WWYD? Restaurant added a tip, after the fact...UPDATE ADDED

[TheReader]

Without getting into "well, you should have tipped in the first place" -- we went and ordered take-out from a local place yesterday. Called the order in, and per instructions, called when we arrived and the employee brought the food to the car (it's a place in a strip mall, and we parked right in front of the door). 

Paid with a visa gift card; DH did not add a tip (again, please, no flames on that issue at this point). Checked the balance this morning, online, and the employee added a 15% tip to the charge. 

Now, should we probably have tipped in the first place? Maybe so. But, was it the employee's call to make?? NO. 

As it's a gift card (not our regular cc), I don't think we can dispute the charges with them, BUT, would you say anything to the restaurant? Let the owner know that his employee is adding tips to people's bills?? 

We have our receipt showing the line drawn through the tip slot, if it were to come down to disputing it, which we'll probably let go, but......we're on the fence whether to let the restaurant know that we know, let them know it happened, etc. 

What says the hive? Whether we were wrong not to tip, or not, would you make the restaurant aware that their employee added his own tip after we'd left?? It's still theft, right? WWYD?

UPDATE -- 

We waited until today to call, because of the posts suggesting maybe it was a hold and not an actual charge. 

I am glad we did, as that turned out to be the case; today shows that only the actual charge went through (and today the gift card website had a note saying that restaurants may put a hold of up to 20% over the actual total). 

Next time we are out, we will swing by and order something and leave an overly generous tip (like, maybe just order a drink but leave the tip that should have been on the meal), and from now on, Covid-19 or not, I'll tip even for take-out. 

Edited March 26, 2020 by TheReader

[Arcadia]

Yes I would let the owner know. It’s still fraud unless the receipt says a minimum percentage for tips would be auto added if zero. I think it was Cheesecake Factory restaurant that has minimum compulsory tip but I am not sure. 

[KidsHappen]

Sometimes restaurants automatically add a certain percentage tip to a restaurant order when it is placed just to insure the money is available to cover a tip and that shows up as pending on your payment method but then falls off as soon as the actual charge shows up. So when the actual charge is placed it will be for the correct amount.

If that is not the case, it is also possible that some restaurants charge a certain percent tip for pick up or large orders. If that is the case it should say so on the receipt.

[marbel]

I might contact the restaurant, framing it as a question about their tipping policy. I probably wouldn't get into a disagreement with the restaurant over it, but depending on the response I might or might not choose to eat there anymore.  

[Sherry in OH]

Are you sure it was the employee who brought the food to your car adding a tip?   Some places have instituted mandatory service fees (similar to delivery fees).  A statement about such a fee may be printed on the bottom of your receipt or posted on the restaurant's website.  If it isn't, call the restaurant and ask about the discrepancy.   

[TheReader]

Just now, Sherry in OH said:

Are you sure it was the employee who brought the food to your car adding a tip?   Some places have instituted mandatory service fees (similar to delivery fees).  A statement about such a fee may be printed on the bottom of your receipt or posted on the restaurant's website.  If it isn't, call the restaurant and ask about the discrepancy.   

Well, the delivery fee stated on their website is $1; the tip was $8. Or, the charge that went through on the cc (it was a visa gift card) was for $8 over the total of the food order. 

 

[TheReader]

8 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Yes I would let the owner know. It’s still fraud unless the receipt says a minimum percentage for tips would be auto added if zero. I think it was Cheesecake Factory restaurant that has minimum compulsory tip but I am not sure. 

 

2 minutes ago, KidsHappen said:

Sometimes restaurants automatically add a certain percentage tip to a restaurant order when it is placed just to insure the money is available to cover a tip and that shows up as pending on your payment method but then falls off as soon as the actual charge shows up. So when the actual charge is placed it will be for the correct amount.

If that is not the case, it is also possible that some restaurants charge a certain percent tip for pick up or large orders. If that is the case it should say so on the receipt.

Our copy of the receipt does not list any tip policy about adding an auto-tip or anything. Just has the total amount, a space to leave a tip, and a space for an amended total. 

The actual charge that went through on our cc (it was a visa gift card, so this is money that is gone) was exactly 15% over the food total (to the penny), so it is possibly an auto-added thing, but we were not aware of that. Phrasing it as a question if/when I call the restaurant is a good idea. 

