The Habit Burger Grill & Automatic Tip Charge

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by masraum

I'm super curious if the charge was actually automatic or if it was the person that "rang up" the charge figuring "I'll do this 20x per day, and 19 of them will never notice.

I believe the cashier took it upon herself to add the tip and not say anything.

I also went to The Habit last night and ordered the exact same thing but I was at a different Habit. I just found my receipt from last night and no tip was added. This tells me that this was done by the employee and not the establishment.

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by 911_Dude

How can you not have any sauce on a burger? Thats what I want to know. But seriously, a an automatic tip at a fast food place is BS.

That was my friend's item. Maybe he should be paying the tip - I always order as is.

[rwest]

Not to mention whether or not the tips actually get to the servers or just into the owners pockets?

Just raise the prices and pay the workers a decent wage already.

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

The burgers look great on the website, are they good?

Kind of on par with In & Out but I would say it is a step up and they have other things too.

[Brian 162]

I'm in Arizona on vacation and some restaurants the tipping starts at 20%
Tipping for getting your take out order, no. That's their job. Do we tip at Mc.Donald's or Wendy's?No. I believe their policy is no tipping.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

That was my friend's item. Maybe he should be paying the tip - I always order as is.

So you got the fries and med. soda, Vern?

[Jeff Higgins]

I have noticed another really deceitful tactic when dining out in a larger group. Many restaurants will automatically add a gratuity for groups of ten or more, or some similar number. Pretty standard procedure, they've done it for years.

When presented with the bill, it will include that gratuity as a line item. Place your credit card on the tray, waiter takes it back to run it, and the receipt you sign (which is a new copy) no longer shows the tip as a line item, but has a space to add a tip. If you didn't read the first one (and most people won't, they will simply place their card on the tray), you would have no idea that the tip was already included, so you include it there. You have now tipped twice.

A new twist on this is the hand-held scanner. They too will include the gratuity added for the group before you ever insert your card. Then the screen that allows you to add a pre-calculated tip pops up. They are hoping you didn't read the screen before you inserted your card.

I will simply no longer tip prior to being served. Last time I did I was rewarded with a Caesar salad with no croutons that I had ordered at a counter along with a beer. I brought it back and pointed out the obvious omission, and waited for its return long enough to finish my beer and everyone I was with to finish most of their food.

I will no longer tip if I order at a counter, even if the food is brought out to me. I will no longer tip at a counter if the food or drink is served from that counter. I don't tip the guy at the hardware store, the auto parts store, the grocery store, or anywhere else where they simply hand me the product I'm buying. Why would it be any different for food? Unless they are actually waiting on me, how are they any different?

[Evans, Marv]

Funny. The second intersection to the east along Shaw is where the Richfield station I worked at as a kid in the '50s was located. It's a flower business now. Last time I saw it decades ago, it had a fence around it, & the tanks were being removed. I would have paid the tip, but let the internet know.

[Tobra]

I would have turned around, gone back, returned their burger and gotten a refund. The charges will come off the card, then go back on when theyvsay iy wasca legit charge. You just played yourself

[Jeff Alton]

So, you ate the meal, and are now attempting to get it for free?

Interesting....

[look 171]

I am with Higgins on this 100%. I use to leave the change at take out or coffee places and slip it in the jar, sometimes it can be at little as a quarter or close to a buck. I just didn't want the change. Pre covid, I picked up a sandwich, 8 bucks, at the counter and did the same with the change. The guy at the cash register whispered a remark, "Wow, big tipper". I was pissed and wanted to fetch my change out of that jar just out of principle. Since then, I just no longer tip at those places only at sit down restaurants or local places where we know the people. A simple smile from the owner or mom and pops place goes a long way.

[Heel n Toe]

[wdfifteen]

So far you did the right thing Vern. But from their point of view some unknown guy canceled a charge for some unknown reason. You need to write to them and tell them you canceled and why and offer to pay for the food. Maybe, if they care, they’ll take steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again. And give you the meal for free.

[rfuerst911sc]

I may be old school but tipping has always been rewarded when better than expected service was provided . Walking up to a counter , ordering food and handed a bag is not a better than expected experience . At least not to me . I may choose to tip in that scenario for a variety of reasons . But that choice is mine . It should never be automatically added .

[KFC911]

^^^^ Yep, old skool here and raised in the south .... where tipping was not part of the culture when I was growing up.... except for servers in a sit down place. I bagged groceries and took them out to the cars .... it was my "job" and I never expected, nor received a tip... ever.

Folks from up north had a different culture imo.

Chick-Fil-A employees will not accept a tip (outside in the elements/drive-thru) ... I tried several times during Covid .... so I just say....

Thank you !

... and they reply "my pleasure"!

Go talk to THAT store manager imo.... see what happens, and you do owe them for the meal imo, but I understand the reaction.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

I may be old school but tipping has always been rewarded when better than expected service was provided . Walking up to a counter , ordering food and handed a bag is not a better than expected experience . At least not to me . I may choose to tip in that scenario for a variety of reasons . But that choice is mine . It should never be automatically added .

100% agree ^^^

Ms Rocket recently went out to eat with a couple of friends and the restaurant, tacked on a kitchen administration fee of 5%. I would have deducted that from the tip, but she didn’t notice it.

[wdfifteen]

^^

"Admin fee" is just idiotic. Raise your prices 5% and no one will notice and no one will be pissed off.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

^^

"Admin fee" is just idiotic. Raise your prices 5% and no one will notice and no one will be pissed off.

I'd be pissed off about the $16 chowder.

[Paul_Heery]

They have a corporate feedback site where you can provide them some information about your experience with them.
https://habitlistens.com/ticket/

Additionally, I see that on Google Maps, the "owner" of this location is pretty quick to respond to complaints in the Reviews section.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Habit+Burger+Grill/@36.808868,-119.8089629,17z/data=!4m8!3m7!1s0x809467930c1050c3:0x81a800e130936 bd3!8m2!3d36.808868!4d-119.806388!9m1!1b1!16s%2Fg%2F1vyswsgn?hl=en&authuser=0&entry=ttu

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

100% agree ^^^

Ms Rocket recently went out to eat with a couple of friends and the restaurant, tacked on a kitchen administration fee of 5%. I would have deducted that from the tip, but she didn’t notice it.

A few things. First, those are tourist prices. Wow! Second, Eventide is owned by a restaurant group which means that 5% is probably going into the back pockets of owners/investors more than back of house workers. Their pockets are deep enough that they can pay employees a fair and competitive wage instead of you paying their employees. If I were a grumpy old man (give me 20 years) I'd call up and get the names, addresses and SS#s and send all the cooks, prep and dishwashers 1099s since you paid them.

I would like to see someone create a website with a list of good and bad restaurants, and others, who tack things on the final bill. As an option, it could be location-specific so you get a warning on your phone when you go into the restaurant.