So what's the idea here...that if they didn't require the auto tip, the patrons wouldn't kick in the proper amount for a tip? I can totally understand that, but it sucks then the servers know they're going to get auto-tipped, and instead spend their time servicing other smaller/non-auto-tip tables instead of yours. Obviously this doesn't happen every time, but it sure does suck when it does.

Any servers out there that can share their stories about this? How does tdub come down on this issue?

7/24/2012 5:41:46 PM

i never add a penny over the auto gratuity.

7/24/2012 5:42:35 PM

Two people stiff their waiter, they might lose $15, no big deal. A group of twelve stiffs the waiter, they could easily lose $100. Pretty basic stuff.

7/24/2012 5:43:57 PM

I would imagine it would be better to get a flat % than get dicked out of such a huge tip by some shitheads. Big parties can take a servers whole section up for an hour or more.

7/24/2012 5:44:40 PM

Waiting tables is a job for the talentless.

7/24/2012 5:46:02 PM

Quote :

"i never add a penny over the auto gratuity."

Ditto. I find it a bit insulting. Enjoy the ~$1.44 (18% on $8) when I go out to lunch with co-workers because I'm not adding a dime even though I'd tip better without the gratuity.

7/24/2012 5:48:38 PM

Waiters can suck my dick.

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 5:50 PM. Reason : ^^exactly. If retards can do it, anyone can do it. No one cares if you are good]

7/24/2012 5:50:11 PM

You know it's the company that makes this rule and not the individual server? They're just following the rules. I remember wishing I could take off the autograt for a large party that was really nice and rich.

7/24/2012 5:51:05 PM

hah, yeah... I will generally tip better than the autograt. but if autograt is included in my bill, they don't get a penny more.


the fucking Dave and Busters near me does autograt, and in general, I'll just avoid ordering any food or drink from them.


^ I guess it's different at different places. When I was a waiter back in the day, we had the option of adding autograt for tables of 8 or more.

[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 5:52 PM. Reason : vc]

7/24/2012 5:51:33 PM

Are we talking about nice restaurants here, or Chilis/Applebees types of places?

In a past life, when I waited tables for a living, I used to auto-grat my large tables. But having a larger party means a larger bill, so I'd give them just as much attention as I would a two-top, if not more. If you're a good salesman, you can easily get a 10-top up to $50/head without them noticing. Schmooze the heck out of the other nine people and get them to order a ton of appetizers and keep the wine flowing. It's much harder to get a two-top up to $50/head.

7/24/2012 5:54:06 PM

Im gonna make this thread like its never been made before

7/24/2012 6:00:53 PM

Quote :

"Two people stiff their waiter, they might lose $15, no big deal. A group of twelve stiffs the waiter, they could easily lose $100. Pretty basic stuff."

3 parties of 4 could all stiff...not sure i get your point. Is the idea parties of >8 are more likely to stiff than parties of 4 for example?

Quote :

"Big parties can take a servers whole section up for an hour or more."

Unless they just fit you in while taking care of their other section.

Quote :

"You know it's the company that makes this rule and not the individual server? They're just following the rules. "

Yeah that should be obvious to anyone who dines out. My only issue with the auto-grat is when they seemingly ignore you to take care of their other tables, resulting in everything taking way longer than it should.

Quote :

"Waiting tables is a job for the talentless."

How's the air up there?

Quote :

"Ditto. I find it a bit insulting. Enjoy the ~$1.44 (18% on $8) when I go out to lunch with co-workers because I'm not adding a dime even though I'd tip better without the gratuity."

How so? It's doesn't seem like it's the wait staff's decision to auto-tip...especially when we're talking $1.44 here.

Quote :

"Are we talking about nice restaurants here, or Chilis/Applebees types of places?"

The former, I thought that would be obvious

Quote :

"In a past life, when I waited tables for a living, I used to auto-grat my large tables. "

So you actually had the option? Isn't it policy at most places that have it, and not an option?

