Customer chooses not to tip server after being charged 18 percent 'voluntary' gratuity, sparks debate

There are several discussions on the internet where business owners complain about angry or troublesome customers. But people always bring into light the other side too. Many businesses try to trick customers with unfair prices. Particularly, in restaurants, one has to check the bill thoroughly to ensure that there's no scam going on. Recently, a customer posted on Reddit about one of their experiences in a restaurant where they were charged an additional amount as a tip. The picture of their bill explained why they chose not to tip and people in the comments had divided opinions.

The user titled their post, "An 18% gratuity was 'voluntary' yet automatically added to my bill for 2 guests. Swipe left to see the choice I made." The first picture showed the restaurant's bill that said that the customer had to pay a total of $73.94. The customer highlighted the whopping 18% gratuity that was added to his total which meant that he had to pay an extra $10.65 for the server. Below was a note that said, "Please note that an 18% gratuity has been added to the check. Please feel free to increase, decrease or remove the gratuity. This gratuity will be paid to your server, is voluntary and is added for your convenience."

The customer was frustrated that the gratuity amount was added without his knowledge while also the option to tip the server was kept open. From the second picture, it was evident that the customer refused to pay the tip while also removing the gratuity from the bill. Right next to the tip, they simply wrote '0' and paid only $63.29. Many users on the forum who shared the same opinion as this customer expressed their displeasure with such restaurants and also shared similar experiences they had.

"People shouldn't have to 'opt out' of anything. There should be no tip line, extra buttons to click on or push, and no cashier standing there watching if you are tipping or not. If they want to tip, they can do it like it was just a couple of years ago. The customer simply told the cashier to add so much for a tip," commented u/sameeker1. "You should have left a note near the '0' saying it was because of the 'automatic' tip and the lie of it being for the 'customer's convenience,' but actually an attempt to rob customers," suggested u/Apprehensive_Fault_5. " I avoid eating out because I don't want to deal with it and the experience and food are never worth the cost," wrote u/Fair_Line_6740.

Another section of users disapproved of the customer's action of punishing the server for the restaurant's fault. "I get being upset and asking for it to be removed, but stiffing the server who makes so little, to begin with, is a d*** move. It’s not the server's fault, it’s the store's policy. Leave a negative review sure, but don’t be a d***," commented u/OnePride16. "Why would you punish the server? It's not their policy, it's management. I hope you tipped your server with cash because the server only makes $2.10 an hour," wrote u/Camaro684.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 1, 2024. It has since been updated.