[Selkie]

If it was a compulsory tip or fee, it should have been added to the bill before you were asked to sign.

My guess is that the employee added the tip thinking you wouldn’t notice.

[JustEm]

If you ever want to eat at that restaurant again I wouldn't say a thing if I were you. Restaurant employees, even managers, do not take kindly to people who don't tip. And while a vast majority would never do anything to someone's food there are people who would. I wouldn't want to risk it.

[KidsHappen]

13 minutes ago, TheReader said:

 

Our copy of the receipt does not list any tip policy about adding an auto-tip or anything. Just has the total amount, a space to leave a tip, and a space for an amended total. 

The actual charge that went through on our cc (it was a visa gift card, so this is money that is gone) was exactly 15% over the food total (to the penny), so it is possibly an auto-added thing, but we were not aware of that. Phrasing it as a question if/when I call the restaurant is a good idea. 

Yeah, I have never seen that policy written anywhere but it happens at most places where people normally tip and it is usually 15%. It is kind of like when you check into a hotel and they put a hold on a certain amount more than your room charge in case you have any in room charges. The actual charge always turns out to be for the correct amount once it actually posts.

[J-rap]

Some restaurants add extra fees for various reasons.  I know small restaurants that charge extra to cover their credit card fees too.  And, it's quite common in other countries to automatically add a tip.  But, it seems like any of those would be stated upfront.  I'd call the restaurant.  You don't need to tell them your name  (at least not when you're just inquiring).  You can politely ask them if they add on a special service charge, and explain what happened.   

I would think that if the restaurant does have an employee who is doing something illegal, they would want to know.  

[TheReader]

3 minutes ago, KidsHappen said:

Yeah, I have never seen that policy written anywhere but it happens at most places where people normally tip and it is usually 15%. It is kind of like when you check into a hotel and they put a hold on a certain amount more than your room charge in case you have any in room charges. The actual charge always turns out to be for the correct amount once it actually posts.

I've seen LOTS of places where the receipt, menu, etc. states "tip will automatically be added for......" and it's usually things like "parties over 6 or more," or "for carry-out orders," or whatever. 

I've never seen that stated at this restaurant, in the past, or now on their website, FB, etc. 

This being a visa gift card, the amount actually deducted is all we can see; this is not a pending charge, but an actual amount deducted from the gift card. It's gone through, it's for exactly 15% over what the food total was, and it's not something we've ever noticed happen (or, well, we normally do tip, so....but the amount has always gone through as whatever amount we actually paid/tipped, never some random "we auto add, and adjust later" amount....). 

I don't know. We're inclined to let the manager/owner know, and let them know we are fine with the employee keeping the tip, but encouraging management to make this policy public so people are not caught off guard by it.

It seems grossly unfair to people paying with credit card if that's the case, if they are not adding it ahead of time. That's what makes me think it's not an auto/policy thing -- if they were adding it to all orders, they'd have to add it ahead so that those paying cash are also charged, yes?? 

[catz]

Honestly, if it were me in the current climate, I'd feel guilty for not tipping and probably let it slide.  Pretty much everywhere here has some sort of fee/mandatory tip added for delivery right now.   Just yesterday I had $7 mandatory tip added onto "free delivery" from a business.  So that scenario wouldn't surprise me either.  I might send an e-mail if I really thought an individual employee was causing problems.  But I also wouldn't be chasing people down on the phone to talk about something like this either right now.

[TheReader]

4 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

Honestly, if it were me in the current climate, I'd feel guilty for not tipping and probably let it slide.  Pretty much everywhere here has some sort of fee/mandatory tip added for delivery right now.   Just yesterday I had $7 mandatory tip added onto "free delivery" from a business.  So that scenario wouldn't surprise me either.  I might send an e-mail if I really thought an individual employee was causing problems.  But I also wouldn't be chasing people down on the phone to talk about something like this either right now.

Even if we do call, we will specifically say "we want the employee to keep the tip, but..."  I do think we may probably end up calling, because IF they are adding this as a standard practice, they need to do so BEFORE people are handed the bill to sign, not after the person has left. And/or otherwise let people know there will be a standard carry-out fee/tip added. Somewhere between calling and placing the order, calling to say we were there, him bringing out the bill and us passing the credit card, him going back in to charge the card.......somewhere in all of that, "we are automatically adding a 15% tip to all orders, feel free to leave an additional tip if you like" should have been stated. 

