A family in Houston was allegedly locked inside a restaurant by the angry staff when they refused to pay a gratuity. Sounds outrageous, right? Well, it depends on how you look at it.
La Fisherman Seafood Restaurant, like many restaurants, charges a 17 percent gratuity to parties of five or more. It's printed right there on the menus. But the family (of over five) was so disappointed with the service, they just refused. Drinks weren't refilled. They didn't get everything they ordered. The servers were rude! Why should they have to tip such lousy service?
Because! When you sit down with a large group of people and order from a menu that clearly states "Parties of five or more will be automatically charged a 17 percent gratuity," THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR. There's no note adding, "If you don't mind, and if you think the service was good." Them's the rules. Period.
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When I see that line on a menu, I tend to think, Abandon all hope of excellent service. I mean, it's pretty much a warning that your table is going to be a huge pain in the ass, so no promises. You might have a rough night. So you take a gamble -- it could be fine, it could be awful.
On the other hand, CLEARLY the family didn't deserve to be locked inside the building. I mean ... that's ridiculous. The family did complain to the manager -- and to be fair, I think the manager should have apologized and made an exception for the gratuity. That's what you're supposed to do in the hospitality business. Not lock the family in and call the police. So I think both parties are in the wrong here.
Do you think the restaurant overreacted? What do you think about mandatory gratuity?
Image via Steve Snodgrass/Flickr
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Comments 211
BUT its not posted anywhere in the place. Not on the menus, door, register, anything. So while my party of 4 was eating, some friends happened to walk in, and ask to be seated at the booth behind ours, so we could chat.
When I got a check with a 20% tip added on, I flipped out. Not only was my party of 4, not 8, but...
I had complained to the manager 3 times durring a short meal. Because dirty plates were not cleared, my order was wrong twice *and I mean completely different order, not, they forgot the cheese wrong, it was someone elses food from different tables* I ended up not even eating, and we never got any of the drinks we ordered.
They refused to take the gratuity off the check. I pulled out my smartphone, and told them, okay, I will sit here and post a terrible review of this resturaunt on EVERY site I can find, until you take it off, even if I have to sit here all night.
The entire meal was free.
I never went back.
The police didn't know if it were required. They should have left. Also, if they didn't get everything they ordered and were charged for it, isn't that fraud?
as a former server, MOST restaurants do not add gratuity in on their own unless its 8+ people. ALSO - even when a restaurant adds in gratuity, it is a SUGGESTION and you have the right to change it or even remove it.
the restaurant sounds horrible, and funny thing - i'm going to houston this weekend. guess where i most definitely WILL NOT be eating? i sure hope that 17% was worth a whole ton of negative press and the restaurant losing customers. sucks to be them.
I back the family also. I will not pay any amount of money for shitty service. I mean i'd understand if they were trying but it's obvious they were not.
I'm with the family. 5 is not a large enough party to provoke that amount of a tip. But I may have paid, minus the gratuity and just left.
I only think there should be a mandatory gratuity of 10 or more. 5 is ridiculous! And 17%!!! NO ONE tips 17%. A tip is a gift for good service, if the service was crappy, why should you be rewarded? This coming from a person who used to wait tables.
I wish restaurants would simply pay their servers a living wage so we as customers do not have to feel obligated to tip at all. I'd rather pay a couple of extra bucks for a burger than to have to tip a crappy server.