The latest hidden mandatory add-on is a “health” charge added to restaurant bills. This scam cropped up first in San Francisco, but you can count on it to spread.

Nothing succeeds in the travel industry like a bad idea. The latest hidden mandatory add-on is a “health” charge added to restaurant bills. As far as I know, this scam cropped up first in San Francisco, but you can count on it to spread.

The rationale for this one is to cover the employers’ mandatory contribution to the City’s “Healthy San Francisco” health-coverage system. The charge actually is levied on employers, but at least some restaurants are adding a few dollars or percentage points to each customer’s bill to cover this charge.

The restaurants’ excuse for assessing this charge separately is to let customers know how much they’re paying for employees’ health coverage. That’s the same excuse hotels use when they add “resort” or “housekeeping” fees to unsuspecting guests’ room bills. It’s the same excuse airlines would use to exclude fuel surcharges from their advertised fares if the Department of Transportation would allow them. And it’s sheer nonsense. Employees’ health insurance is no less of a cost of doing business than rent, property taxes, food costs, security services and all the other inputs businesses require to operate. To single out health care for a separate surcharge is unwarranted.

The restaurants adding this fee self-righteously proclaim, “It’s not hidden; we print a notice on our menus.” But that, too, is nonsense: Presumably, restaurants could apply that same rationale for extra fees to cover the cost of electricity, heat or linen service. I haven’t seen any reports yet that San Francisco hotels are adding a similar charge. But hotels aren’t shy about piling on other fees and charges.

So far, I haven’t heard of “health” fees anywhere other than San Francisco. But, as noted, bad ideas travel fast, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it copied in one form or another by restaurants in other areas.

What can you do to avoid this fee? Presumably, not many of you would feel strongly enough about this minor scam to get up and walk out of a restaurant the minute you saw a notice about such a fee. And you probably wouldn’t feel like making a fuss when you’re paying your bill, either. But when you leave, you can certainly let the restaurant know that you resent this deception and that you won’t be returning.

I’ve noted before — and you have undoubtedly found out firsthand — that hidden mandatory fees have become a bane of travelers and of consumers generally. The reason seems clear: As more and more of you use the Internet to compare prices, suppliers find it increasingly important to make their first-screen prices look as low as possible. As a result, they’ve taken to carving out part of what should be the true base price and instead adding it in only later — sometimes before you buy, sometimes not until later.

Currently, mandatory extra hotel fees are far more troublesome than restaurant fees. Trip-Advisor (tripadvisor.com) posts more than 72,000 traveler reports of unexpected hotel fees of various types. Although some of those reports obviously cover the same hotels, the number of hotels resorting to this deception has got to be in the thousands.

Normally I write about practical information travelers can use, and I avoid taking “there oughta be a law” soapbox positions. But it seems to me that hidden mandatory fees are becoming prevalent enough to warrant some sort of government action. The Federal Trade Commission has the authority to police deceptive advertising, but it moves at a glacially slow pace and even then gives wide latitude to miscreants. What consumers need is some sort of overall national “buyability” standard for advertised prices, along with robust enforcement authority. Certainly, such a requirement is workable; it works pretty well right now for airfares.

Copyright © 2010, Tribune Media Services

1.) The friendliness and attitude of the server has got to be a top priority in determining a tip. The food could be wrong because of a chef’s mistake, the room temperature could be cold because the manager set it that way…but a server’s attitude is nobody’s responsibility but the server’s. Most people that go into restaurants are happy and looking forward to eating a nice meal and not having to do the dishes afterwards. If you get a server with a poor attitude who seems “put out” by having to serve you, a very small tip, if any, would definitely send him or her a message. You should never have to put up with that. By the same token, a server who is happy, smiles a lot, and seems to thoroughly enjoy waiting on you, should definitely get 20% or 25% for making your evening even more pleasant.