[Annie G]

It’s not unusual for us to pay for the meal with a credit card but then tip in cash. We have a few couples we go out with and that’s always how we do it...one couple picks up the meal and the other tips.  We do the same when we take our dad to eat.  I’ve never noticed our card being charged a tip without our consent.  Yeah, I know you didn’t tip cash, but that kind of unwritten policy could result in double tipping, which isn;t fair to the customer. 
‘I think you could call and speak to a manager. And not worry so much about retaliation- are you such a regular customer that they’d remember that months from now? 
 

Also, this is a good place for me to put my occasional rant about tipping culture. Pay people what they’re worth. Pass that on through product pricing.  

Edited March 25, 2020 by Annie G

[TechWife]

I’d call the credit card company and dispute the charge. If it happened to you it happened to others.

Locally, a server at a chain restaurant was charged (Las year, I think) after adding more than $2K to multiple customer tabs over a period of time. It was done by changing numbers on existing tips and by adding tips to checks without. After that - I always make sure to total the receipt myself and take home the receipt. 

[TheReader]

11 minutes ago, Annie G said:

It’s not unusual for us to pay for the meal with a credit card but then tip in cash. We have a few couples we go out with and that’s always how we do it...one couple picks up the meal and the other tips.  We do the same when we take our dad to eat.  I’ve never noticed our card being charged a tip without our consent.  Yeah, I know you didn’t tip cash, but that kind of unwritten policy could result in double tipping, which isn;t fair to the customer. 
‘I think you could call and speak to a manager. And not worry so much about retaliation- are you such a regular customer that they’d remember that months from now? 
 

Also, this is a good place for me to put my occasional rant about tipping culture. Pay people what they’re worth. Pass that on through product pricing.  

I mean, I highly doubt they'll connect our name with our faces next time we go. Also, if this guy did it to us, I doubt we're the only ones, so...really, retaliation is not on my radar. 

A friend on FB suggested we call, have the owner refund us the difference in cash, and then give that to the employee. Yes, you can have your tip; no, you cannot blindly add it and charge people, it was dishonest. I think I like that method. 

[TheReader]

1 minute ago, TechWife said:

I’d call the credit card company and dispute the charge. If it happened to you it happened to others.

Locally, a server at a chain restaurant was charged (Las year, I think) after adding more than $2K to multiple customer tabs over a period of time. It was done by changing numbers on existing tips and by adding tips to checks without. After that - I always make sure to total the receipt myself and take home the receipt. 

See, dh did actually draw a line through the "tip" line, and wrote the total on the bottom as the original total w/o the tip. We did keep our copy. 

It was still added. 

I have no idea if we can dispute it or not, since it was a visa gift card and not our normal credit card. I'll have to check into that, maybe, depending on how the restaurant handles it. 

[Spryte]

You could call the restaurant and speak to a manager.  It’s dishonest, unless it’s a stated policy.

Honestly, though, I’m generous with tipping  under normal circumstances, and right now - I’m tipping extra. We are not eating out, but we do have grocery delivery.  We are tipping generously, and go out of our way to be extra kind to our shoppers and delivery people.  I think the people who are going to work and doing the things that we need (food, food prep, etc) are heroes to families like mine. So I don’t really understand your decision not to tip at all, unless it was an oversight.
 

If there’s a specific reason you choose not to tip at this restaurant, and this was not an oversight, by all means - call management.

 

ETA:  I see it was not an oversight, so definitely call.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Spryte

[TechWife]

13 minutes ago, TheReader said:

See, dh did actually draw a line through the "tip" line, and wrote the total on the bottom as the original total w/o the tip. We did keep our copy. 

It was still added. 

I have no idea if we can dispute it or not, since it was a visa gift card and not our normal credit card. I'll have to check into that, maybe, depending on how the restaurant handles it. 

I could be wrong, but I think it would fall under debit card rules/laws, because that is what gift cards issued by credit card companies essentially are. 

[marbel]

You might be able to dispute it on the gift card, but since the actual transaction was authorized, they may not approve it. They will also tell you to go to the merchant first and ask for a refund and may ask for proof that you attempted to resolve with the merchant and were denied.     

[Tap]

Call and ask. If it was added on purpose by the restaurant, they need to know to make that more transparent.

