server our waitress? We asked her and she said no, a server tax is split between the owner, bar staff, cooks and waitresses. Why should we pay an additional 15% to our waitress? My dh agreed with me, this is unfair! We did leave her additional moony, but not 15%. Am I wrong in thinking this way?

[Andrea J.]

No no no. They should not be calling it a tax

It is a mandated gratuity. The server should
be getting a portion of it and other portion
shared by those u listed. I take great offense
w/the mandated tip. When we dine at a place
where it is mandated if service is great we leave
an additional 5 or 10 percent.

[Andrea J.]

15% service charge or not
this is one of the better threads from back a few yrs ago!!!!