2.) The food is certainly a factor. If your order comes out wrong, it may have been a chef’s mistake, but it’s something the server should have noticed before it was set in front of you. The quickness in fixing your order is important. If they fix it in five minutes, I wouldn’t hold it against the server. If the server seems to be bothered by the fact that you’re complaining about the order being wrong (again, there’s the attitude factor) or takes another 20 minutes to get you the correct order, a deduction from that 15% standard is certainly justifiable.

3.) Is your glass filled in a timely manner? A good meal is often not a good meal if you don’t have anything to wash it down with. If you go more than a few minutes without a refill, a slight deduction of the tip would be in order. On the other hand, if your glass is constantly filled to the rim, a slight increase should be given.

4.) The overall pace of your meal is important. You shouldn’t be getting your main meal one minute after your appetizer arrives. You shouldn’t have to wait five minutes to get the Parmesan cheese or ketchup that you asked for. And after your plates are cleared and you’ve had dessert, you shouldn’t have to wait 15 minutes for the check. Your meal should flow smoothly, from the time you sit down to the time you leave. While tipping 15% is easy enough to do, the tip should mean more to you as a patron. Servers make very little salary ($2.13 / hour) , living mostly on the tips they make. If they’re do a standard job, 15% is fine. But tipping more for an exemplary job can be extremely rewarding. And tipping less for an inadequate job could send them a message that they need to work harder or change their attitude.

A little quiz for those of you who have never waited tables:
1. What is the average hourly wage of a server?
2. How much should you tip your server?
3. Is it OK to verbally abuse, throw your food, your drink, even your cigarettes, at your server?

• If your answer to the first question was minimum wage, or more, you’re not even close.
• If you said “as much as I think he deserves” for No. 2, again, not even close.
• And if you laughed at the third question, fine, but don’t think it doesn’t happen.

LESSON TIME
Here’s your first lesson in diners’ etiquette: Remember that your waiter is a person. She doesn’t live just to serve you. More than likely she waits on you so she can pay the bills while she puts herself through school.

DON’T GET CHEAP
Here’s your second lesson: Your server’s livelihood depends on your tip. Restaurant owners (in many states) are not required to pay their employees more than $2.13 an hour because tips can be considered part of wages.
Just ask server Kim Harris, who works at Awful Arthur’s at Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke. Harris recently received a $49 tip, which sounds pretty good until you find out the check totaled $520. In the land of 20 percent tips, this one should’ve been $104.
“They still stiffed me even though they told me the service was great,” Harris said. In restaurant lingo, that’s known as the “oral tip.” And you wonder why your server isn’t always as friendly as you expect.
When you have a bad day at work it most likely doesn’t affect your salary, but in the service industry, one off remark and you’re not getting a tip, or at least not a decent one. All because someone didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt.
While on the subject of tipping, here’s a rant on the forum site bitterwaitress.com written by an anonymous server in Roanoke: “They come in once a week, every week and only leave 50 cents per person. They get extra refills, extra dressings, to-go drinks and are always complaining about SOMETHING! Stop coming in if you don’t like the food OR service! I’ve gone out of my way to actually be RUDE to these b—–s and they keep coming back! Even if you’re polite … no difference in tip! If all you can afford is 50 cent tips, then go to McDonalds and buy an extra side of fries! I don’t need your pity change!”
If this is you, there’s your wake-up call.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Another good rule of thumb? The Golden one. Respect your server. Just to reiterate, he’s there to serve you, but he’s not your servant.
“I had a guy cuss me out about his tab because he thought he was paying more than he should,” said Awful Arthur’s bar manager Chad Skeens. “When I walked by him, he flicked a lit cigarette at me so I had to bar him from the restaurant.”
A lit cigarette? Come on. Talk about being a jerk.

