Quote:
Originally Posted by alnorth
I'm fine with a policy of a mandatory tip for extremely large parties, but if its just two of us and they stick me with the mandatory 18% gratuity, I probably will not return.
I typically tip a lot more than 18%, but I don't want to be forced to pay for service regardless of the quality.
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18% on a small two person party isn't that much. For a $25 two person dinner, 18% tip comes out to $4.50. Are you really saying that's too much too expect, when you typically pay that much anyway and you know that the waiter is depending on your tip?
As you say, you typically tip more than that. The studies on tipping have shown that people generally pay the same despite the service quality. So in the restaurant's favor, it makes perfect sense. It's more likely than not that most people will tip routinely regardless of service quality. If the majority of people choose not to return, then the business will obviously fail. But I really question how many people would be turning down a meal in which they'd typically be paying the same meal price + tip regardless, on the ground that the tip is now expected. The only difference is the expectation factor of the measly 18%.