If the server added on their own, it is theft and the owner needs to know. Servers who steal, steal from the restaurant too. My guess is that you will not return to that place or will be reluctant to do so. The server can't steal from someone and think it is ok to do so.

Right now, not everyone has extra money. Maybe you were going to use that card for something else and it would have been rejected with an insufficient balance.  

[gardenmom5]

I would definitely bring it up with the restaurant.  I know some people who pay with a credit card - and leave a cash tip.  so this wasn't most certainly not the employee's call to make.

if the restaurant was automatically adding tips because they were bringing it to your car (it happens in normal times for large groups) - it should have been disclosed upfront.

[gardenmom5]

24 minutes ago, TheReader said:

I mean, I highly doubt they'll connect our name with our faces next time we go. Also, if this guy did it to us, I doubt we're the only ones, so...really, retaliation is not on my radar. 

A friend on FB suggested we call, have the owner refund us the difference in cash, and then give that to the employee. Yes, you can have your tip; no, you cannot blindly add it and charge people, it was dishonest. I think I like that method. 

uh, no.  if the employee added it on their own, they absolutely should NOT be *rewarded* by receiving the cash!

 

eta: I agree if they did it to you, they did it to others.  if others were using a regular cc, not a gift/debit card - they may not even have noticed.

Edited March 25, 2020 by gardenmom5

[TheReader]

2 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

PS I do not advocate servers freely adding tips just because they got stiffed. That’s illegal - credit card fraud - and becomes a felony once it reaches a certain dollar amount. So yes, let the restaurant owner know, so he can make sure it doesn’t happen again to anyone’s else. But in your shoes I wouldn’t be asking for a refund. In our current climate, mercy > self righteousness. 

I have said, and will repeat: we are honestly fine with the guy actually ending up with the tip. We debated (it just is not our norm to tip for carry-out, even at sit-down restaurants, and this was our first time ordering take-out, from a sit-down, during these times.....I mean, I'm not adding on tips to my fast food orders, and we just did not know how to handle this. We debated. We almost turned around to tip separately, only we had no cash. We decided instead we would return next week and tip double to make up for it.).

So, even if we do call, which we almost certainly will, it will be to ask about it. "Hi, my food total was $54, but my cc charge was $62, can you help me figure out the discrepancy?" and see what they say. If they say, "Oh, yes, we are auto-adding tips for carry-out" I will say "oh, thank you; you may consider letting customers know that upfront so they are not surprised."  If the owner says "What? No, I have no idea, let me check into that..." we'll go from there. 

[TheReader]

6 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

uh, no.  if the employee added it on their own, they absolutely should NOT be *rewarded* by receiving the cash!

 

eta: I agree if they did it to you, they did it to others.  if others were using a regular cc, not a gift/debit card - they may not even have noticed.

if we'd used our regular cc, we'd have gotten the text alert right then, the way we have ours set up, but my thought is exactly that -- not everyone watches these things as closely as we do. 

[Lacey Dawn]

Please call and let the restaurant manager know. Adding an unauthorized tip is illegal and if that got out it could hurt the restaurant's reputation. I wouldn't even give your name or ask for a refund. Just let them know, and maybe start off with "We normally tip in cash and completely forgot to hand it over." (Or just "We normally tip in cash." stick to the truth).) 

[gardenmom5]

47 minutes ago, Annie G said:

 
 

Also, this is a good place for me to put my occasional rant about tipping culture. Pay people what they’re worth. Pass that on through product pricing.  

go back to tipping for good service, and not demanded tips.

I've had a couple times over the years the service was so incredibly bad, we left no tip.  (once, the guy brought me the wrong entree, and it went downhill from there. - and NO apology! nor *any* attempt to make it up to me, other than reordering my entrée while everyone else had theirs and was eating and I sat there with nothing.)

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, Lacey Dawn said:

Please call and let the restaurant manager know. Adding an unauthorized tip is illegal and if that got out it could hurt the restaurant's reputation.  

this.

[mathnerd]

In california, many restaurants charge a fee for takeout containers, napkins, plastic forks etc and inside those restaurants, they have a sign saying $1 for each takeout box (it has something to do with some legislation to be more green). If it was one of those things and if your oder had a few boxes, then, it is feasible that the extra charge covered those things as well. If it were me, I would let it go, and never eat there again (post a yelp or facebook review if I feel like it). there are plenty of other places to eat at.

