Surcharge for more than 6 diners?

**Big Mack** · 24-08-2004, 03:45

Hi Guys,

I am off in 10 days time

There will be seven of us alltogether, five adults and two kids. I have been reading some threads on dining out and someone mentioned a surcharge for having more than six people in your party.[:0]Can anyone tell me more about this and what it entails.

Thanks very much

Mack
(P.S. Has any one else noticed how quickly your post numbers increase the closer you get to departure time!![:I])

**orlandobabe** · 24-08-2004, 03:50

That's very often the case. I cannot remember now which restaurants do that or if it is all of them even!

At least 8 of you can sit in 2 lots of 4 -but with 7 -well I suppose you could split 4 and a 3 but it sorts of defeats the object.

By the time you add on your 15% tip-it starts getting a bit pricey!

**MrEktion** · 24-08-2004, 04:34

I might have misunderstood this, but my view was this was not a surcharge but an automatic gratuity.

If there is 6 or more in your party at some restaurants then 15% is added automatically rather than leaving you the option to leave nothing or less than 15% (not that I ever do in Florida).

I once stayed with a few friends in a villa and one of our party was absolutely against tipping despite our constant explanations about the difference between tipping in the UK and tipping in the USA. The person in question was not best pleased when we all ate out together as she was forced to pay 1/6 of the automatic tip.

If this really is a surcharge and I then needed to add a tip on top I have left a huge amount of bills (like every meal in our last two 14 night visits!) with no tip[msneek] and I wonder why I havn't incurred a servers wrath before now?

Am I the only person to think this was the tip applied automatically?

Mr E.

**MrEktion** · 24-08-2004, 04:57

This topic really got me worried I had short changed a lot of waiters and waitresses so I did a quick check and found this site

http://www.drdaveanddee.com/tipping.html

Hopefully Dr Dave and Dr Dee know what they are talking about but reading the 'At the Restaurant' section it seems it is a gratuity that is added to your bill automatically if there are 6 or more of you. So the good news for Big Mack is if you were going to tip anyway it shouldn't cost you more to dine in a party of 8 than in two parties of 4.

A very relieved MR E. The servers champion[msnsmile2]

**mm69340** · 24-08-2004, 06:26

I have to say- there are 8 of us in our family- and I have never had the tip automatically added on.

For those that do- it is the tip is automatically included not a surcharge.

Maybe, with 6 children we don't eat at places that charge the auto tip!

[:I]

**Magical Dreams** · 24-08-2004, 11:33

I've just read some of the info on the DrDaveanddee site from above, I think that adding it on is a bit of a cheek, as it makes you wonder if the staff actually get it and not the owners themselves.

Although we do tip, as I assume you all do too, Unless the service as been good or even excellent, we keep it down to the 10/15% mark.

You shouldn't tip for rudeness and sloppy service!!

Not that this is the norm, but I am sure we have all had this sort of server!!

We noticed that some of the dinner shows already include the gratuity in the price of the ticket, even if there is only 2 of you!!

**Carla** · 24-08-2004, 11:43

As Karen says, it is definitely the tip, not a surcharge.

This last trip, there were always at least 7 of us eating, and some restaurants automatically put the tip on the bill and some didn't. Just check your bill carefully to see if it has been included. If yes, then obviously you don't need to tip more unless you want to, and if no, then you need to work it out for yourself.

The staff are given the tip if it is automatically included.

**Magical Dreams** · 24-08-2004, 11:50

I'm sure that if it was a surcharge, groups would be splitting up if they thought they would have to pay a surcharge and a tip!!

Could be an expensive night out otherwise!!

**kay9jess** · 24-08-2004, 12:25

hi all, i went last year with a party of 14, a 6% tip was added at most restaurants.i have no problem tipping people who give good service but as soon as a tip is added to a party of 6 or more from that point forward there is no incentive to give good service.as a example we had a meal at the outback steak house the tip was £35 and the service was shabby.