Restaurant 3% surcharges for inflation, and health care, is a BIG Pet Peeve for Me

[Superchief]

Unfortunately we are now in an upward spiral. Prices going up, so businesses have to raise prices. Cost of labor goes up, so they have to raise prices. Prices everywhere else go up. So employees need more money to cover basic expenses. Labor costs go up more, then prices have to go up. Accelerating wages sounds like a good thing for the employees but in the end they are just spending their new wages on the same, but more expensive, stuff.

I just saw that the UAW is asking for 46% wage increases and a 32 hour work week. It will be interesting to see what is agreed upon. The greedy executives should expect this when they take excessive compensation which is public information.

 

[joestein]

I just saw that the UAW is asking for 46% wage increases and a 32 hour work week. It will be interesting to see what is agreed upon. The greedy executives should expect this when they take excessive compensation which is public information.

They have already dropped to a 30% increase.

 

[joestein]

As for the restaurant surcharges, I have found that there are a whole bunch of restaurants that are serving mediocre/average food for extremely high prices.

I dont tend to eat out for the sake of eating out. I eat out when I am together with friends, going to live music or when necessary (nights out to the theatre or on vacation). I prefer to go to places that have excellent food - if that means I have to incur a surcharge, then I consider it just the cost of the meal. I would rather pay a surcharge of 3% on a great meal than no surcharge on an average meal - especially if prices are similar.

So, I pay the surcharge and probably tip on it as well - I usually just give around 20% of the total bill (after tax and any surcharge). If you spend $200 that is $6 - what are you going to do - cheat the waitress out of the $6?

Joe

 

[Patri]

20% tip on $200 is $40. The server can probably live without the $6. It is just the creep of unexpected charges that eventually becomes monstrous.

 

[Kozman]

I can't see this ending well for waitstaff. People will simply tip on the pre-tax/surcharge amount and waitstaff's income will drop.

I never tip on tax or fees.

 

[Luanne]

I never tip on tax or fees.

I usually only tip on the food amount, but I also usually tip more than 20%.

If I don't like something about a restaurant, including any of its policies, I just won't return.

 

[zentraveler]

If I don't like something about a restaurant, including any of its policies, I just won't return.

My policy also. My visit to the restaurant that had a 7% "employee" charge and a 1% who-knows-what charge will be my first, last and only meal there.

 

[DRH90277]

I'm really tired of seeing these "junk" charges as I did on a recent trip to CA. Should I see this nonsense again, I will stop going to the venue. If I know this will be added to the bill, I will reduce the tip for the amount of the junk fee and let management explain this to their employees.

I have been tipping 20% - I guess I could just reduce this by 5% to 15%. Sounds arbitrary but seems that's what some of these flakey businesses are doing to us.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I just saw that the UAW is asking for 46% wage increases and a 32 hour work week. It will be interesting to see what is agreed upon. The greedy executives should expect this when they take excessive compensation which is public information.

@Superchief and the bite is that two of the three plants the UAW are striking at are plants that my company supplies parts to. I just got home as we need our whole team to help our logistics department today re route and re confgure our deliveries for the next week...Ugh, I'm tired and I want a 46% wage increase....

 

[Superchief]

@Superchief and the bite is that two of the three plants the UAW are striking at are plants that my company supplies parts to. I just got home as we need our whole team to help our logistics department today re route and re confgure our deliveries for the next week...Ugh, I'm tired and I want a 46% wage increase....

Good luck. Many people don't realize that middle managers are the key to success for most companies, but they never benefit from excessive executive compensation or union agreements. They are also usually the first to get hit by layoffs.

 

[4TimeAway]

Good luck. Many people don't realize that middle managers are the key to success for most companies, but they never benefit from excessive executive compensation or union agreements. They are also usually the first to get hit by layoffs.

I think its people that care are in short supply. If you care, you get promoted. Eventually companies fire everyone that cares.....

Oh, and Founders care the most about everything. Most people just want money.

 

[easyrider]

Our drinking buddies are big tippers. So are we. We don't go out that often so tipping isn't a problem.

Bill

 

[4TimeAway]

Our drinking buddies are big tippers. So are we. We don't go out that often so tipping isn't a problem.

Bill

The origin of tipping as I recall was paid as a sort of bribe before a meal for a better experience.

This tax after seems kind of pointless unless you back to the same place and have a relationship with the staff.

 

[mort1345]

Reminds me of Popeye when he docks : You're new in town right? Popeye : If you call this a town, yes. The Tax Man : Well, first of all, there's 17¢ new-in-town tax, and there's 45¢ rowboat-under-the-wharf tax, and one dollar leaving-your-junk-lying-around-the-wharf tax, so all together, you owe the Commodore $1.87.