Quote :

"But having a larger party means a larger bill, so I'd give them just as much attention as I would a two-top, if not more."

I don't get it...wouldn't the larger need way more attention/time than a two top?

[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 6:08 PM. Reason : ]

7/24/2012 6:07:51 PM

Quote :

"Waiters can suck my dick."

Just the tip

Quote :

"Waiting tables is a job for the talentless"

I wouldn't say that it takes some talent. Being a bad waiter is talentless.

I don't think there should be any tipping. Pay the waitstaff a min wage, no tips.
So what if the price goes up a bit.



[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 6:20 PM. Reason : ]

7/24/2012 6:18:20 PM

Quote :

"Being a bad waiter is talentless"

Let me break that down

Quote :

"bad"

adjective

Quote :

"waiter"

job title

also 'Being a bad waiter is talentless' is not a sentence

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

7/24/2012 6:29:28 PM

I would profile large parties and take a gamble on those I thought would hook me up. Minorities, foreigners, and teenagers got the autograt.

7/24/2012 6:30:55 PM

They only do this automatic gratuity at shitty places like outback right? if you go to a real restaraunt then they know you're going to tip well because you're above cookie cutter meals right?

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

7/24/2012 6:33:53 PM

Quote :

"So you actually had the option? Isn't it policy at most places that have it, and not an option?"

yep we had the option and I only used the option when it wasn't worth the gamble

7/24/2012 6:41:00 PM

We were supposed to apply it for everyone. I'm guessing it was so they wouldn't get sued for discrimination.

7/24/2012 6:42:56 PM

You can usually tell within sixty seconds if you're gonna need the autograt or not.

7/24/2012 7:24:46 PM

if a server tells/reminds me when they put the check down that gratuity is already added and they deserve a really good tip, i dont have a problem with adding. but if they dont tell me is def wont add extra b/c i think it is a shady way to get more tips, especially when serving a table of drinkers.

7/24/2012 7:27:37 PM

Quote :

"I wouldn't say that it takes some talent. Being a bad waiter is talentless."

7/24/2012 7:28:54 PM

Quote :

"also 'Being a bad waiter is talentless.' is not a sentence I'm Krallum and I approved this message."

No tip for you. Don't even know what a sentence is. Has a period and everything.

7/24/2012 7:30:39 PM

based on your post, i assume you are ESL?

7/24/2012 7:33:14 PM

Quote :

"How so? It's doesn't seem like it's the wait staff's decision to auto-tip...especially when we're talking $1.44 here."

Not my problem. If they let me choose the value of my tip I will do so. If they impose it upon me as a fee added to my meal then I will pay the fee and nothing more. Waitstaff and management can deal with the details.

A good waiter/waitress can generally count on good tippers to counteract the bad tippers. If they want to make everyone pay a percentage based fee then I'm going to assume it isolates them from bad tippers and they are earning a fair wage for their work. Hell...Might as well make it a flat fee if that's what they want to do.

If they don't like it they can return to the true definition of a "tip" rather than tacking a charge onto my bill.

[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 7:43 PM. Reason : l]

7/24/2012 7:40:40 PM

Quote :

"I would profile large parties and take a gamble on those I thought would hook me up. Minorities, foreigners, and teenagers got the autograt."

At The Cheesecake Factory, we were told we'd get fired if we got caught doing that.


Everyone was assigned a number of tables. Servers usually had to figured out who got the party, while the other server took over his/her other tables. So there weren't any "extra" tables to go around.

Large parties usually took at least 2 hours minimum.

I'm so fucking glad I'm not a server anymore.

7/24/2012 7:42:30 PM

^^the whole argument is partially moot b/c 18-20% IS a good tip. maybe you usually tip above and beyond that, but that is the standard tip for GOOD service. Average service gets 15, bad gets 10 or less depending.

7/24/2012 7:48:46 PM

bad service gets no tip from me.

or if they are super assholes i will leave like 3 pennies on the table.

