Gratuity, what do you do?

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Bill The Grill Guy

Master Chef
Joined
Jan 17, 2005
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Big Mike said:
The customer decides. I hate it when places automatically add a tip so I refuse to do it.

Yep, you just hit them with a price and if you do a good job, they will be grateful.
 
If you want to call it a gratuity, then let the customer decide...afterall the meaning of the word gratuity is: -

1. a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; tip.
2. something given without claim or demand.

But if you have staff to pay or fuel and you currently don't factor that additional cost into your running costs, and so calculate it as a percentage above and beyond the bill, call it a "service charge" and charge it anyway.

But I'm with Big Mike and Bill the Grill, if you call it a gratuity, I will decide if I pay it, if you call it a service charge, and you keep it inside the industry standards.

I have always called it a gratuity, and left it down to the individual, but then I price everything and factor that into the costs of the bill. I don't do the gig to depend on the tip...if you have to depend on the tip to make a profit, then your prices aren't high enough! IMO.
 
Depends on more than a few factors..... parties for over 200 a Gratuity of 18% SUGGESTED.... or.... for a smaller party , a 15% gratuity for staff is SUGGESTED.... myself, I never demand one.. some of the big caterers around here have it in their contracts... I did party a while pack..175 people. full bar, pass out appys, more food than the 175 people could possibly eat, there was no gratuity mentioned anywhere... Host gave every helper there $50 tip.. gave me $200
 
Bobberqer said:
Host gave every helper there $50 tip.. gave me $200

What was the cost of the gig and the number of helpers Bobberqer?

Just so we can get an idea of what the gratuity worked out too, I have had anything from zip to 50% given to me, the 50% I even felt guilty about getting so high a gratuity, as the host and the hosts brother-in-law both tipped me, I querried the hosts sister but she said the food was fantastic and I should keep them both! :D
 
I figure I am going to charge my price and will not expect them to pay any more. If I wanted more I would build it into my price.
 
I agree with charging enough to be happy in the first place. It seems to me that if it's written in the bill, it's not gratuity, it's just another way to make a buck which makes one look cheap and desperate in my opinion.

I can understand giving waiters/waitresses gratuity in a restaurant, they're getting below minumum wage and rely on the tips as income.

If I hired some one for a catering service and they listed gratuity as a line item, I'd be looking for another caterer.

Tim
 
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