 

[joestein]

I think its people that care are in short supply. If you care, you get promoted. Eventually companies fire everyone that cares.....

Oh, and Founders care the most about everything. Most people just want money.

Yes... people that care. I guess I am upper mgmt these days (entry level of upper mgmt?). I will say that people (both upper and middle mgmt) respond to inquiries in the most basic and simple way. I see just plain OK or Yes or NO.

Sometimes there is more than one inquire, what does OK mean? You agree with my point? You agree we should do it? You approve it? How hard would 'I agree with your analysis, why don't you go ahead and take care of it.'

The one that steams me the most is when I am looking for a doc and I ask somebody for it, and their response is 'I sent it to so and so - ask them'. How hard is it to find the earlier email when you sent it to someone and forward it to them or copy over the attachment(s)? I always do that when in a similar situation. It doesn't have to be upper mgmt. either. I would do the same for anybody - regardless of where they are on the Corp ladder.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Yes... people that care. I guess I am upper mgmt these days (entry level of upper mgmt?). I will say that people (both upper and middle mgmt) respond to inquiries in the most basic and simple way. I see just plain OK or Yes or NO.

Sometimes there is more than one inquire, what does OK mean? You agree with my point? You agree we should do it? You approve it? How hard would 'I agree with your analysis, why don't you go ahead and take care of it.'

The one that steams me the most is when I am looking for a doc and I ask somebody for it, and their response is 'I sent it to so and so - ask them'. How hard is it to find the earlier email when you sent it to someone and forward it to them or copy over the attachment(s)? I always do that when in a similar situation. It doesn't have to be upper mgmt. either. I would do the same for anybody - regardless of where they are on the Corp ladder.

@joestein,

I just had this happen to me on Friday, I needed a document from our Central Depository as one of our executives at our parent company needed it, so I ask the person who is in charge of it and she send me a link, I explain to her, just as I did in the original email that I need her to pull the document and send it to me, she respond back, just pull it yourself from the link,

I respond back you took everyones access away last year from the Central Depository, so I can not just pull it myself. 7 emails later, with no conclusion to her pulling this document, I copy everyone --- Our President, the President of our parent company and her manager, and she copies me back with a pissy note saying here you go, no need to copy everyone...

I copy everyone back in and respond--- yes I did not to copy everyone, as after 8 emails and 3 hours of my time wasted, I had to get this document for the President of our parent company...Then her manager responds just to me, saying I was pulling a dick move and should have come to him first and I reminded him that I came to him the last time she pulled this same dick move and would not pull a document I needed from the Central Depository for a contract I was finalizing and his response was you need to pull it yourself and then I remind him that he took my access away because this same employee of his that wanted complete control of the Central Depository told him everyones access should be removed and she could pull the documents for folks.

I have 5 years left till I can retire and it can not come quick enough

 

[dago]

@joestein,

I just had this happen to me on Friday, I needed a document from our Central Depository as one of our executives at our parent company needed it, so I ask the person who is in charge of it and she send me a link, I explain to her, just as I did in the original email that I need her to pull the document and send it to me, she respond back, just pull it yourself from the link,

I respond back you took everyones access away last year from the Central Depository, so I can not just pull it myself. 7 emails later, with no conclusion to her pulling this document, I copy everyone --- Our President, the President of our parent company and her manager, and she copies me back with a pissy note saying here you go, no need to copy everyone...

I copy everyone back in and respond--- yes I did not to copy everyone, as after 8 emails and 3 hours of my time wasted, I had to get this document for the President of our parent company...Then her manager responds just to me, saying I was pulling a dick move and should have come to him first and I reminded him that I came to him the last time she pulled this same dick move and would not pull a document I needed from the Central Depository for a contract I was finalizing and his response was you need to pull it yourself and then I remind him that he took my access away because this same employee of his that wanted complete control of the Central Depository told him everyones access should be removed and she could pull the documents for folks.

I have 5 years left till I can retire and it can not come quick enough

Been there more than once.

 

[zentraveler]

@joestein,

I just had this happen to me on Friday, I needed a document from our Central Depository as one of our executives at our parent company needed it, so I ask the person who is in charge of it and she send me a link, I explain to her, just as I did in the original email that I need her to pull the document and send it to me, she respond back, just pull it yourself from the link,

I respond back you took everyones access away last year from the Central Depository, so I can not just pull it myself. 7 emails later, with no conclusion to her pulling this document, I copy everyone --- Our President, the President of our parent company and her manager, and she copies me back with a pissy note saying here you go, no need to copy everyone...

