As a server, I can say some people, including those coming from Europe, don’t tip and they really have issues with the 15 per cent gratuity included in the bill.
People who aren’t used to 15 per cent gratuities on the bill don’t like it here. But they should get over it because here it works differently. We are an island based on this side of the pond and here people tip and sometimes even over and above 15 per cent, because that’s how it works in this part of the world.
As for servers asking ‘do you need change back’, this is just common practice in the United States and Canada and there is nothing wrong with it.
Yes, there are bad apples among us who hustle for extra tips, but believe me, extra tips help us survive on this island. As everyone knows, it’s not cheap here, with average room rents per month at approximately $1,000 dollars plus expenses.
And maybe many people do not realise this, but the 15 per cent gratuities do not go to the server completely, as almost every company takes out a big chunk to pay for expenses; payroll; for other staff like kitchen porters and chefs; and breakages. So the server is left not with 15 per cent, but something like eight per cent.
When you work it out, the server is making just around $500 bucks a week. Figure out how much is left to save.
The majority of our customers are Americans and we love them because they are not uptight and they leave – most of the times – a little extra. Calculated on a monthly basis, this helps us a lot to pay off bills and save a little more.
Maybe you should have a little chat around the restaurants on the island, instead of just relying on one letter from a British lady. I am sure many of my fellow hospitality workers will agree with what I have said.
Karan Gohil
Related Videos
