4 ms·

I used to get burgers from a nice joint down the way during the pandemic. They added a 15% fee in, and it’s unavoidable. I called them up and said I wouldn’t b

by wincy 3y ago

I used to get burgers from a nice joint down the way during the pandemic. They added a 15% fee in, and it’s unavoidable. I called them up and said I wouldn’t be ordering from them anymore as its deceptive cost. Just raise your damned prices! Was just traveling and the servers kept conveniently forgetting to mention we’d already been assessed an 18% gratuity. It just makes me suspicious of the waitstaff.

jghn 3y ago
I don't mind, even prefer, autograts. As long as they're very clear what's happening. In fact I'll usually tack on a bit extra as long as there's a line to do so. But man, too many places don't draw enough attention to it, particularly servers. And as you say, that latter part is suspicious. Recently we were at an expensive restaurant nearby, when paying I thought it seemed more $$ than I expected but whatever. Double checked the bill when I got home and sure enough I had tipped 25% on top of their 20% autograt. Their tip pool got an extra $100. It was on the bill, but I missed it. It's not anywhere on their menu, and the server did not mention it at all. That's garbage. As for all the other fees, I get the point and even sorta agree with them. But again, be up front that they'll be applied and whether or not it should be considered part of the gratuity.
- jkaplowitz 3y ago
  Yeah, doing that stealthily ought to be illegal - and in some places it is. In NYC, mandatory or automatic service charges have to be conspicuously disclosed to consumers before food is ordered, by law. Conspicuously is interpreted accurately enough that merely hiding it on the back of the menu isn’t enough, let alone not disclosing it until the bill at the end of the meal. And most other restaurant-imposed surcharges on top of listed food and beverage prices, which aren’t bona fide service charges, are categorically forbidden. A mandatory blanket extra percentage that isn’t a bona fide charge for some service, like handling a large party or splitting a bill, is likely illegal in NYC even when labeled as a service charge, although not as rare as it should be. (Taxes can still be added on separately.) Sadly for the rest of the state and country, these requirements are just local rules and regulations, not state or federal. But some other places do have similar laws.
biztos 3y ago
I was at a burger place in Bangkok recently and when the bill came, every item was shown in Thai and English except the service charge, which was only in Thai (ค่าบริการ). I thought that was rather sneaky but clever, because the overlap of “people who eat expensive burgers in that area” and “people who tip” and “people who can’t read Thai” probably covers a majority of their customers.

by wincy 3y ago

jghn 3y ago

I don't mind, even prefer, autograts. As long as they're very clear what's happening. In fact I'll usually tack on a bit extra as long as there's a line to do so. But man, too many places don't draw enough attention to it, particularly servers. And as you say, that latter part is suspicious. Recently we were at an expensive restaurant nearby, when paying I thought it seemed more $$ than I expected but whatever. Double checked the bill when I got home and sure enough I had tipped 25% on top of their 20% autograt. Their tip pool got an extra $100. It was on the bill, but I missed it. It's not anywhere on their menu, and the server did not mention it at all. That's garbage. As for all the other fees, I get the point and even sorta agree with them. But again, be up front that they'll be applied and whether or not it should be considered part of the gratuity.

jkaplowitz 3y ago
Yeah, doing that stealthily ought to be illegal - and in some places it is. In NYC, mandatory or automatic service charges have to be conspicuously disclosed to consumers before food is ordered, by law. Conspicuously is interpreted accurately enough that merely hiding it on the back of the menu isn’t enough, let alone not disclosing it until the bill at the end of the meal. And most other restaurant-imposed surcharges on top of listed food and beverage prices, which aren’t bona fide service charges, are categorically forbidden. A mandatory blanket extra percentage that isn’t a bona fide charge for some service, like handling a large party or splitting a bill, is likely illegal in NYC even when labeled as a service charge, although not as rare as it should be. (Taxes can still be added on separately.) Sadly for the rest of the state and country, these requirements are just local rules and regulations, not state or federal. But some other places do have similar laws.

biztos 3y ago

I was at a burger place in Bangkok recently and when the bill came, every item was shown in Thai and English except the service charge, which was only in Thai (ค่าบริการ). I thought that was rather sneaky but clever, because the overlap of “people who eat expensive burgers in that area” and “people who tip” and “people who can’t read Thai” probably covers a majority of their customers.