I copy everyone back in and respond--- yes I did not to copy everyone, as after 8 emails and 3 hours of my time wasted, I had to get this document for the President of our parent company...Then her manager responds just to me, saying I was pulling a dick move and should have come to him first and I reminded him that I came to him the last time she pulled this same dick move and would not pull a document I needed from the Central Depository for a contract I was finalizing and his response was you need to pull it yourself and then I remind him that he took my access away because this same employee of his that wanted complete control of the Central Depository told him everyones access should be removed and she could pull the documents for folks.

I have 5 years left till I can retire and it can not come quick enough

TL;DR. This seems very off thread topic of restaurant charges!

 

[ScoopKona]

The origin of tipping as I recall was paid as a sort of bribe before a meal for a better experience.

This tax after seems kind of pointless unless you back to the same place and have a relationship with the staff.

Kinda-sorta.

Generations ago, right after the French Revolution, there were a great many chefs whose employers were made a foot shorter at the top. Dining rooms without kitchens popped up. The waiter would ask guests what kind of meal they wanted, and then they'd rush to a nearby kitchen -- whether in a house or at a restaurant -- order and pay for the meal -- using the guest's money. Spending extra got a little more hustle from the waiter.

It was a complicated and silly system which August Escoffier changed forever when he introduced the kitchen brigade.

 

[joestein]

@joestein,

I just had this happen to me on Friday, I needed a document from our Central Depository as one of our executives at our parent company needed it, so I ask the person who is in charge of it and she send me a link, I explain to her, just as I did in the original email that I need her to pull the document and send it to me, she respond back, just pull it yourself from the link,

I respond back you took everyones access away last year from the Central Depository, so I can not just pull it myself. 7 emails later, with no conclusion to her pulling this document, I copy everyone --- Our President, the President of our parent company and her manager, and she copies me back with a pissy note saying here you go, no need to copy everyone...

I copy everyone back in and respond--- yes I did not to copy everyone, as after 8 emails and 3 hours of my time wasted, I had to get this document for the President of our parent company...Then her manager responds just to me, saying I was pulling a dick move and should have come to him first and I reminded him that I came to him the last time she pulled this same dick move and would not pull a document I needed from the Central Depository for a contract I was finalizing and his response was you need to pull it yourself and then I remind him that he took my access away because this same employee of his that wanted complete control of the Central Depository told him everyones access should be removed and she could pull the documents for folks.

I have 5 years left till I can retire and it can not come quick enough

I feel your pain.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I feel your pain.

@joestein, I figured since you mentione upthread that you had something similar happen, I just had to vent on employees that want control and then refuse to do their job when they have that control....

 

[joestein]

@joestein, I figured since you mentione upthread that you had something similar happen, I just had to vent on employees that want control and then refuse to do their job when they have that

I have those sorts of things occur on a regular basis. There are associates of mine at work who don't want to make an effort to assist others, who complain about things yet do not want to make any effort in fixing them or cannot perform the requests asked of them even when you go out of your way to always take care of their requests.

However, unless someone is in my line of authority, you need to pick your battles.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

This place is somewhat local to me, though I have never tried it. Lots of new media coverage of their 18% Service Fee for parties of one or more, this is stated as not a gratuity but covers wages and benefits...

San Jose Vietnamese restaurant's 'automatic 18% service charge’ for solo diner goes viral

A Reddit user was recently shocked after seeing that the Vietnamese restaurant they dined at automatically billed them for a service charge on their receipt. Key details: Reddit user u/TRTL2k shared a picture of their receipt from Vietnamese restaurant Pho Ha Noi in Cuptertino, California, on...

www.yahoo.com

That seems really excessive and certainly you won't find me trying this place out

 

[ScoopKona]

That seems really excessive and certainly you won't find me trying this place out

I much prefer the European and Asian model. But, having played in that ball field for entirely too long, I completely understand why nothing will change anytime soon.

1) It's better for the restaurant owners. They have a lobbying group. Diners do not.
2) High-end servers make as much as high-end trades -- plumbers, electricians and similar. This is a six-figure job in the ball field I play in.
3) It's not just servers. Sommeliers usually work on a commission-only system. They can make seven-figures a year at the right place. This is why wine costs so much. There is timeshare-levels of markup on restaurant wine lists.

Meanwhile the cook who actually grills your steak isn't making one-tenth what everyone else makes in fine dining. Hence, the fees. They want diners to pay living wages for the cooks on top of everything else. And since the average diner hates cooking more than even manual labor, I think that will likely become standard operating procedure.

 

[TravelJoy]

I never tip on tax or fees.

Worm can open.
This is also why it helps having a kitchen so you need not worry about such nuances. That and I find I can cook better then them, and don’t care to pay much for the “ambiance“.