MORE TIPS
• Once you’ve been seated, don’t take it upon yourself to switch tables. Restaurants have a seating chart and certain sections belong to certain servers. You just might move to a section that just got “sat” and you’ll mess up the flow. Oh, and along those lines, don’t move another table next to yours if more friends show up. That other table is a potential tip for your server. Ask what can be done to accommodate your party.
• Try to let your server know everything you might need ahead of time. If you want a side of ranch dressing and your drink refilled, tell him both at the same time so he doesn’t have to make extra trips.
• Sometimes it’s tough to decide what you want to order, but if you tell the server you’re ready, be ready. If it’s busy, she doesn’t have time to wait for you to decide when she could be helping other customers or helping her fellow servers. And if you have a small child, order for her if she can’t make a decision. Time is money.
• If you’re seated at a table, don’t go to the bar to order a drink. Then you must pay the bartender instead of your server. Your server will gladly get you a drink.
• Don’t name drop in an attempt to get something free if you’ve only met the owner once or twice.

Now pass this around to all your friends and family to read. I’m sure that this is something that we have all thought about at one time or another. I am a server myself. I found this on a web site. I have talked to a lot of people that don’t realize a lot of this information, or are unaware. Remember you should want us to be just as happy as you want us to make you during your visit. You will definitely find that a server who is in a good mood, will give you better service and be much happier to serve you. Saying I have done a good job, and tipping awful (oral tip) is worse than no tip. Table turns are very important for your server. When the restaurant is busy think before you hang out for a long time, or tip for your stay and not just the bill. When people come in and sit for 2-3 hours having conversation remember that the server could have had several tables for the one you are holding. And last but not least, I have never worked in a restaurant where a server only had one table. Please try to be considerate when your server has many customers and you see that person is very busy, and just take into consideration that you are not the only person in the restaurant. Thank you and don’t forget to pass this on.
~anonymous~

The Daily News By Rhiannon Meyers

GALVESTON — After more than two weeks, Galveston’s smoking ban has gotten a little hazy.

While some bars and restaurants are complying with the new law banning smoking indoors, on patios, decks and on sidewalks in front of restaurants and bars, smokers continue to puff away in banned areas across Galveston.

The Galveston Police Department has not issued any citations for smoking.

Most restaurants and bars have banned smoking indoors, but many business owners are turning a blind eye to those who light up on patios and decks, Dennis Byrd, president of the Galveston Restaurant Association and owner of The Spot, said.

Some Galveston establishments continue to allow smoking indoors, and that’s causing some problems for restaurants and bars that are attempting to comply with the indoor smoking ban, Byrd said. The Spot’s waiters, waitresses and bartenders have had trouble explaining to people that smoking is banned citywide, he said.

“We’ve got some customers who come in and say: ‘I don’t understand. I just smoked in a bar downtown,’” he said.

On Wednesday night, smokers lit up unabashedly at the Poop Deck, 2928 Seawall Blvd., and at Melrose Pub, 2002 Postoffice St.

Galveston resident Steve Parag said the smoking ban has influenced his decisions about which places he chooses to patronize. He said he stopped drinking at the bar at Salsa’s Mexican Restaurant, 4604 Seawall Blvd., despite the “fantastic margaritas,” when the restaurant banned smoking. But he said he still spends money at the Poop Deck, where he can enjoy a can of beer and a cigarette without being harassed.

Like many opponents of the smoking ban, Parag said the city council should have left it up to the discretion of business owners to allow smoking or not.

But Rex Bell, who owns Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, 413 20th St., said he loves the ban. The former smoker said while he’s noticed other Galveston bars continue to allow smoking, he was ready to ban cigarettes at his establishment, which has live bands that often request to play in a smoke-free venue. Patrons haven’t complained much, and he’s had little trouble with the ban, Bell said.

But Byrd said the ban has caused major problems for members of his wait staff who feel uncomfortable telling patrons they can’t smoke on the patio, especially since waiters and waitresses often take hits on their tips when they tell customers to snuff their cigarettes.

“All we get is negative feedback,” he said.

Byrd said while he has no plans to return ashtrays to The Spot’s patio, he is considering letting smokers light up on the patio and instructing his staff to pick up the cigarette butts off the ground.

“I think we’re following suit with everyone else,” he said.

