Bon Appetit article on tipping

[Anonymous]

Most places are losing money on food costs. Many still haven’t recovered from covid shut downs.

[Anonymous]

If I have a "service fee" on my bill at the end of the night, I am asking to see the manager (after telling the server it has nothing to do with him/her and their service). In those cases, I want to know whether the server is getting the fee or the owner is and what the server is being paid. Jurisdictions (like DC) monkeying around with the tipped wage makes it so goddamn confusing. I want the server to be taken care of, but I don't trust most restaurant owners to be upfront about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I have a "service fee" on my bill at the end of the night, I am asking to see the manager (after telling the server it has nothing to do with him/her and their service). In those cases, I want to know whether the server is getting the fee or the owner is and what the server is being paid. Jurisdictions (like DC) monkeying around with the tipped wage makes it so goddamn confusing. I want the server to be taken care of, but I don't trust most restaurant owners to be upfront about it.

Why would you trust the manager not to lie?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Service fees may not be tip. If you don’t like it go somewhere else.

If the service fee isn’t going to servers, where is it going?

Bingo, a "service fee" is a tip automatically added by a restaurant. There's no need to add another tip on top of that. If the restaurant isn't distributing that fee to their servers, that's an issue between labor and management, and it's not the customer's problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Service fees may not be tip. If you don’t like it go somewhere else.

If the service fee isn’t going to servers, where is it going?

Bingo, a "service fee" is a tip automatically added by a restaurant. There's no need to add another tip on top of that. If the restaurant isn't distributing that fee to their servers, that's an issue between labor and management, and it's not the customer's problem.

although per Bon Appetit, there's no way I as a customer can possibly understand the intricacies of what's happening here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most places are losing money on food costs. Many still haven’t recovered from covid shut downs.

Seems like they should just increase their prices by x% if they need more to cover costs instead of trying to add it as a surcharge at the end of the meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Service fees may not be tip. If you don’t like it go somewhere else.

But in some cases you don’t know there is a service fee until you have been seated, and are reading the menu. How many people do you really think are going to get up and walk out of the restaurant at that point? I would say almost none.

I also don’t tip if there is a 15-20% service fee is included.

[Anonymous]

I generally tip 25% for good service, but if there's a mandatory service charge, that's all I'm paying. Just not going to bother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Service fees may not be tip. If you don’t like it go somewhere else.

But in some cases you don’t know there is a service fee until you have been seated, and are reading the menu. How many people do you really think are going to get up and walk out of the restaurant at that point? I would say almost none.

I also don’t tip if there is a 15-20% service fee is included.

Ask. It’s how you’ll know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I have a "service fee" on my bill at the end of the night, I am asking to see the manager (after telling the server it has nothing to do with him/her and their service). In those cases, I want to know whether the server is getting the fee or the owner is and what the server is being paid. Jurisdictions (like DC) monkeying around with the tipped wage makes it so goddamn confusing. I want the server to be taken care of, but I don't trust most restaurant owners to be upfront about it.

Thank you. This is the balanced adult response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most places are losing money on food costs. Many still haven’t recovered from covid shut downs.

Seems like they should just increase their prices by x% if they need more to cover costs instead of trying to add it as a surcharge at the end of the meal.

Absolutely. Agree. Have you noticed folks moaning over the price of eggs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Service fees may not be tip. If you don’t like it go somewhere else.

But in some cases you don’t know there is a service fee until you have been seated, and are reading the menu. How many people do you really think are going to get up and walk out of the restaurant at that point? I would say almost none.

I also don’t tip if there is a 15-20% service fee is included.

Ask. It’s how you’ll know.

Again, you don’t know until you’re seated at the restaurant. Still, the service fee is not a problem on my part because I usually tip between 18 and 20% and I’m not paying a tip on top of a service fee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Service fees may not be tip. If you don’t like it go somewhere else.

But in some cases you don’t know there is a service fee until you have been seated, and are reading the menu. How many people do you really think are going to get up and walk out of the restaurant at that point? I would say almost none.

I also don’t tip if there is a 15-20% service fee is included.

Ask. It’s how you’ll know.

Or you just don’t worry about it, pay the service fee, and don’t tip!

[Anonymous]

The Bin Appetit article insists that customers pay 20% on top of the service charge. So I’m paying 40% more than the menu prices? Not gonna happen.

[Anonymous]

Why can’t we just get rid of tipping? It’s so over the top. Charge what you want for what you provide. Why do I have to pay for the food separately from the service? (Makes even less sense when I pay for a haircut and the service to provide the haircut!). I’m not cheap. Just tell me what to do and don’t screw over waiters or other staff.