Restaurant customer arrested for crime of undertipping

richlevy · 09-14-2004, 10:19 PM

I was a little confused by the story. Didn't they put the charge on the bill? If not, then the defense that the customers didn't see the notice would hold up. Add in the fact that some people just can't do math.

We would sometimes have work lunches at a local restaurant. We always made it a point to leave %18-20. After this had gone on a few times, I noticed an odd itemized charge marked 'E.P.T' or something like that. I finally figured out that this was the gratuity already added to the bill. We had been tipping over %36.

BTW, if restaurants can charge 'theft of services' for not being adequately tipped, then they should be liable for fraud if they charge for poor service.

Cyber Wolf · 09-14-2004, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richlevy

BTW, if restaurants can charge 'theft of services' for not being adequately tipped, then they should be liable for fraud if they charge for poor service.

Or any company you exchange money for goods/services with that advertises friendly service and you end up with the Surly Employee of the Day. Frivolous suits...but they fit.

Joe Faux · 09-14-2004, 11:14 PM

A few years ago we went to Planet Hollywood with a group of friends (6). The food and service were fine and when the bill arrived, a 18% auto-gratuity was applied. In addition, a blank tip line rested just above the final total line. I drew a line through the blank line, believing it already totaled, and signed the bill. The waitress saw the blank tip line and blew her stack. The manger came to the table and asked if anything was wrong and why I was failing to leave the waitress a tip. I explained that I believed the auto-gratuity covered my gratitude as tip. He stated the 18% was for the restaurant and the secondary tip was for the waitress. The bill before the auto-gratuity was over $120.

I was dumbfounded.

I understand that people in the service industry are paid terribly at times, but we now consider tipping our responsibility. It's no longer considered a gift but an obligation to subsidize the wage shortcomings of the restaurant owners.

I tip when its earned as a personal gift of gratitude... not because I should cover the restaurant's poor salary plan.

Cyber Wolf · 09-15-2004, 06:28 AM

The 18% was a tip for the restaurant itself?? That's the first time I've ever heard of that. I always thought that 18% went into a Tip Pool of some sort and was distributed among the waitstaff. Bollocks to that. That sounds a bit like racketeering to me, if they're going to apply an automatic 18% tip on your total just for having a high total. That doesn't give the customer any choice.

russotto · 09-15-2004, 08:31 AM

An arrest for "theft of services" for undertipping indicates the cops are dirty and in cahoots with the restauranteur.

09-14-2004, 10:19 PM	#1
richlevy King Of Wishful Thinking Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Philadelphia Suburbs Posts: 6,669	I was a little confused by the story. Didn't they put the charge on the bill? If not, then the defense that the customers didn't see the notice would hold up. Add in the fact that some people just can't do math. We would sometimes have work lunches at a local restaurant. We always made it a point to leave %18-20. After this had gone on a few times, I noticed an odd itemized charge marked 'E.P.T' or something like that. I finally figured out that this was the gratuity already added to the bill. We had been tipping over %36. BTW, if restaurants can charge 'theft of services' for not being adequately tipped, then they should be liable for fraud if they charge for poor service. __________________ Exercise your rights and remember your obligations - VOTE! I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. -- Barack Hussein Obama Last edited by richlevy; 09-14-2004 at 10:22 PM.

09-14-2004, 11:14 PM	#3
Joe Faux Pithy Euphemist Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 19	A few years ago we went to Planet Hollywood with a group of friends (6). The food and service were fine and when the bill arrived, a 18% auto-gratuity was applied. In addition, a blank tip line rested just above the final total line. I drew a line through the blank line, believing it already totaled, and signed the bill. The waitress saw the blank tip line and blew her stack. The manger came to the table and asked if anything was wrong and why I was failing to leave the waitress a tip. I explained that I believed the auto-gratuity covered my gratitude as tip. He stated the 18% was for the restaurant and the secondary tip was for the waitress. The bill before the auto-gratuity was over $120. I was dumbfounded. I understand that people in the service industry are paid terribly at times, but we now consider tipping our responsibility. It's no longer considered a gift but an obligation to subsidize the wage shortcomings of the restaurant owners. I tip when its earned as a personal gift of gratitude... not because I should cover the restaurant's poor salary plan. __________________ - Joe Faux

09-15-2004, 06:28 AM	#4
Cyber Wolf As stable as a ring of PU-239 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: On a huge rock covered in water, highly advanced moss and 7 billion parasites Posts: 1,264	The 18% was a tip for the restaurant itself?? That's the first time I've ever heard of that. I always thought that 18% went into a Tip Pool of some sort and was distributed among the waitstaff. Bollocks to that. That sounds a bit like racketeering to me, if they're going to apply an automatic 18% tip on your total just for having a high total. That doesn't give the customer any choice. __________________ "I don't see what's so triffic about creating people as people and then getting' upset 'cos they act like people." ~Adam Young, Good Omens "I don't see why it matters what is written. Not when it's about people. It can always be crossed out." ~Adam Young, Good Omens Last edited by Cyber Wolf; 09-15-2004 at 08:08 PM.

09-15-2004, 08:31 AM	#5
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	An arrest for "theft of services" for undertipping indicates the cops are dirty and in cahoots with the restauranteur.

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