Prepaid gratuities/service charge

[jaxw17]

I guess you've never eaten in a restaurant in the US? In many states wait staff is paid well below minimum wage...as little as $2.13 per hour, including in your state, Georgia. Yes, that's right... $2.13 per hour in Georgia.Their tips are not just for service "above and beyond", they are to bring their earnings up to a minimum wage level.

Well if that is the case then the USA needs to be ashamed of itself and bring that minimum wage up to something more like a living wage.

[grapau27]

Well if that is the case then the USA needs to be ashamed of itself and bring that minimum wage up to something more like a living wage.

They should but most diners in the US have been brainwashed into 20% tips even for mediocre service.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[njhorseman]

Well if that is the case then the USA needs to be ashamed of itself and bring that minimum wage up to something more like a living wage.

 

They should but most diners in the US have been brainwashed into 20% tips even for mediocre service.

 

43 cruises and counting.

 

Sorry, but the sun set on the British Empire a long, long time ago, so you no longer have the right to impose your way of life on anyone else. Actually, you never had that right. Just because we have one way of doing something and you another doesn't mean one way or the other is right...they're just different.

 

I'm always amused by Brits who seem insistent on acting like a Monty Python caricature of Brits.

[quickrate]

I have been a member of Cruise Critic since inception. I do not post often but felt the need to join the conversation. My wife and I always pay the DSC and tip more for exemplary service.

I do wish to point out however that many people either do not know or forget that until the early 2000's the Room Steward, Assistant Steward (some cruise lines) Waiter, Assistant Waiter and Dining Room Captain (Head Waiter) were tipped at discretion. On the last day of the cruise, tip envelopes were left in your stateroom and the cruise line provided suggested (expected) gratuity amounts based on job title. The key word was discretion. I was a waiter years ago and my daughter is a restaurant manager on Long Island. Therefore I traditionally am a large tipper. However that being said I miss being able to decide what amount I tip. In July 1999 we were on the Maiden Voyage of the Carnival Triumph. Our Dining Room Waiter was awful but the assistant was great. As a result we gave the Assistant Waiter the Waiters tip and the Waiter the Assistant's tip. In fact we gave the assistant more than the suggested Waiter amount.

Around 2002 the cruise lines decided to automatically bill the gratuities to the room account with the option to waive out similar to today. My understanding is this was done to ensure all service Ee's received the recommended amount. On NCL with freestyle dining I can somewhat understand as you do not have a set Dining crew for the length of the cruise. Therefore if you do choose to cut or eliminate the DSC you may well hurt those who served you well such as those in the buffet who share in the DSC. Frankly there is no right or wrong to this topic. Tipping is in my opinion a very personal choice. My goal here was to bring some perspective to the conversation. Hopefully I did.

Happy Cruising !!!

I remember when we were given envelopes to tip and I also like that system. But I think the reason they went to added grat. was because so many people were not tipping at all. I remember how on the last night the dining room would be half empty!!

Pat

 

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I remember when we were given envelopes to tip and I also like that system. But I think the reason they went to added grat. was because so many people were not tipping at all. I remember how on the last night the dining room would be half empty!!

Pat

[tonit964]

They should but most diners in the US have been brainwashed into 20% tips even for mediocre service.

 

43 cruises and counting.

 

 

And.... why tipping is based on the food cost? It takes the same amount of "good service " to bring out a $10 burger as it does to bring out a $30 steak. However we tip based on the total bill amount.

I could never wrap my brain around that one.

[NLH Arizona]

And.... why tipping is based on the food cost? It takes the same amount of "good service " to bring out a $10 burger as it does to bring out a $30 steak. However we tip based on the total bill amount.

I could never wrap my brain around that one.

Funny, I can't wrap my brain around the fact that some restaurants in the UK add a 10% to 15% service charge. Why do they base it on the cost of the meal?

[grapau27]

Sorry, but the sun set on the British Empire a long, long time ago, so you no longer have the right to impose your way of life on anyone else. Actually, you never had that right. Just because we have one way of doing something and you another doesn't mean one way or the other is right...they're just different.