7/24/2012 7:55:24 PM

^^ I agree that 18-20% is a decent enough tip most of the time, but I generally have a floor that I won't tip below as long as the service is fine. If I go to an inexpensive restaurant and order a $6 lunch with water I'm ordering it because that's what I want; not because I want to be cheap. I'm not going to leave the waiter a $1 tip just because it's 15%+. But hey, if they want to dictate what their tip is going to be and print it on the bill for me then so be it.

I guess it's like making bad tippers subsidize my meal. Thanks autograt!

[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 7:58 PM. Reason : s]

7/24/2012 7:56:38 PM

1. Take job knowing in advance that your salary sucks ass and that you rely on other people to basically pay your salary based solely on your ability to perform a job requiring no education and easily acquired skills.

2.

3. Complain when general public doesn't tip enough Profit.

7/25/2012 12:35:29 AM

Personally, tipping should be gotten rid of and restaurants should just add 15% to all food prices to cover waitstaff. If you get shitty service, you do what you do everywhere else, bitch to management.

7/25/2012 1:26:59 AM

they should just keep it at 15% for even large parties......
i don't get why they think they can justify higher......

and yes, many a times our group has experienced shitty or non-existent service, b/c the wait staff knew they were getting the larger tip regardless

7/25/2012 1:42:26 AM

Large groups shouldn't go to a nice restaurant anyways. Cook at home you lazy fucks. Who wants to be at an assembly line of a table while the waiter works their way around to you? Why would you want the chefs trying to cook your steak to perfection while they're also trying to do the same thing for 11 of your other friends? Chain restaurant....fine. Respected establishment?? Nope. Have a cook-out or hit up Golden Corral.

My favorite restaurant won't take tables of more than six (or maybe it's 8...I forget) because of this.

[Edited on July 25, 2012 at 1:51 AM. Reason : .]

7/25/2012 1:51:35 AM

I don't like large dinner parties anyway. We(majority rules and I never say anything cus I don't want to be the bitch) always end up splitting evenly to make it easier for the waiter. I come out having to pay for half of other people's drinks and appetizers that I hardly touched.

7/25/2012 1:57:34 AM

auto gratuities piss me off but they are always less then i would tip regularly so in my anger i usually leave the tip to their auto tip

7/25/2012 2:00:05 AM

it nearly always says on the menu groups of a certian # will include gratuity at a predetermined %.

if youre not ok with that sit with less people.

7/25/2012 2:04:14 AM

Quote :

"Large groups shouldn't go to a nice restaurant anyways. Cook at home you lazy fucks. Who wants to be at an assembly line of a table while the waiter works their way around to you? Why would you want the chefs trying to cook your steak to perfection while they're also trying to do the same thing for 11 of your other friends? Chain restaurant....fine. Respected establishment?? Nope. Have a cook-out or hit up Golden Corral."

I guess you've never been to a business dinner with suppliers/customers or on business trips where 5-6 of you are sent and then 5-6 people of the same company take you out to dinner on the company's dime...

When you get a clue and remove the douche from your pussy, please get back to me.

7/25/2012 2:20:16 AM

Quote :

"Why would you want the chefs trying to cook your steak to perfection while they're also trying to do the same thing for 11 of your other friends?"

because that's their job?

7/25/2012 2:24:32 AM

^^^^^Unacceptable. You have to put your foot down! I know people are too embarrassed to speak up, but a lot of times, you can just make a funny face when it's suggested, and others will back down.

And, seriously, it is always the people who got the most food and drinks who come up with this brilliant split-the-bill-evenly crap at the end of the meal. I don't know where it comes from (is it a a regional thing?), but regardless, it is completely out of line.

