Suggested gratuity

[paulwirral]

When did this become the norm in a bar ?
We went into town last week for a bite to eat and a few drinks , went into the alchemist in Liverpool as we were passing and ordered a couple of drinks , bar guy asks how I’m paying and I showed him my card , he presents the card machine and I wave my card at it and turn to walk away .
He stops me and points out that I have to read the instructions on the machine that I’m assuming are please enter your PIN code , only to find that it’s saying suggested gratuity of 5-10 or 20% or other amount !
Up to 20% for serving me a drink ! Obviously I entered 0 on the other amount that involves faffing on with the card reader . I thought it was supposed to make things quicker , not to mention if he’d added 20% on to start with and let me do contactless I’d have been non the wiser , apart from moaning at how expensive the bloody drinks are !

[Muzzer79]

It became a thing principally during Covid but also due to the recent phenomenon of people not carrying cash.

With contactless or card payments, without the facility to tip, servers lose out because people don't carry cash with which to leave a gratuity.

I haven't carried cash for years.

As for them potentially adding 20% to your bill before you wave your card at it - it is kind of your responsibility to check the amount and any gratuity before you pay

[Mark V GTD]

Ah the March of technology. When I was a barman in Merseyside in the 80’s the phrase was ‘and one for yourself mate’ which meant I would take 10p as a tip.

[bitchstewie]

Never will understand how culturally it became acceptable not to expect staff to rely on this rather than pay decent wages to start with.

[paulwirral]

Mark V GTD said:

Ah the March of technology. When I was a barman in Merseyside in the 80’s the phrase was ‘and one for yourself mate’ which meant I would take 10p as a tip.

It still is but they usually take 50p to a pound these days , but I’m originally from the north east and no one does it up there .
The mind boggles how much someone would spend on a heavy session at 20% tip rate

[mickk]

Had that at a petrol station before, can't remember if it was for charity though.

[theplayingmantis]

Muzzer79 said:

It became a thing principally during Covid but also due to the recent phenomenon of people not carrying cash.

With contactless or card payments, without the facility to tip, servers lose out because people don't carry cash with which to leave a gratuity.

I haven't carried cash for years.

As for them potentially adding 20% to your bill before you wave your card at it - it is kind of your responsibility to check the amount and any gratuity before you pay

tipping barman is not 'servers losing out' its a p take imo. we are not in the states. yes tip waiting staff for food for sure (debateble for just drinks unless there big orders and for a few hours of table service), but not just one round and defo not the barman.

If pssd or old school or your regualr, the one for yourself is appropriate.

the option to add the tip on the card machine was a thing long before covid, i think the OPs point was more about the barman prompting it on drinks order, which is not on. I have it some places but the barman press through for you typically as 0. Same as in petrol stations mostly the guy behind the desk taps thru the charity prompt before giving you the machine ime.

[Muzzer79]

theplayingmantis said:

Muzzer79 said:

It became a thing principally during Covid but also due to the recent phenomenon of people not carrying cash.

With contactless or card payments, without the facility to tip, servers lose out because people don't carry cash with which to leave a gratuity.

I haven't carried cash for years.

As for them potentially adding 20% to your bill before you wave your card at it - it is kind of your responsibility to check the amount and any gratuity before you pay

tipping barman is not 'servers losing out' its a p take imo. we are not in the states. yes tip waiting staff for food for sure (debateble for just drinks unless there big orders and for a few hours of table service), but not just one round and defo not the barman.

If pssd or old school or your regualr, the one for yourself is appropriate.

the option to add the tip on the card machine was a thing long before covid, i think the OPs point was more about the barman prompting it on drinks order, which is not on. I have it some places but the barman press through for you typically as 0. Same as in petrol stations mostly the guy behind the desk taps thru the charity prompt before giving you the machine ime.

I wouldn’t tip a barman.

But I don’t begrudge them giving me the option. I just simply don’t use it?

If someone wants to tip a barman, this feature allows them to.
If they don’t want to tip a barman, this feature allows that too.

I really don’t see the problem

[soad]

mickk said:

Had that at a petrol station before, can't remember if it was for charity though.

Esso/Morrisons Daily: “Add 25p for charity? Yes/No”.

[Dingu]

You have one example and are extrapolating it as the norm? It can’t have happened many other times to you if you are so surprised.

[snuffy]

theplayingmantis said:

I have it some places but the barman press through for you typically as 0. Same as in petrol stations mostly the guy behind the desk taps thru the charity prompt before giving you the machine ime.

I've seen that in pubs as well. Clearly the machine has been configured to prompt for a tip, but I've seen them cancel the option for you. The probably get sick of people saying "what the fk's this?" all the time.

[snuffy]

Muzzer79 said:

I wouldn’t tip a barman.

But I don’t begrudge them giving me the option. I just simply don’t use it?

If someone wants to tip a barman, this feature allows them to.
If they don’t want to tip a barman, this feature allows that too.

I really don’t see the problem

The problem is that you are now being asked to tip, where previously you were not.

