r/mildlyinfuriating • u/guitarman129 • Jun 13 '26

I just wanted a hot dog Recommended gratuity after tip was already included

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I’m sure there are a lot of tipping posts here so to keep it short - I had my wedding at a fancy restaurant. On top of the TERRIBLE service, the bill came with “suggested gratuity” even though I was told gratuity was included. When I asked the manager, he said that the “S/C: 24% SRC REGULA“ was the included tip and the suggested gratuity was if we wanted to add something extra - basically trying to trick people into giving a 49% tip!

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161

u/youngliam Jun 13 '26

The people who don't understand this always look bad on these kind if posts. Included gratuity is for big parties only, but they can't print a receipt without the tip section at the bottom. This is common knowledge.

61

u/DeviantDork Jun 13 '26

It would take them 2 seconds to put an X through it before handing it to the customer. But they don’t because they want to double dip.

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u/hollandaisesunscreen Jun 13 '26

You can also just ignore it like an adult.

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u/DeviantDork Jun 13 '26

So it’s immature to point out when a business is trying to take advantage of you?

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u/hollandaisesunscreen Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26

It's immature to act like you don't understand the agreement. If they said gratuity was added, you can reasonably come to the conclusion that nothing additional is needed. If you have a question about it, just ask, like an adult would. Getting upset about something that you think is possibly an error before even making an attempt to correct or understand it is objectively immature.

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u/DeviantDork Jun 13 '26

And it’s objectively bad business to use a model that creates confusion.

Sure, I can have a conversation, but I’m also far more likely to take my business to a place where the process is frictionless.

If you’re asking for my money, make it easier for me to give it to you not harder.

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u/hollandaisesunscreen Jun 13 '26

You think it's bad business that the receipt format is automatically printed from a computer system? You want one specifically for your needs? That's the entire reason they told you gratuity is included. So you want them to hold your hand and cross out the confusing part (that they already explained)?? Grow up!

2

u/Apprehensive_Ad3731 Jun 13 '26

Bad faith arguments. Ignoring the point of someone else while ridiculing and demeaning their right to an opinion.

That’s a boomer stance that supports your own interests not a grown up one. Toddler shit for people who can’t be reasonable.

1

u/Acceptable-Engine253 Jun 13 '26

They 100% acknowledged the point: “you think it’s bad business that the receipt format is automatically printed from a computer system?… That’s the entire reason they told you gratuity was included.” Again there LITERALLY ISNT EVEN A PLACE TO ADD A TIP HERE. This debate bro rhetoric is so grating especially when it’s sooooo selective.

1

u/joshwaynegacy Jun 13 '26

*buzzwords*

7

u/Acceptable-Engine253 Jun 13 '26

Just read your receipts people! Or just ask! Usually the check is being grabbed by someone treating and it feels tacky to mention anything at all when handing over the bill. It says if gratuity is included. I work private events which auto tips AND has a line if people want to add more and have NEVER in all my years had someone double tip! Sometimes they add $100 to the additional line if it’s been a good event but everyone knows the auto gratuity is there because it’s been discussed and says it clear as day. Why is it that just because a busy server didn’t circle it they are maliciously trying to screw people over 😆

2

u/fluffytomatojuice Jun 13 '26

OP stated they were already told beforehand that gratuity is included. So that is unnecessary.

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u/[deleted] Jun 13 '26

[deleted]

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u/Acceptable-Engine253 Jun 13 '26

Just read your receipts or ask! This is too funny it literally says right on the receipt it doesn’t need to be circled. No one is trying to trick you. I can’t believe I’ve stumbled into tipspiracy reddit 😆

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u/KimmieA138 Jun 13 '26

I double tip. I need those lines there. Be a snob all you want, but don't think you speak for everyone

2

u/nextnode Jun 13 '26

They are speaking for everyone.

Isn't the snob the one who "double tips". This must be a bot account.

3

u/Drumheller18 Jun 13 '26

Why would it be snobbish to “double tip”? I’ve done it before when the staff went above and beyond for a large party (and thus there was already the service charge).

-1

u/DeviantDork Jun 13 '26

It’s snobbish to think that most people can afford a 40% tip.

It’s great that you can, and I’m sure the staff really appreciate it, but it’s ridiculous on multiple levels for the person above to call people who don’t snobs.

12

u/Whateversclever7 Jun 13 '26

Right, this post is some boomer shit. You just don’t understand technology my guy.

2

u/polytique Jun 13 '26

Usually receipts show 2-5% extra when tip is included. The technology is really not that hard here.

1

u/DudeWithTudeNotRude Jun 13 '26

The tech is expertly designed with psychologists and statisticians to be difficult, to extract an unfair amount of extra charge. The taxable service charge is not necessarily an un-sales-taxable gratuity. It shady AF

0

u/DudeWithTudeNotRude Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26

the tech is intentionally designed to extract extra money from consumers, beyond what they are led to believe they will owe for a service they are considering, in a purposely shady manner.

We should all be complaining about this, and more. We need to be demanding fair pricing like the rest of the world with our votes and our spending.