 

I'm always amused by Brits who seem insistent on acting like a Monty Python caricature of Brits.

Lol i have been leaving tips since i was 16 years old.

I never ever do not leave tips in the UK, restaurants,taxi, barbers etc and we have been traveling to Orlando since 1992 and always done the American thing on tipping.

I think it is down to the individual be it UK or US citizen if you tip or not,i am often called Mr Moneybags by my wife because i give to much money in tips but if i get excellent service no problems.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[GUT2407]

And.... why tipping is based on the food cost? It takes the same amount of "good service " to bring out a $10 burger as it does to bring out a $30 steak. However we tip based on the total bill amount.

I could never wrap my brain around that one.

Nor can I.

[thebooler]

Does anyone have any evidence that this service charge does actually get to the "behind the scenes" staff in full?

 

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[thebooler]

Talk about guilting someone to give them a tip.

I was on a Thomson cruise on the Red Sea and the rear of the ship bar had 3 really good waiters. I gave them all 10 dollars each on my 2nd last night for the wonderful service I received.

 

They did have another waiter who was very lethargic and had a bordering on rude couldn't give a **** attitude who got nothing.

 

On my last night this guy couldn't keep away from me, telling me how difficult life was back home, and that he had 2 small children.

 

It was obvious his colleagues had let him know about the 10 dollar tips, and it was so annoying.

 

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[grapau27]

Nor can I.

Me neither.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[grapau27]

I was on a Thomson cruise on the Red Sea and the rear of the ship bar had 3 really good waiters. I gave them all 10 dollars each on my 2nd last night for the wonderful service I received.

 

They did have another waiter who was very lethargic and had a bordering on rude couldn't give a **** attitude who got nothing.

 

On my last night this guy couldn't keep away from me, telling me how difficult life was back home, and that he had 2 small children.

 

It was obvious his colleagues had let him know about the 10 dollar tips, and it was so annoying.

 

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You did right not to tip him.If what he said was true he should have been giving great service all the time.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[jaxw17]

Me neither.

 

43 cruises and counting.

Me neither

[jaxw17]

Does anyone have any evidence that this service charge does actually get to the "behind the scenes" staff in full?

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Forums mobile app

You can take off a service charge and not all restaurants put one on I always take it off and pay what I think is the right tip

[jaxw17]

Sorry, but the sun set on the British Empire a long, long time ago, so you no longer have the right to impose your way of life on anyone else. Actually, you never had that right. Just because we have one way of doing something and you another doesn't mean one way or the other is right...they're just different.

 

I'm always amused by Brits who seem insistent on acting like a Monty Python caricature of Brits.

That is some arrogance there. Brits do not want to impose their ways onto others but things are done differently in different countries.

So I am to assume that you agree with people being paid under the living wage.

[grapau27]

That is some arrogance there. Brits do not want to impose their ways onto others but things are done differently in different countries.

So I am to assume that you agree with people being paid under the living wage.

Or having to have their restaurants saved by Gordon Ramsey.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[grapau27]

And.... why tipping is based on the food cost? It takes the same amount of "good service " to bring out a $10 burger as it does to bring out a $30 steak. However we tip based on the total bill amount.

I could never wrap my brain around that one.

When we are in Orlando we breakfast at Denny's and get fantastic service the bill is usually about $24 and i leave $30 so $6 tip.

When we go to a steakhouse on a night time we get great service and the bill is usually around $75 but you are given a card asking for 20% tip or $15.

Similar service so why the different tip expectations.

Funny, I can't wrap my brain around the fact that some restaurants in the UK add a 10% to 15% service charge. Why do they base it on the cost of the meal?

 

 

43 cruises and counting.

[grapau27]

Funny, I can't wrap my brain around the fact that some restaurants in the UK add a 10% to 15% service charge. Why do they base it on the cost of the meal?

Most Italian restaurants add 10% in the UK but i ask them to take it off and give my usual 10% tip in cash to the waiter as i want them to have it then and not several weeks or never from the restaurant.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[njhorseman]

That is some arrogance there. Brits do not want to impose their ways onto others but things are done differently in different countries.

