Tipping esp with CC or Debit card

I

IrishGunner

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Just a question about tipping

Just back from a meal and paid via laser card. Bill was with tip and without tip

GF said that if I pay all inc tip by laser staff wont get it as it goes straight to the restaurant and not the waiter / waitress that served us

This correct ? Ending up tipping by cash

Also for bad service is it better to leave no tip or a very small tip ?
 
IrishGunner said:
GF said that if I pay all inc tip by laser staff wont get it as it goes straight to the restaurant and not the waiter / waitress that served us

This correct ?

Also for bad service is it better to leave no tip or a very small tip ?
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I would imagine the tips are pooled and divided evenly among staff?

Personally I wouldn't tip for bad service.
 
IrishGunner said:
...for bad service is it better to leave no tip or a very small tip ?
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You should tip what you feel is appropriate. Tipping is entirely at your discretion. Personally, for bad service, I would tend not to tip at all. For very good service, I would tip over the odds (if I can afford it!).
 
I recently went for dinner in Dublin with my daughter and her partner. Being the good Daddy that I am (ahem!) I went to pay the bill with my flexible friend and was told by the cashier that I could add a tip to the bill by typing in an amout on the card vaildation terminal.

As the staff had messed up our order and delayed my meal I wasn't inclined to. We left having paid the bill as presented. Later while sorting out receipts I noticed to my horror that the bill already included a service charge.

What a flippin' cheek. I assume the service charge goes to the restaurant and the tip was destined for the servers. If I had spotted this in time I would have refused the service charge, irrespective of the recipient.
 
Restaurants that charge a service charge usually mention it (and the conditions under which it's imposed, such as tables of 5 or more people) on the bill. AFAIK you cannot refuse the service charge if the conditions are met.

But yes, sometimes when you've been charged a service charge you are still "encouraged" to tip. If the service has been exceptional, it's not beyond reason to go add to the service charge, which is usually 12.5%.
 
extopia said:
Restaurants that charge a service charge usually mention it (and the conditions under which it's imposed, such as tables of 5 or more people) on the bill. AFAIK you cannot refuse the service charge if the conditions are met....
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No, we were a party of 3, with Daddy as gooseberry.

Adding the service charge to the bill is not satisfactory IMHO as there was no mention of it on the menu and none of the servers mentioned it either.

In these circumstances, given the service I experienced, I could have justified paying for food and drinks but not service, if only I'd checked the bill first.
 
Worked in the US waiting tables and the reason staff prefer to get tipped in cash, is that they can keep the cash for themselves. Tips paid by laser/credit are pooled amongst staff and also were taxable. When I tip I tend to tip in cash even if paying bill by laser/credit.
Have a problem with service charge if there were only 3 of you, thought in most places it was only added for parties of 6 or more????
 
di74 said:
Worked in the US waiting tables and the reason staff prefer to get tipped in cash, is that they can keep the cash for themselves.
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There's is world of difference between the pay and conditions of waiters in the US compared to here. Pay is very low in the US and the waiters have to "earn" the tips - hence the ass-kissing, "have a nice day" routine. Leave without tipping in a US restaurant and you'll be lucky to get as far as the door.

di74 said:
Tips paid by laser/credit are pooled amongst staff and also were taxable. When I tip I tend to tip in cash even if paying bill by laser/credit.
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That's the best aproach. My local "eaterie" never leaves a space for tips when I pay electronically. I appreciate not being put in the spot with a waiter hovering over me while I determine the value of his service. I always try to give some cash to the INDIVIDUAL who I felt most deserved it. If they want to pool it, that's their business.

di74 said:
Have a problem with service charge if there were only 3 of you, thought in most places it was only added for parties of 6 or more????
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Service charge can be applied in any circumstances as long as those circumstances are made explicit by inclusion on the menu. Even where it is explicit, I think it's a bit cheeky to invite an additional tip by leaving a space on the card receipt.
 
I would never tip for bad service, the job of a waiter/waitress is hardly an art- you serve food and act mannerly & polite, if the service I get is bad they dont get a tip, if there's a problem with the food it should be sent back.

As a by-note i often go to a city centre italian restaurant for lunch with an old friend, we started noticing we were being charged 10% service even tho it was generally 2 in the group, i mentioned it to another friend who often went there who pointed out it was always charged by 1 particular waitress, so next time i was there i asked her for the bill she brought it over with 10% added, i politely pointed out that the menu said service charge was added to groups of 4 or more- she muttered an apology and any time we've been there since she hasnt charged it!
 
bamboozle said:
we started noticing we were being charged 10% service even tho it was generally 2 in the group, i mentioned it to another friend who often went there who pointed out it was always charged by 1 particular waitress, so next time i was there i asked her for the bill she brought it over with 10% added, i politely pointed out that the menu said service charge was added to groups of 4 or more- she muttered an apology and any time we've been there since she hasnt charged it!
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Presumably you have been getting the serving staff's special secret sauce in your food since then? :D
 
I heard a suggestion that you should tip 1c for bad service, just to make sure the staff don't think that you just forgot.
 
I have had a service charge removed for bad service, at my insistence. The manager didn't like it but agreed we got lousy service so relented in the end.

A friend of mine who works for a big restaurant chain told me that the staff don't get the service charge...it goes into a fund for training and uniforms etc (!) and they only get extra money if someone tips on top of the service charge.
 
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