Jasmine Marks says she was just trying to enjoy dinner recently with several friends at a restaurant in Houston, Texas. Unfortunately, the service was less than stellar. According to Marks the wait staff was rude, their drinks didn't get refilled and they didn't receive their entire order.
When the bill came, Marks said there was a problem. The restaurant added an automatic 17 percent gratuity because their party had more than five people in it, but Marks didn't feel like the staff earned the full tip so she asked to speak to a manager. "We asked her, could the gratuity be removed? Could we give our own tip? She said it was part of their policy and there was nothing she could do about," Marks said.
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"If you're not satisfied with the service, you shouldn't have to pay gratuity." The gratuity policy was clearly marked on the restaurant's menus, but Marks said when they questioned it the workers wouldn't let her or her friends leave; they locked the door and called the police. "She was like, 'You have an unsettled bill and you all can't leave until you pay it,'" Marks said. "We paid our bill for what we ate, we paid the bill." Marks said it was only the 17 percent tip they were questioning.
"She said, 'That's fine. If you don't want to pay the gratuity we have HPD outside,'" Marks said. "I asked the police officer twice, maybe three times, is it against the law if we don't pay the gratuity and he never gave me a straight answer." The on-duty manager at La Fisherman Restaurant said they usually don't have a problem with people paying their gratuity, but admitted they have called police for this type of issue before. In the end, the family ended up paying the 17 percent gratuity because they wanted to avoid any further problems.
7 comments:
This is everywhere right now.
Should have stuck it out and refused to pay. A gratuity is optional. Had it been a service charge that was clearly stated on the menu, that would be different.
I had a very similar problem in a diarrhea den called "The Opium Cafe" in Oxford. The food was quite uniquely and inedibly bad (and the service worse). When I paid the bill (minus the automatically added 10% service charge) the waitress called the the manager. Having explained the situation to the manager, they told me they were calling the police. So I went back to my table, took a seat and waited for the cops to show up. Where upon I was was shouted at and told to leave. I did so gladly and wiped my feet on the mat on the way out so as not to take the dirt of their restaurant into the street with me.
Bluff called :)
you called their bluff and successfully stole from them. Bravo. Next time you might very well be arrested.
The fee is listed on the menu. Refusing to pay is no different than ordering some $20 steak and deciding it is only worth $10. If you want the option to tip or not tip make that decision before you order your meal.
Anonymous, it's not theft.
If you want a tip, then do your job well. Poor service deserves no gratuity.
A gratuity is not a fee. It is a voluntary contribution.
Merriam-Wbster, Definition of GRATUITY:: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service; especially : tip
Boofas. They never tip and treat the wait staff like servants. Staff take turns handing them off.
Hostess: "Group of Canadians at the front, Mike. It's your turn."
Mike: "F&#k."
What an amazing scam the onwers of the world have pulled off when they have the customers paying not only for the food, but an additional amount for the service!
The owners laugh all the way to the bank...
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