The outdoor ban largely has been ignored since the ban went into effect. Although smokers can’t light up within 15 feet of businesses’ front doors or open windows, smokers have been puffing away on the sidewalks along The Strand and Postoffice Street, and on decks and patios throughout Galveston since Jan. 1.

The police have said it is not a priority to enforce the smoking ban. They said they will respond to complaints, but they have to witness a person smoking in an area where smoking is banned to issue a ticket.

The offense is a class C misdemeanor — the equivalent of a traffic ticket — and comes with a $100 fine, unless the violation was done “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly,” which in that case, could come with a fine of up to $2,000.

The ordinance allows the city to ticket a person who owns, operates or controls a public place that fails to comply with the smoking ban. The offense comes with a $200 fine for the first violation, a $400 fine for a second violation and a $500 fine for each additional violation.

However, city spokeswoman Alicia Cahill said police have no plans to ticket the owners of establishments that allow smoking in banned areas.

Bar and restaurant owners have complained about the ordinance, which they said will harm already struggling island businesses.

They repeatedly have asked city council members to amend the ban to allow smoking on decks and patios. Council members on Dec. 10 amended the ordinance to allow smoking in stores specializing in tobacco products. That amendment benefits only Havana Alley Cigar Shop and Lounge, 415 21st St.

However, council members, fearing they were giving the shop an undue advantage, prohibited the shop from allowing its patrons to sip beer, wine and liquor inside the store. The shop also must install a ventilation system and ban anyone younger than 18 years old.

Unlike Galveston, Houston bars and restaurants are overwhelmingly complying with the city’s smoking ban, which went into effect in 2007, Rene Zamore, executive director of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association, said. That’s likely because Houston still allows smokers to light up in outdoor areas, such as decks and patios, she said.

“Restaurants and bars are loving the opportunity that they have an option,” she said. “That really has helped save them from a lot of angst.”

If you order a cocktail with no ice because you don’t want your drink watered down, I get it.  That’s smart.  If you order your drink with no ice because you don’t like drinking cold beverages, I get that too.  But if you order your liquor with no ice (ie. straight up) that’s a shot! You’re not going to receive a glass full of liquor.

People do the same thing with long island iced teas and margaritas.  “Oh, hold the ice,” they’ll say.  Then when I bring them a cocktail in a smaller glass than the margarita with ice, they say, “Oh no, I want the other one, the big glass!” So we bring them a margarita goblet 2/3 full and they say “Where’s the rest?” To which I reply “The rest would be ice!” You can’t cheat the system and get another half a drink worth of liquor by asking for no ice because, well, we’re not stupid, and my restaurant would actually like to make money.

The same applies if you order a salad with light lettuce and no onions.  That’s perfectly acceptable if you don’t like onions and a whole lot of lettuce.  But don’t expect me to bring you a bowl of cheese, tomatoes and homemade croutons either.  There are specifications for the amount of each item the salad guy puts in our salads.  He may toss in a little extra to compensate for the lack of overall volume in the bowl, especially if you ask for extra cheese and croutons.  But let me reiterate, you’re not going to get a bowl of cheese.  Period.  You really don’t need all that cheese anyways, do you?

People, stop trying to cheat the system with clever little “Hold the this and light that” requests.  Of course you could get a whole fifth of Jack for $15 or $20 and we’re charging you $5.75 a shot.  I also know you could make our house salad at home for about 83 cents and we’re charging $2.75.  But we are neither a liquor store, nor are we a grocery store.  You’re paying for the ambiance, the service, all that jazz.  That’s how restaurants make money!

Average Tip

• Mail Carrier – $20
• Hair Dresser – $20
• Cleaning Person – $75
• Occasional Babysitter – $25
• Full-time Nanny – $270
• Gardener/Yard Worker – $50
• Newspaper Carrier – $15
• Garbage Collector – $20

Continued from “Jipped on the Tip” by Doreen Linder of the Allentown Headlines Examiner

Last week told the story of two college students who got arrested for not paying their gratuity.  Well as anticipated, the charges have been dropped.  Northampton County DA John Morganelli said that this is a

Lehigh Pub

matter that should be processed civilly, not criminally.  The City of Bethlehem put out a police statement saying that Northampton County DA John Morganelli felt the,  “charge was not adequate.”