"Here's your pint of old grumble belly sir, that will be five pounds please. Oh, and would you like to give me a pound tip as well?"

I can see how that would annoy customers.

[Mikebentley]

soad said:

mickk said:

Had that at a petrol station before, can't remember if it was for charity though.

Esso/Morrisons Daily: “Add 25p for charity? Yes/No”.

This one always gets a “No” from me. If the supermarket want to give 25p to charity give it from the £100 I’ve just spent with you. I can imagine their internal and social posturing about how much “they” raise for charity and it boils my piss. They should say if you give 10p we will treble it or something.

[Mikebentley]

snuffy said:

Muzzer79 said:

I wouldn’t tip a barman.

But I don’t begrudge them giving me the option. I just simply don’t use it?

If someone wants to tip a barman, this feature allows them to.
If they don’t want to tip a barman, this feature allows that too.

I really don’t see the problem

The problem is that you are now being asked to tip, where previously you were not.

"Here's your pint of old grumble belly sir, that will be five pounds please. Oh, and would you like to give me a pound tip as well?"

I can see how that would annoy customers.

Wouldn’t tip a barman routinely either. Had a Sunday pub lunch for my daughters 18th last week. 7 of us and everyone only had 1 drink (their choice). The bill was £172. Food was excellent and the waiting staff came to the table 7 times in total. I checked the staff got the tip so rounded up to £200.

I don’t know if this is reasonable or not but it did cross my mind these 16 yr old kids waiting tables must be raking it in. The pub probably had 40 tables of mixed sizes full for the whole 4 hr lunch serving. They turned 4 families with kids away whilst we were there from 13:00 to 14:30.

[biggles330d]

Suggested gratuity. £0.00. I hate how it's somehow become an expectation for simply doing the job that they are being paid for, and not as it was, to recognise exceptional service in a discretionary way. We have a minimum wage for a reason, this isn't America. I particularly hate those places that automatically add it to the bill as a line item with the excuse that it's optional and generally make a point of not choosing to eat there again.

I had lunch at a place in London a while back with a colleague. It was fine, nothing exceptional. When the bill came, she looked it over, pointed out the 'optional service charge' that was on the bill, and sent the server away to remove it and re-issue a new bill. It was excruciatingly embarrassing and awkward in truth but all credit for her doing it - I wouldn't have done. I would have paid and grumbled and muttered for the rest of the day.

If you want to charge for 'service', give me a discounted option to collect the food from the kitchen myself, take the plates back and to wash up. What's the point of running a restaurant if you aren't providing the service as part of it. That's the whole point of charging what is already charged for the food. If you aren't charging enough to cover your staff costs, then you shouldn't be in business.

Rant over...

[Milkyway]

If we’ve we’ve had a proper sit down meal, good service etc... the norm is usually about 10%.
It either goes to them or in a ‘pot’ to be divided up... as some get better tables than others.
( seems fair)

Ahhh... the old days of everybody throwing a few quid in the ashtray when leaving.
If I did offer any bar staff a drink, sometimes they would just put it in the charity box, or just ask me to that instead.

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 19th August 10:12

[Sheepshanks]

Mikebentley said:

Wouldn’t tip a barman routinely either. Had a Sunday pub lunch for my daughters 18th last week. 7 of us and everyone only had 1 drink (their choice). The bill was £172. Food was excellent and the waiting staff came to the table 7 times in total. I checked the staff got the tip so rounded up to £200.

I don’t know if this is reasonable or not but it did cross my mind these 16 yr old kids waiting tables must be raking it in. The pub probably had 40 tables of mixed sizes full for the whole 4 hr lunch serving. They turned 4 families with kids away whilst we were there from 13:00 to 14:30.

Apparently very few people tip in these places, and if they do it’s a couple of quid, that’s why a lot of places add it on for tables >6.

[snuffy]

Sheepshanks said:

Apparently very few people tip in these places, and if they do it’s a couple of quid, that’s why a lot of places add it on for tables >6.

My understanding is that they add on a service charge to larger tables because larger tables tip smaller amounts compared to small tables. Say 2 people eat and it's £100. People will add on 10%, and give them £10. But a table of 6, with a £300 bill, wont add on £30 (10%), instead they will leave the same amount as a table of 2, so just £10.

[Milkyway]

snuffy said:

My understanding is that they add on a service charge to larger tables because larger tables tip smaller amounts compared to small tables. Say 2 people eat and it's £100. People will add on 10%, and give them £10. But a table of 6, with a £300 bill, wont add on £30 (10%), instead they will leave the same amount as a table of 2, so just £10.

Skinflints.... 6 paying adults = £5 per head.
Good table service can make or break a meal... even better if the waiter / waitress is engaging.

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 19th August 14:56

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I'll tip for good service in a restaurant. I won't anywhere else or if the service quality is assumed/staid.

Why reward poor service?

In a petrol station I find it bizarre. Do they then promote how much the organisation has raised for charity as a PR event?