[marbel]

Oh, please don't post a negative review without talking to the manager/owner first. Give them a chance to fix the problem.  

[katilac]

7 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

In california, many restaurants charge a fee for takeout containers, napkins, plastic forks etc and inside those restaurants, they have a sign saying $1 for each takeout box (it has something to do with some legislation to be more green). If it was one of those things and if your oder had a few boxes, then, it is feasible that the extra charge covered those things as well. If it were me, I would let it go, and never eat there again (post a yelp or facebook review if I feel like it). there are plenty of other places to eat at.

She said it was exactly 15%, so very unlikely to be any other kind of fee. 

I can tell you that the owner or manager would vastly prefer to get a phone call instead of the customer never eating there again or posting a bad review! Posting a bad review would be unfair without giving them a chance to explain or fix it. 

[Katy]

At a not-busy time (2-3pm?) call the restaurant, ask for the manager, and ask if they have a policy where a tip is automatically added for a pick up order. If not they have an employee committing fraud and they need to correct it.  I wouldn't expect a refund in this climate, it isn't important.

[TheReader]

16 minutes ago, marbel said:

Oh, please don't post a negative review without talking to the manager/owner first. Give them a chance to fix the problem.  

I absolutely, positively will not leave a negative review for them over this unless the management responds in a ridiculously poor problem. 

I have asked for advice on my own FB page but I have not and will not name the restaurant or give any identifying info there, either. 

[TheReader]

16 minutes ago, katilac said:

She said it was exactly 15%, so very unlikely to be any other kind of fee. 

I can tell you that the owner or manager would vastly prefer to get a phone call instead of the customer never eating there again or posting a bad review! Posting a bad review would be unfair without giving them a chance to explain or fix it. 

Right; we will definitely not leave a negative review, at all. Well, unless something truly atrocious happens, but honestly, I'm thinking the manager would have to say something like "what, he only added 15%? I told him take 25%!" or something for me to stoop to leaving a bad review. We LOVE this restaurant, which is why we went there. We want them still open when this is over. 

 

5 minutes ago, Katy said:

At a not-busy time (2-3pm?) call the restaurant, ask for the manager, and ask if they have a policy where a tip is automatically added for a pick up order. If not they have an employee committing fraud and they need to correct it.  I wouldn't expect a refund in this climate, it isn't important.

We don't want a refund of the tip. We just wanted to know should we or should we not call the restaurant and find out why it was added/if the boss knows. And to suggest, gently, if it's going to be policy, they need to let people know up front. 

[Katy]

2 minutes ago, TheReader said:

Right; we will definitely not leave a negative review, at all. Well, unless something truly atrocious happens, but honestly, I'm thinking the manager would have to say something like "what, he only added 15%? I told him take 25%!" or something for me to stoop to leaving a bad review. We LOVE this restaurant, which is why we went there. We want them still open when this is over. 

 

We don't want a refund of the tip. We just wanted to know should we or should we not call the restaurant and find out why it was added/if the boss knows. And to suggest, gently, if it's going to be policy, they need to let people know up front. 

 

I've never owned a restaurant, but I did waitress a bit in high school and college.  If I was an owner or manager and an employee was committing fraud I'd want to know, rather than have a bunch of people just stop being customers.

[lulubelle]

My brother owned a restaurant and he had to fire employees for being fraudulent on people’s credit card with the tip.  It can be a sneaky thing to get away with, since most people don’t check it.  In this ‘climate’ I would think it’s easier for them to get away with it.  Another thing that happened at his restaurant is that waitresses would cancel meals on the register and pocket the cash people left.  You can’t win either way, many people will steal for more money.  

[KidsHappen]

Wondering if you called and what their response was.

[TheReader]

11 minutes ago, KidsHappen said:

Wondering if you called and what their response was.

I was just coming to update! 

We waited until today, because of the posts suggesting maybe it was a hold and not an actual charge. 

I am glad we did, as that turned out to be the case; today shows that only the actual charge went through (and today the gift card website had a note saying that restaurants may put a hold of up to 20% over the actual total). 

Next time we are out, we will swing by and order something and leave an overly generous tip (like, maybe just order a drink but leave the tip that should have been on the meal), and from now on, Covid-19 or not, I'll tip even for take-out.