Do you tip if the 10% Service Fee is included in the bill?

liam1

Bronze
Jun 9, 2004
843
30
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i kinda fill morally obligated to tip the waitress if the service was good, but it makes me so mad that for that reason and that reason only, i rarely eat in restaurants any more. it is not the matter of money, but principal. if the food and drinks are say 1000RD, they will charge for the service 100RD, whether the service was good or bad, and whether the food was good or bad, then on top of that they expect you to tip! shouldn't it be my choice whether i want to tip or not?
 

mezclado

New member
Nov 1, 2008
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i kinda fill morally obligated to tip the waitress if the service was good, but it makes me so mad that for that reason and that reason only, i rarely eat in restaurants any more. it is not the matter of money, but principal. if the food and drinks are say 1000RD, they will charge for the service 100RD, whether the service was good or bad, and whether the food was good or bad, then on top of that they expect you to tip! shouldn't it be my choice whether i want to tip or not?

I agree with you 100% !!

One thing for sure, if they charge from you the tip in the bill whether you want to leave some or not, don't be succered into leaving another tip on the table for your waiter/es.
and write on the bill where it says "service fee" in big bold letters;

DE-NADA !!

Your welcome !!
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,470
3,604
113
I guess you guys never want to go to Europe. The tip is always included in the bill.
 

jrzyguy

Bronze
May 5, 2004
1,832
22
0
well...from what i have heard...the owner gets the 10% service charge in DR. IF you decide to tip be sure to tip the waitress/waiter directly.
 
Mar 2, 2008
2,902
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Basically and generally, if you want the waitstaff to receive a tip, then give it directly to them. The 10% may or may not go to them, depending on the establishment, but the waitstaff will remember who tips and who does not tip them. And they have long memories.
 

mezclado

New member
Nov 1, 2008
84
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0
Basically and generally, if you want the waitstaff to receive a tip, then give it directly to them. The 10% may or may not go to them, depending on the establishment, but the waitstaff will remember who tips and who does not tip them. And they have long memories.

Well in truth i always tip
12% from back home, so if they already took the 10% from me without asking me, then that leaves me another 2% to leave on the table to my waiter.
 

destinationbarahona

New member
Nov 22, 2008
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www.destinationbarahona.com
By law the owner have to give the 10% to his employes.
BUT: you are sure he do?
In case you really get a good service and attention, tip the waiter. If not, not you rproblem, you get charged for it on the bill.
Some restaurants on the northcoast have final prices! No extra 16% tax+10% service fee. Than please give them a tip! If they diserve it!
Do you tip a waiter in your country for bad service???
 

Pedro Tercero

New member
Dec 22, 2006
54
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I ask the waiter if the 10% is for service,he says yes, and I let it go at that. If the owner keeps the 10% that's between him and the waitstaff.
But, I do like the idea of leaving 2% extra cash.

Pedro Tercero
 

ExtremeR

Silver
Mar 22, 2006
3,078
328
0
It is truth that the 10% service charge is meant for the tips, but if you leave a good tip whenever you come back you will be treated as a VIP person, that is why I always leave a 10% plus after the final price.

If you like to go to Discos and bar regularly up that percentage and you will always find tables no matter how full the place is.
 

jaguarbob

Bronze
Mar 2, 2004
1,427
60
48
if tip is included and the other 18% is also on the bill,I leave no other money...I go to restaurants on a regular basis and the service to me is the same as if I left a big tip.Some of my gringo friends always want to leave another 10 or 15% on top of the bill regardless,which is just rediculous as far as I am concerned.Gets waiters expecting much more for regular service.

bob
 

AK74

On Vacation!
Jun 18, 2007
842
36
0
i kinda fill morally obligated to tip the waitress if the service was good, but it makes me so mad that for that reason and that reason only, i rarely eat in restaurants any more. it is not the matter of money, but principal. if the food and drinks are say 1000RD, they will charge for the service 100RD, whether the service was good or bad, and whether the food was good or bad, then on top of that they expect you to tip! shouldn't it be my choice whether i want to tip or not?

I simply stop going to restaurants who play this trick. They are not supposed to do it on residents.

On tourists please!
 

BabyBlu

New member
Jan 20, 2004
246
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0
The 10% included in the bill is supposed to be split between the waiters, bartenders, and kitchen staff. Do I think that the owners always do the right thing and split that 10%? NO. But it is not the waiters fault that their employer is a thief, so if the service is good I will always leave a tip for them on top of the 10%. It has nothing to do with being a local or a gringo, it's about having manners and respect for people who serve you. I would never stiff a waiter/waitress in the states if they provided good service, so why would I do it here? I know what it's like to work here for crappy wages, so maybe thats why I feel inclined to leave something extra, most of them will appriciate it. Thats just the way that it is, another thing about this country that you either need to accept or not deal with at all. If your too cheap to tip for good service, it's probaly better that you eat at home. Just my opinion.
 

AK74

On Vacation!
Jun 18, 2007
842
36
0
it's probaly better that you eat at home. Just my opinion.

Very right.

I can name here honest restaurants where $200RD in menu means $200RD en la cuenta. And tipping (or not) is strictly up to me without any forcing nor unhealthy manipulation.

And I can name also "those" whose $200RD in menu translate in almost $300RD en la cuenta final with all these "16%", "10%", "26%", etc.