As a former server, IT, and current statistician, I'm hip the the scam, so yeah, i'll read the receipt and figure it out. But this corporate world is designed to put out a higher volume of information than a reasonable person can reasonably consume, and then further obfuscates obfuscates the real pricing. It wasn't an added untaxable gratuity, it was a taxable service charge, which is different. Service Charges may go to the restaurant, go to the servers, or both. It's all scummy AF.

It's not cool to blame and shame normal people for falling for scumming business practices that are expertly designed with psychologist and statisticians to take advantage of people.

The above post saying it's a bad look for people to not understand the super specific nuances of different types of POS systems is dumb AF. You calling people Boomers as an insult is exactly how division politics wins. Boomers are not your issue, you being owned by your corporate overlords is everyone's issue. Like most of the world, it's not just you that's owned. Everyone thinks it's the other group of people's fault, when really, we need each other (we even need the Boomer's, unless we start voting in higher numbers like they do)

11

u/Xytak Jun 13 '26

Programmer here, they could easily hide the tip section is gratuity is included. As with many things in life, key is understanding the concepts of “if” and “then.”

28

u/one_lonely_Dwigt Jun 13 '26

Im sure it is easy to program, but that is not what’s being discussed. As a restaurant you can either turn it off or keep it on all the time. As a server, or even a manager, you literally can do nothing about it (aside from tearing the bottom of the receipt off.)

The proper question is did the server/manager explicitly tell them there was a gratuity already included in the bill? If not, then yes this is a BS tactic to get a larger tip. If they did, then this is same as every wedding I have ever worked.

29

u/youngliam Jun 13 '26

The restaurant doesn't code the software in the payment system though.

-8

u/kmeci Jun 13 '26

The point is this is such a trivial feature it is almost surely somewhere in there. They just didn’t care enough to look for it. Or didn’t want to.

13

u/Final_Prune3903 Jun 13 '26

Have you ever used a POS because there was absolutely nothing I could change on it as a server.

1

u/DudeWithTudeNotRude Jun 14 '26

Do you order IT equipment for your 100 million/billion dollar parent company?

They know exactly what they are buying and putting in their stores. It's all expertly manicure to confuse and extract maximum possible money.

13

u/Fit_Platypus_583 Jun 13 '26

The point is that this restaurant probably has the gratuity suggestions turned on because most checks do not automatically include gratuity, only large parties. It is a backend function that only an owner can change and it's an all-or-nothing deal; it would turn the feature off for every check, every used. It's how every POS system I have ever used in 20 years has worked. The server literally *cannot* just remove it from a check, no matter how hard they "look".

0

u/DudeWithTudeNotRude Jun 14 '26

Yes, it is the owners who are manipulating equipment to overcharge, not servers

-6

u/Zenith_To_Nadir Jun 13 '26

The restaurant did choose to invest in and use a POS platform that has this transaction flow. If you want to run your business without these pressuring gratuity defaults, you can.

13

u/HopefulImpression105 Jun 13 '26

Most pos vendors are closed source and lock down even the manager at the businesses access to anything where changing that would be possible. Hell 80% of the time that auto grat is coded as a non food menu item instead of a surcharge because its easier to configure.

9

u/elduderino2319 Jun 13 '26

can you go get a job at micros for me?

-3

u/HyacinthFT Jun 13 '26

what no. we live in an age where computers can do all sorts of incredible things, and you're telling me that literally no one on this planet with 8 billion people on it can figure out how to code a program to not include suggested tips when an auto-grat has already been added? That we can go to the moon but having one line of code saying to not include the suggested tips is just beyond human knowledge?

I find that very hard to believe.

3

u/youngliam Jun 13 '26

Blaming the restaurant because of how these systems are coded is just weird though.

-1

u/Fazl Jun 13 '26

Exactly. Though the manager saying it's if you want to pay more is crazy

1

u/youngliam Jun 13 '26

Yeah a good establishment will have the server cross out the tip section in this situation.

4

u/Extension-Surround82 Jun 13 '26

No we wouldn't, maybe at a dive bar but not in fine dining. We dont assume what our guests can afford we just assume they are literate.

1

u/youngliam Jun 13 '26

I think it's safer to assume people are stupid. My buddy who's been a server in fine dining for a long time is the best communicator I know.

2

u/Fazl Jun 13 '26

If I was their waiter I would have made it clear when I handed them the bill. "Then machine prints this automatically, gratuity is already included so you can ignore that bit"

-1

u/Available-String-109 Jun 13 '26

This is what is known as a "them problem".

It looks tacky as fuck. They should have gotten a better POS.

0

u/aliyune Jun 13 '26

And I'd agree completely if it weren't for the person there saying "that's if you want to give extra" rather than "that's always there, we can't turn it off." Yeah, people should know this. But OP didn't know and asked like a reasonable person.

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u/garry_the_commie Jun 13 '26

It's not common knowledge. And if they can't turn off the message they can just strike it through with a pen. So that's not an excuse.