So I am to assume that you agree with people being paid under the living wage.

 

I have no problem with the US tipping system because it works, and restaurant wait staff does get paid adequately by a sum of the salary and tips. It only fails when some self-righteous know-it-all decides the tipping system is wrong because it's not done that way in their country. Next time I'm in the UK if I happen to dine in a restaurant that adds a service charge, I'll refuse to pay it based on your advice. After all since you say it's wrong, it must be wrong.

 

There was a great line spoken by Chief Kinyanjui in the movie "Out of Africa" upon finally agreeing to allow children who were taller than he to be taught to read. He said "British can read. What good has it done them?"

[grapau27]

I have no problem with the US tipping system because it works, and restaurant wait staff does get paid adequately by a sum of the salary and tips. It only fails when some self-righteous know-it-all decides the tipping system is wrong because it's not done that way in their country. Next time I'm in the UK if I happen to dine in a restaurant that adds a service charge, I'll refuse to pay it based on your advice. After all since you say it's wrong, it must be wrong.

 

There was a great line spoken by Chief Kinyanjui in the movie "Out of Africa" upon finally agreeing to allow children who were taller than he to be taught to read. He said "British can read. What good has it done them?"

Please read my thread 144.

I don't know why you are anti UK their are some individuals who won't tip regardless and i have seen people pick all their change up and go in restaurants and personally i think they are cheapskates and probably from UK and US.

When in the US i often leave 20% of the total bill but often in Longhorns i leave 15- 17.5% of the total bill including drinks and tax.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[NLH Arizona]

I think it would be interesting to know the median wage for servers in the UK versus the the median wage for servers in the US. We might find, even though there are different systems, they are more alike than different.

 

Just as a point of interest, in my favorite restaurant in Minneapolis (a steakhouse), the servers can make between $75,000 and $80,000. Although not the median, it shows how good the tipping culture can be to some.

[grapau27]

I think it would be interesting to know the median wage for servers in the UK versus the the median wage for servers in the US. We might find, even though there are different systems, they are more alike than different.

 

Just as a point of interest, in my favorite restaurant in Minneapolis (a steakhouse), the servers can make between $75,000 and $80,000. Although not the median, it shows how good the tipping culture can be to some.

If they are excellent servers they deserve it because i will tip over 20% of total bill including drinks and taxes if we get fantastic service when in the US.

In the UK if they are over 21 they must be paid a minimum of £7.95 per hour which is about $9.

In the UK servers don't pester you for tips but i always leave a tip of 10% of the total bill if the service is excellent.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[NLH Arizona]

If they are excellent servers they deserve it because i will tip over 20% of total bill including drinks and taxes if we get fantastic service when in the US.

In the UK if they are over 21 they must be paid a minimum of £7.95 per hour which is about $9.

In the UK servers don't pester you for tips but i always leave a tip of 10% of the total bill if the service is excellent.

 

43 cruises and counting.

If they are making £7.95, which is about $18,720 a year in US dollars. Here in Phoenix, a server makes an average of $21,766 a year, while the national average is $18,800 a year.

 

I've never been pestered for a tip and if I ever were, there would be no tip.

 

BTW, the minimum wage for positions other than servers here in Arizona is $10 or £9.14 and hour.

[SteveH2508]

All this talk of UK v US minimum wages, average earnings etc. is only one side of the equation. The relative costs of living are equally relevant - hence the fact that the Far Eastern service staff on cruise ships are well paid by their country's standards.

[grapau27]

If they are making £7.95, which is about $18,720 a year in US dollars. Here in Phoenix, a server makes an average of $21,766 a year, while the national average is $18,800 a year.

 

I've never been pestered for a tip and if I ever were, there would be no tip.

 

BTW, the minimum wage for positions other than servers here in Arizona is $10 or £9.14 and hour.

Take Longhorns,you get given a card saying good service is recognised by 20% tip and on your bill they itemize what 15%18%20% tip amount should be.

 

43 cruises and counting.