- Mar 14, 2011
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Quote:
I would most definitely put up a stink!
Most of the restaurants that add a percentage to your bill have that information stated on the menu. It is often for large groups.
We often get the 15% added to the check because we have 10 kids - 8 who eat the restaurant food (the twins are only bottles yet, fun of infants).
If a place doesn't do the 15% add on because most of the kids are young, we give a pretty big tip. Our kids are really well behaved in public because we are "mean" parents, but I know most servers go "OMG, kids, ack!" because we see how horrible a lot of people let their kids be and servers have to deal with the mess the kids make. Seriously, we think nothing of giving a 40-50% tip if the server is good and they don't add on.
They add on, we will usually add another 5% because 20% seems piddly considering they make 2.13 an hour and while yes, our kids are well mannered and not dumping ketchup on the table to play with, it's still a lot of work to deal with. But we don't feel like playing nice because they already added the bill up.
If it's a place that can not automatically add the 15% or a server can remove it - they add it none the less, we don't add more. Snotty, sure. But if you think our well-mannered children who aren't making a mess or running around like uncontrolled monsters are an automatic 15% add on despite very seldom needing drink refills or anything else from you, we don't really feel like being nice.
Yes, I'm saying my kids are extremely well-mannered if we eat out. If they aren't, one of us will calmly take them out to the car and wait. Heck, our 14 y/o will take them to the car and wait because she knows she'll get rewarded for being the parent for a bit. Once they've pulled that stunt, they don't go out to a sit down restaurant for a while because they haven't earned that reward. They know they sit nicely at the table, they are quiet and ask for items nicely, they don't throw food, spill things to make a mess, or any other behavior that I'd not allow at our home table.
Personally, I'd rather see the tip be automatic for the people who let their kids be hellions in public. Your child runs around, bothers other customers, throws food, spits at the server and other such ill-mannered behavior, you pay an automatic 50% tip. If the place won't remove an ill-mannered child and their parents, make them pay for such behavior. I know other customers then tip less because they are cranky at the ill-mannered child.
We've had ONE place try to round up the change with an added on tip. Erm yeah. That didn't go over. At all. They did it to a CC. That payment got disputed. I had the reciept showing it was 53.12 or whatever, they ran it and kept it at 65 or whatever. The bank did not like that anymore than we did.
I would most definitely put up a stink!
Most of the restaurants that add a percentage to your bill have that information stated on the menu. It is often for large groups.
We often get the 15% added to the check because we have 10 kids - 8 who eat the restaurant food (the twins are only bottles yet, fun of infants).
If a place doesn't do the 15% add on because most of the kids are young, we give a pretty big tip. Our kids are really well behaved in public because we are "mean" parents, but I know most servers go "OMG, kids, ack!" because we see how horrible a lot of people let their kids be and servers have to deal with the mess the kids make. Seriously, we think nothing of giving a 40-50% tip if the server is good and they don't add on.
They add on, we will usually add another 5% because 20% seems piddly considering they make 2.13 an hour and while yes, our kids are well mannered and not dumping ketchup on the table to play with, it's still a lot of work to deal with. But we don't feel like playing nice because they already added the bill up.
If it's a place that can not automatically add the 15% or a server can remove it - they add it none the less, we don't add more. Snotty, sure. But if you think our well-mannered children who aren't making a mess or running around like uncontrolled monsters are an automatic 15% add on despite very seldom needing drink refills or anything else from you, we don't really feel like being nice.
Yes, I'm saying my kids are extremely well-mannered if we eat out. If they aren't, one of us will calmly take them out to the car and wait. Heck, our 14 y/o will take them to the car and wait because she knows she'll get rewarded for being the parent for a bit. Once they've pulled that stunt, they don't go out to a sit down restaurant for a while because they haven't earned that reward. They know they sit nicely at the table, they are quiet and ask for items nicely, they don't throw food, spill things to make a mess, or any other behavior that I'd not allow at our home table.
Personally, I'd rather see the tip be automatic for the people who let their kids be hellions in public. Your child runs around, bothers other customers, throws food, spits at the server and other such ill-mannered behavior, you pay an automatic 50% tip. If the place won't remove an ill-mannered child and their parents, make them pay for such behavior. I know other customers then tip less because they are cranky at the ill-mannered child.
We've had ONE place try to round up the change with an added on tip. Erm yeah. That didn't go over. At all. They did it to a CC. That payment got disputed. I had the reciept showing it was 53.12 or whatever, they ran it and kept it at 65 or whatever. The bank did not like that anymore than we did.
