It’s in the best interests of restaurants in Cayman to examine their servers’ attitude toward customer payment and tipping to ensure they don’t lose business because of it, restaurant industry representatives agree.
A recent Letter to the Editor in the Caymanian Compass by visitor Irene Jones from London, England, outlined her disappointment by what she termed ‘A cunning trick to extract more money from tourists’ which she experienced at two restaurants in Cayman.
She noted that after paying, the waiter shouted, ‘Do you want change?’ even though there was a 15 per cent service charge.
She added, ‘I am quite sure the proprietors know about this practice because the staff shout from a distance to intimidate you’.
Representing the Restaurant Sector on the Cayman Islands Tourism Association Board of Directors, Mike Flowers said, in speaking about the issue with the Caymanian Compass, ‘I personally believe that each restaurant should deal with [this issue] themselves’.
This can be done in the best interests of business and ultimately trying to keep the customer happy, he said.
Mr. Flowers said he has been asked on occasion in restaurants if he wants change and he has not taken offence to it, but he noted that he can see how people could take offence to it.
However, he said the easy solution to it is to always give the customer change back. ‘Lots of restaurants add 15 per cent gratuity to the bill and so it is misleading to then ask if the customer wants change back,’ he said.
With regard to those restaurants that don’t add gratuities to the bill, he said he can understand that a server may ask the question in order to save time.
The bottom line is, if a customer is not happy with the way they are being treated, they won’t come back, he said.
Also representing the restaurant sector on the CITA Board, Cliff Wood said the fortune of any business is its repeat guests and if they feel they are being taken advantage of they simply won’t return.
‘There are some servers out there that act unethically and it reflects badly on the entire industry’.
At his Tropical Trader Restaurant Group (Chicken Chicken, Cimboco and Breezes by the Bay) they have regular staff meetings where such issues are discussed.
‘We have a gratuity included, this is written on the bill and we also expect the server to say it to the customer,’ he said.
While a lot of people leave additional dollars on top of the included gratuity, it’s in servers interest to tell customers that the gratuity is included, he said, because if the customers mean to leave an additional tip they will still leave it even after being told, and they will then also complement the server on the good service.
‘When someone leaves too much you need to do the right thing, say to them ‘Do you realise the gratuity is included?’ he said’
He noted that servers can be very busy in their work, but rather than ask if change is needed that the server should say ‘I’ll be back with change’.
Another Letter to the Editor from C. James, an island resident himself working in the tourist restaurant industry here, experienced the situation himself when out dining with family when they were visiting the island recently.
In his letter he pointed out, ‘A tip is a bonus and not to be expected.’
Ms Jones said, ‘I did not come across this at the Ritz-Carlton or the Lighthouse, so it seems just a few restaurants are giving the Caymans a bad name.’
She commented, ‘It will be a long time before I return if I ever do; it’s left a bitter taste.’
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