John Wagner and Leslie Pope had drinks, wings, and salad.  They had to go up to the bar to refill their drinks and they had to go find their silverware.  The waitress spent most of her time outside smoking.  When their bill came they refused to pay the 18% gratuity.  They refused to pay it and the bartender called the police.  The police then arrested Wagner and Pope.

The story has made national headlines.  When one looked up Lehigh Pub in an internet search, the second tab down, Yelp.com.  Some of the comments are, “Close this place down,” or “I get better service in a soup kitchen.”  Wagner and Pope are scheduled to be on CNN today.

Even the head of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association, Mr. Patrick Conway said that he did not understand this.  Restaurants typically go on repeat business and want happy customers.  Well Pope and Wagner are not happy and now the whole world knows it.

When the restaurant manager William Sheehan was asked about the charges being dropped, he said it was, “news to him.”  He then read a statement crafted by his lawyer.  They got lawyers involved?  How much is that costing them.  I’m sure much more than the $18.60 lost.

According to the Morning Call Newspaper the definition true definition of gratuity is, “A gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or a bellhop; tip.”  Therefore if you do not like the service, you do not tip.

By the way, who has ever heard of a bar having an 18% gratuity?  This is a pub.  Not a first class restaurant.  Lehigh Pub is not exactly the hotel Ritz.

POINT

Add 10% or 15% to the bill? I think not
Posted By DENNIS THOMPSETT of TheSunTimes

My mother was a waitress at the Trio for years, but even so, I must admit, I don’t understand the idea of giving tips to people in restaurants. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

I don’t get it. Why am I expected to pay extra to have someone do their job in a pleasant and efficient manner?

And apparently I’m not the only Canadian with this feeling. In Florida and Los Angeles and Hawaii and Las Vegas and most of the other big tourist towns of the world, the natives hate Canadians because we’re just not big tippers.

Apparently we expect value for money.

To get a really memorable tip from me or from any other sensible Canadian, a waitress has to set herself on fire, cartwheel across the floor and deliver hot, heavy plates to the table with her feet. While whistling Dixie.

Otherwise, forget it.

I remember going on a cruise with my family years ago and, at the end, everybody expected a tip. And not just a little tip either. They all wanted $300 or $400 each. We got a circular about it before we disembarked. There were sure a lot of disappointed faces as we waved a fond farewell to that ship of fools.

The common argument is that these people depend on tips to make a living. Well here’s a tip: get a job that pays better. No one should have to depend on the kindness of strangers to support their families.

The only people who really benefit from tipping are restaurant owners who can continue to offer low pay and no benefits. Some places, like pizza joints, often pay nothing and the delivery guy only makes tips. In other parts of the world, or even here in Canada when you have a big crowd, they automatically add a tip on the bill. You have no say in it. You are, in fact, forced to pay the wages of the help in addition to paying for your food.

So here’s something to think about — every time you give a tip in a restaurant or bar, you are supporting an insidious kind of slavery. Low-wage slavery. Sweat-shop slavery. You are perpetuating a system where good people are chronically underpaid, in the hopes that the customer will subsidize that pay. Maybe.

It’s not all the restaurant owners’ fault. It’s your fault, too, for wanting to be well thought of by your waiter or waitress.

And here’s something else to think about for those sad sheep who give tips: There are all sorts of people who work just as hard for your custom, yet you never think of tipping them. Have you ever agonized about whether to give 10% or 15%% to the checkout person at the supermarket? To your bank teller? To the person in the convenience store? To the guy who reads your hydro meter? No? Well let me tell you something; they make the same kind of low wages that restaurant workers make. They often work harder. They’re often nice people. And they have families to support, too. Why don’t you subsidize them, if you buy into the flimsy arguments for tipping restaurant people?

