Working in customer service, tips are undoubtedly a huge incentive for workers. However, the industry indeed seeks to take advantage of customers to get more money out of them and not pay their employees a living wage. There are places that go as far as this restaurant in Florida, which forces its customers to pay a 20% tip, and the worst part is that the service is bad. The tipping culture is getting out of control.
Redditor CheeseLover1818 shared an incredible photo of their check after eating at an Italian restaurant in St. Augustine, Florida, on r/EndTipping. But what’s impressive is that the check has the following caption at the bottom: ‘20% Service Charge Included. For parties of 1 or larger, a 20% gratuity is applied automatically. If you have any questions, please speak with a manager.‘ OP was not only surprised to find out about this extra charge, but there was no sign or indication in the restaurant or on the menu about this tipping rule.
In addition, OP added that the service was bad and that the waiter was probably rude because he knew that this restaurant in Florida forces customers to tip. When OP wanted to ask the waiter about it, he still tried to justify the tipping rule by saying that everyone in St. Augustine does the same thing. But OP attributes that comment to the waiter possibly thinking they were tourists, when in fact they don’t live that far from the area. OP actually made this post to share the experience with other Redditors. Even so, OP reported the restaurant to the Better Business Bureau and is still waiting for a response.
Meanwhile, many users lost their minds over the tipping rule ‘For parties of 1 and larger’, lmao, what’s next, they will start charging money to people passing next to the restaurant?‘ commented Initial-Ad6819. No one has any idea how this restaurant plans for us to reserve tables for 0 people. On the other hand, some Redditors began to speculate on what the future of tipping would look like: ‘$5 per gaze as you pass by the window. If you smell food as you pass in front of the restaurant, there’s an extra 20% aroma charge, according to Oregongirl1018. The tipping culture is getting out of hand, and it primarily benefits companies, not workers. Of course, this does not excuse the fact that many crappy workers mistreat customers.
