Is it etiquette to forgo a tip when gratuity is added to your bill?

Question

I was just at a resteraunt last night with some friends and gratutiy was added into our bills. Are you expected to pay a tip as well or do they consider the gratuity a tip?

Answer 1

Yes. Gratuity IS tip. So if its already in the total then you've already given them a tip. They will take that amount directly out of what you paid on your bill and put in their pocket. There is no reason to tip on top of that, unless you think that they deserve a higher percentage for their service. Otherwise, you do not do anything and they are not expecting it, they know they are getting their share.
Gratuity means "tip."
Often gratuity is included in a bill to prevent under-tipping. Gratuity is typically included when there is a dinner party of six or more, but not always.
Typically gratuity is 18% of the subtotal (bill without tax). You do not tip on tax. 15%-20% of subtotal is what you should normally tip. I usually leave 20%.
My guess is that you are young and do not eat out often which probably also means you do not have much money, therefore don't give more than you have to or can on a bill when the gratuity (tip) is already in there. You need that money as much as the waiter does, and anything over 20% is unnecessary. hope this helps.

Answer 2

Gratuity=tip.

Answer 3

A restaurant typically adds the gratuity to a bill if there are several people in the group so that ther server doesn't get stiffed by a large, time consuming table.

You do not need to tip beyond the gratuity added to the bill. It's just the restaurant's way of ensuring the server gets at least a little something for their trouble.

Answer 4

A gratuity and the tip are one and the same. Whether or not the tip is added to the bill depends on the restaurant, but I usually tip 10-15%, regardless.

Answer 5

That gratuity they have added is the tip. And it can be tricky because sometimes they don't tell you so you end up tipping more.
If they added what you consider to be reasonable, do not tip more. If they only added like 8%, then you might want to add some. Most places that add a gratuity add around 18%.

Answer 6

Hi,

You have a very good question on proper etiquette. In truth it's all about your personal choose. With a large group of people it's normal for the eating establishment to include a standard amount gratuity in the total cost of the service for the waiter(s)/waitress(s), do to the time it takes to supply all the individuals at the table.

However, as for as supplying a second tip to the serving people this is really up to the members at the table. Should they think that they were cared for in an excellent manner and always checked on of any needs they may have then you may feel the need to want to supply some extra tip to the head waiter/waitress. This is really a personal decision they members at the table can make, either individually or as a complete group.

Should the complete group want to supply an amount of funds on the table then they can decide what amount each person will contribute toward this total amount. This way no single person is covering the amount.

That's my 2 cents on this table manners etiquette situation, as it's what we do here in Houston, Texas.

Sincerely,
jdb, txredneck

Answer 7

If they've added the gratuity, that's the tip. And many restaurants will warn you that if a party is over a certain number, they automatically add the 15- to 18-percent gratuity, so read your bill carefully.

Answer 8

Don't feel bad about it. Generally, people will like to make you feel guilty for not tipping, on top of the tip. It's possible that her bosses keep the auto-add gratuity and she gets only the cash, but if that's the case, she has recourse in the form of the Department of Labor. I understand that there are people, who will tie up one, two, or three waiters for hours, and then not leave a red cent, but I don't do that. I never have and I never will. It makes me very angry, then, when someone presumes me to be one of those and arbitrarily adds their tip. It implies that they're sure their service will warrant a gratuity and deprives me of the right to decide that for myself (I've never, ever left less than 15% and frequently leave 25%). As soon as someone punishes me for the sins of others, though, I become a totally different person. I have gone as far as to demand that a manager appear and remove the gratuity, allowing me to tip in cash, and I have simply paid the "required" gratuity and not a cent more, depending on the particular server involved. In the case of a party, I would likely tip the server a bit extra, rather than cut her down to the "required" level, but in your case the tip was already 20%, which is pretty-well in line with tipping standards. I also like to hear a server offer me change, so that I can refuse it. Presuming that they're entitled to the full amount generally motivates me to ask for change instead of letting them keep it.

Answer 9

Gratuity is a tip. Sometimes it doesn't neccesarily go directly to your waiter though.

Answer 10

I generally consider gratuity as "tip included", so I don't leave extra. However, if my server was particularly pleasant, I would certainly leave a little bit for him/her. :O)