And if you work in a restaurant and take tips, be aware that you’re essentially taking charity. You deserve better.

So what’s the answer? Only tip people who really need it.

I know it’s difficult to accept a new idea. Often you have to digest it a little at a time. So let me take you by the hand and lead you to a new life. First pick a bunch of people who are bitter, overweight, underpaid and shunned in social circles. Then send them a tip.

Address it to your poor Owen Sound Sun Times columnists. We’ll all share it and maybe get a crust of soggy bread to munch on.

Through our grateful tears.

————————————————————————————————-

COUNTER POINT

Letter to the Editor at TheSunTimes by Jesse Wilkinson

Contrarian off base about tipping

Editor:

Add 10% or 15% to the bill? I think so.

In reading Dennis Thompsett’s article on the exercise of tipping, two things became glaringly obvious: one that the Contrarian has never worked as a waiter himself (his attempt at insight using his mother didn’t cut it for me) and that two, he is writing after a bad experience, in which he feels the need to spout his flawed logic and spiteful naiveties.

It’s funny how a person who has no experience in an occupation can speak with such confident condemnation regarding said job. Waiters, waitresses and bartenders work very hard in a fast paced industry that demands you be personable, hard-working and able to “cartwheel across the floor and deliver hot, heavy plates” while singing birthday songs (not Dixie tunes).

Sorry they can’t light themselves on fire for your tip, Sir. I’m sure they’re all dying to impress you.

I agree that many other low paying jobs require hard work and admirable attributes but there is an expectation for good service when spending the night out for dinner.

If that expectation is not met, then you certainly shouldn’t feel compelled to tip. If you have a good experience and your server has been a part of that then they deserve a tip.

Servers make less than minimum wage, which Thompsett blames on the “slave-driving” restaurant owners, and therefore rely on tips to make the job affordable.

The notion that patrons are subsidizing the restaurant industry is flawed. If servers were paid a higher wage, then restaurants would need to charge more for their meals to cover the overhead, which would take the place of the tip anyways. As it stands right now Mr. Thompsett, you should keep quiet. You are riding on the backs of all the other tippers out there to ensure that you get cheaper menu prices and you don’t follow all the “sad sheep” and leave a tip yourself. If your ridiculous, demeaning argument influenced the industry, you would be shelling out a lot more of the precious bills and coins you seem to covet so closely.

I guess by your logic, no one should accept a year-end bonus because that is tantamount to charity as well. Servers are merely given tiny bonuses everyday is they have earned it for a job well done. They sure don’t receive anything of monetary value at the end of the year, merely the hope that they may possibly not have work Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day so that everyone else can go out and have a good time.

As for getting another job; well there aren’t many jobs one can work between five and midnight while trying to put themselves through university or college. I guess they should just absorb the increasing student fees and try not to keep on top of their debt.

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In your world Mr. Thompsett, many students would be graduating with an even heavier burden than they already have.

I know you really don’t believe all of what you said, because you are self-admittedly “The Contrarian” but for those people who may think your flawed logic makes sense, shame on you and shame on the Sun Times for printing your column.

Owen Sound has many restaurant owners who are struggling during these tougher times and many young, bright, energetic waiters and waitresses who work hard to ensure that when people want to have a good night out, they can.

If one does not enjoy their service, then they shouldn’t tip their server: it will help the waiters that truly strive to work hard and provide a valuable service.

I have lived and worked in other countries that do not subscribe to the culture of tipping and the level of service is far lower than here in Canada and I would hate to see that happen in our country.

I guess it depends on how much we value our ability to enjoy a night out and be taken care of after a long day. Maybe you need to get out a little more often, Mr. Thompsett, and while you’re at it, get to know your servers.

I’m sure you’ll find that they are working harder than you think. And it’s better you keep your tip if you think it’s charity. You’ve insulted enough people already. I can’t wait to see what industry you try to offer your brilliant insight into in your next column.