this was on the front of the menu and a table tent at lunch today. it doesn’t mention anything about replacing tipping.
the waitress brought the table side credit card machine, ran it, sat it on the table & left.
the options were Custom, 15%, 20%, 25% and this was in addition to the 20% surcharge already on my bill.
so I was expected to tip ON TOP of the One Fare Wage surcharge?
by Automatic_Brick2709
37 Comments
My server at Bouldin made a point of saying tipping was not required or expected on top of the surcharge (but was welcome if we were inclined). We tipped on top of the surcharge because the service, food, and overall experience was good, as it typically is in my experience at that place.
What do you think it meant? You’re not expected to tip, that’s what all those things (and usually, the server too) was trying to explain to you.
Black Star used to make a point of saying “We’re paid a living wage, tipping isn’t necessary” when you’d blindly stare at the receipt looking for the tip line.
It’s optional. You don’t have to use presets you can tip whatever you want.
Even with a service fee these aren’t high paying jobs. Additional tips really help people which is why having the option is a great feature.
I’ve been to Bouldin a million times and usually they make a big deal about the fair wages and you don’t have to tip. Your server was probably busy or distracted or thought you were a regular (it’s tiring to hear the whole thing every time) I think it’s just such a loving place that many people want to tip anyway.
I had this exact same problem at Salt & Time recently. Usually these sorts of things say explicitly tipping isn’t expected but that wasn’t the case. It made me pretty uncomfortable tbh. I didn’t want to stiff the guy but I had already had $45 dollars added to my bill.
There’s a “OTHER” option – and you can put $0 or more
Maybe I’m confused, but this is ridiculous. This ‘one fair wage surcharge’ is just an enforced tip for the customer. Has Bouldin Creek also raised the base pay for tipped workers or is this what they’re doing to avoid losing their own profit? Maybe if the restaurant raised the hourly wage and did a 10 or 15% surcharge, the customer could then add additional tip. But to me this is just to make the restaurant owner feel they’re doing something good and to ensure their profits don’t suffer. The customer either is forced to pay the surcharge or the prices go up. The worker still isn’t getting a good salary and the owner is happy. I’m always generous tipping and also try to tip in cash, but these surcharges may make me second guess where I go. I rather hear they’re raising the salaries.
Every single time I’ve gone to bouldin the server has made a point that 20% is already added and it’s not necessary to add more. Every single time I’ve added more though
I feel like when they first launched this, it was much more explicit and they had very explicit table placards too. Maybe they felt it had been long enough that they could adjust the phrasing?
Edit: I’m genuinely asking
Thats some cockamamy bullshit. It’s only posturing that they’re raising the wages, and they were unacceptable before. And they still are. Just raise em, you’re making a fucking fortune.
Pay good people a good wage and youll thrive. The fact that I am being told that you are going to raise your employees wages, and I am having a random 20% added to my bill for that, is a facade.
Fuck you. They’re profiting off of that 20% more than they’re “losing?” to wages.?
Is there a directory available to avoid all these establishments?
Can we ban complaining about Bouldin? Or put up a megathread? This complaint gets posted at least 1x/month.
It’s listed as 10% 15% and 20%
There’s also an option no tip
Sounds like they don’t want people eating there. I’m not going to tip on top of 20%. And that 20% better go to the server.
Please fight for tipping the BOH too. The hospitality when you com in is cool and I guess Servers are cool too but your food comes from the cooks.
That is up to you. It is very clear they have a “Fair wage.” meaning you can choose to tip or not.
Culture has gotten very out of hand on this. Also, queue biweekly tip thread lol.
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They are “supporting” raising sub-minimum wages by adding 20% sub charge to customers but not by paying their employees more. Interesting take.
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It would be nice to just pay a reasonable bill for food food and service, and relax, without having to deal with mental gymnastics around fees and tipping.
It shouldn’t be on the customer to pay for employee wellness in the first place…. I always ask where the money goes. And then make a note that I’ll never be returning. And I do not tip on top of the 20% surcharge at bouldin. It’s never expected.
Wait. So the restaurant is railing about unfair wages for their staff… who they pay… and are somehow trying to justify that by declaring it’s necessary because somehow it adds transparency to how j fairly they treat their own staff?
Maybe I’m missing something.
I like Bouldin and other local restaurants for upping prices to pay workers. I think that should be standard, industry-wide. It isn’t tho, which means the point of sales technology everyone has to use includes tipping. There is always a button for “no tip” tho right?
“We decided to pass the buck of paying our employees a fair wage onto our consumers in an attempt to address the long standing problems of sub minimum wage tipped employees that we have taken advantage of for many years….you’re welcome”
This is the hypocritical part. Plenty of people who support tipping came to r/EndTipping to rant about how end-tipping is stupid because that would mean a surge in menu prices. There you go. They literally raise the menu prices by 20% and still expect you to tip. Greed is the problem.
Absolutely not. You get one or another, and screw what the generic credit card machine says.
I have zero issues with it, considering their prices on that menu are ridiculously reasonable for a sit down restaurant located in Central Austin. It’s listed on the front of the menu, if you don’t like it, then you’re perfectly fine to opt out before ordering.
Pretty sure the apps to pay on the handhelds just include tipping by default but it’s not required at Bouldin Creek. Great food, I might stop by tomorrow.
I feel like the consumer is being manipulated with all this back and forth on whether restaurants should add a “fair wage” tax to the tab or servers and restaurant staff just get what they get, some nights being great for tips and other nights not so much.
in my opinion if it’s fair wage tax of 20%, there should no other “suggestion” or “opportunity” of any additional gratuity. At that point it’s almost like tipping the IRS.
Simple way to interpret this: DO NOT TIP at this restaurant.
Businesses like to make money. If they can get another 20% out of people because they feel socially pressured to do so, they will.
Lol
You don’t have a fucking surcharge you just raise your prices and pay them a living wage God is it so hard?
Nope. NOT expected. They are saying it is already included.
Pure BS so the owner can claim he didn’t raise prices. Yeah, you did. Just go ahead and raise prices by 20% and stop trying to con or guilt your customers into thinking you’re some kind of great boss.
Raise your prices by 20% and just go ahead and pay Minimum wage. Anyone who falls for it is just gullible.
If they pay a living wage they have to pay higher employee payroll taxes.
Service fee = Tips. It really is that simple.