Also, it is rarely about the money. It's about not being dominated. I could be the richest woman in the world, and I'm still not gonna tolerate some jackasses guzzling 6 drinks, eating the most expensive thing on the menu, and then having the nerve to look me in the eye and "innocently" request that I subsidize their meal...as if it's some kind of friendly thing that just makes sense to do. (Sometimes, I suspect these people don't know how math works.)

Similarly, if somebody wants to order five items for the whole table and act like some sort of restaurant/food guide, that's fine...but, again, if I don't eat it, I'm not paying for it.

[Edited on July 25, 2012 at 2:50 AM. Reason : ]

7/25/2012 2:49:53 AM

things seem to work fine in europe. i don't know why america can't get it right.

7/25/2012 2:58:44 AM

yes, we are all wearing the same uniform, but we are at 4 tables, thus 4 parties of 5, not one party of 20, deal with it.

Quote :

"tipping should be gotten rid of and restaurants should just add 15% to all food prices to cover waitstaff"

then they would just expect a tip over that

i remember a court case where a group got shitty service, and didnt pay the autotip
im glad they won, or places would have just started autotipping everyone

7/25/2012 6:05:25 AM

it's there to make you go away.

the autograt should be 50-80% to compensate for the loss of smaller, higher turnover, usually higher-tipping patrons. instead they get a loud, messy, group of people who are going to take 2 hours to sit and chat with aunt marge that they never get to see. plus, everyone else gets to wait longer for their food to arrive once the kitchen gets slammed with your huge fucking order.

go away.

7/25/2012 7:13:10 AM

^ what restaurant are you affiliated with?

7/25/2012 7:33:33 AM

I read this as "Automatic 18-20% Gratuity for Large Penis"

7/25/2012 7:37:36 AM

Quote :

"I guess you've never been to a business dinner with suppliers/customers or on business trips where 5-6 of you are sent and then 5-6 people of the same company take you out to dinner on the company's dime... "

I get when it's a necessity. But you should never want to do it and you should never voluntarily have a nice celebration dinner at a nice restaurant...especially if you're a prick about your food and service (which most t-dubbers seem to be).

Quote :

"because that's their job?"

I mean...you can pitch your ace on 2 days rest...but don't expect him to throw a complete game shut-out.

7/25/2012 9:09:06 AM

Sometimes I like the autograt because depending on the group of people you're with, there's that guy that stiffs a portion of his bill and it's usually the tip that suffers as a result. Though in NC servers here don't seem to mind splitting checks as much as they did when I was living in NY.

I do remember one time having to get a manager involved on an autograt because we refused to tip the server at all. He was a total asshole to us the entire time and if it hadn't been for the fact one person in our party of 5 was adamant about eating at that restaurant, we would have just left without ordering anything. I guess the server figured since he was automatically getting a tip he didn't need to do his job at all.

7/25/2012 9:18:24 AM

Quote :

"i never add a penny over the auto gratuity."

me neither, and I always tip over 20%, but if youre going to force my hand then thats what you get

7/25/2012 9:21:00 AM

Quote :

""i never add a penny over the auto gratuity."

Quote :

"me neither, and I always tip over 20%, but if youre going to force my hand then thats what you get"

7/25/2012 9:49:54 AM

Quote :

"it nearly always says on the menu groups of a certian # will include gratuity at a predetermined %. if youre not ok with that sit with less people."

Trying reading at least the first post before responding to a thread.

Quote :

" I guess the server figured since he was automatically getting a tip he didn't need to do his job at all."

That's my main issue here. I don't mind the autograt...I mind the way some servers respond to the autograt.

7/25/2012 9:52:11 AM

I'm sure this never happens in other working fields. Where salaried guys know they can get away with slacking and still get a paycheck. Welcome to the real world folks...restaurants are just like other businesses. You get what you pay for.

7/25/2012 9:59:55 AM

Is paying an auto gratuity mandated by law? If I think I got crappy service on my $20 meal, can I just leave the $20 (plus tax) in cash on the table instead of the 23.60 (plus tax) that's on my bill?

7/25/2012 10:14:18 AM