Not a kosher thing.
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
As I understand it the 10% that is added to the bill is legislated, not optional, as is the 16% tax. The tax goes to the Government and the 10% is split amongst the staff and is part of their pay/salary.

If you don't tip extra then you are actually not tipping at all. The 10% is part of the salary and is an opportunity to earn more as if it is busy then their wages increase. If it is slow it's the reverse so it's an incentive program. If they keep the customer happy by giving proper service, get repeat business and positive word of mouth advertising, etc...they make more.

Many places include both the 10% and the 16% tax in the pricing and do not break it out thus eliminating much of the hard feelings by those that don't understand. I'm sure many feel a sense of satisfaction when they eat at such places but believe it or not it's already included, and invisible, for simplicity and to inspire such feelings.

Either way not tipping is, well, not tipping and IMO cheap or at the very least showing ignorance of the real situation.
 

jaguarbob

Bronze
Mar 2, 2004
1,427
60
48
I have lived in many countrys,and tipping is an american thing...because,waiters and waitresses in the US are paid minimum wage or less,and live on tips...there I would tip at least 10%.As a son of a waitress mother,tips were what she lived on,not the $2,.50 an hour she was paid.
In other countries that I have lived,waiters and waitresses is a profession,and they are paid well, . ,tips are not needed or usually accepted...tried to tip a cab driver in Madrid,he was affended big time...here the waiters and waitresses are paid and tips are added...wether the owner splits or not is not a problem of the customer,and the amount of the salary depends on the goverment more or less....oh well,just my thoughts...
bob
 

b.batista

New member
Feb 21, 2008
229
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0
Finalmente.
I thought that nobody was going to set it straight.
It is hard to believe that grown adults from an educated part of the world do not know the difference between a tip and a service charge.
Anyone who leaves 2% is risking a slap in the face.
It would be better to leave nothing than to be so deliberately insulting.
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
Both the 10% added for the staff and the 16% tax are law and not optional. Thinking otherwise just shows that you don't understand the bigger picture.

To say that the owners are not giving the 10% back to the staff just because it may have happened in the past is generalizing and not based on normal business practise.

The way the labour laws seem to favour the worker in the DR I'd be shocked if short changing the staff was widespread as employees that thought they were being cheated would just have to report it. The owners/enployers would find themselves in a huge pile of sh!t really fast...and that does not seem to be happening. Call it an urban myth but I doubt that there's much of it happening. We'd have heard about it by now.

The 10% included in the bill is supposed to be split between the waiters, bartenders, and kitchen staff. Do I think that the owners always do the right thing and split that 10%? NO. But it is not the waiters fault that their employer is a thief, so if the service is good I will always leave a tip for them on top of the 10%. It has nothing to do with being a local or a gringo, it's about having manners and respect for people who serve you. I would never stiff a waiter/waitress in the states if they provided good service, so why would I do it here? I know what it's like to work here for crappy wages, so maybe thats why I feel inclined to leave something extra, most of them will appriciate it. Thats just the way that it is, another thing about this country that you either need to accept or not deal with at all. If your too cheap to tip for good service, it's probaly better that you eat at home. Just my opinion.

Very right.

I can name here honest restaurants where $200RD in menu means $200RD en la cuenta. And tipping (or not) is strictly up to me without any forcing nor unhealthy manipulation.

And I can name also "those" whose $200RD in menu translate in almost $300RD en la cuenta final with all these "16%", "10%", "26%", etc.


Not a kosher thing.
 

b.batista

New member
Feb 21, 2008
229
88
0
The Dominican restaurant employees get a lower minimum wage because they benefit from the sharing of the 10%. It is the law and part of their salary, all of them, not just the waitress. It is not difficult to understand.
It is not a tip. It is not part of the tip. It is their salary. What do you care how the salary is calculated and who it comers from. If you are cheap and don't want to tip that is your affair but to say that the 10% service charge justifies you not tipping is a lousy excuse.
 

socuban

New member
Nov 24, 2002
509
41
0
If you like to go to Discos and bar regularly up that percentage and you will always find tables no matter how full the place is.

I'm forever over tipping. If the restaurant is treating me good, the food is on par and I'm having a good time, there will be a tip above and beyond the service fee.

If heading to a big club night with live band(s) and dancing 'till the wee hours, I'll automatically tip $20 to the waiter and tell him to make sure to keep us "topped off".
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
Good points.

In the DR the waitstaff seem generally not particularly well paid, at least not over paid :), although it seems to mostly be up to what the government has legislated, except those places that offer higher salary to keep good staff.

I don't believe that most staff in establishments catering to locals expect much in the way of tips but those working in places frequented by tourists likely have different expectations.

I have lived in many countrys,and tipping is an american thing...because,waiters and waitresses in the US are paid minimum wage or less,and live on tips...there I would tip at least 10%.As a son of a waitress mother,tips were what she lived on,not the $2,.50 an hour she was paid.
In other countries that I have lived,waiters and waitresses is a profession,and they are paid well, . ,tips are not needed or usually accepted...tried to tip a cab driver in Madrid,he was affended big time...here the waiters and waitresses are paid and tips are added...wether the owner splits or not is not a problem of the customer,and the amount of the salary depends on the goverment more or less....oh well,just my thoughts...
bob