‘How was this $200 more than I expected?’: Restaurant customer says she was automatically charged 20% gratuity for a table of 3–and it got worse

In the world of restaurant operation, automatic gratuities are growing increasingly popular, much to the consternation of some customers.

Automatic gratuity—a tip required as part of a restaurant's policy—is typically utilized for larger parties, to simplify their check when it is time to leave. These parties are usually six or more people. However, customers are finding more and more frequently that restaurants are using them as a blanket policy for all parties, even small ones of just one to three people.

While there is a constant debate about the practice of tipping, most people are generally against the practice of automatically adding a gratuity to a bill that is not chosen by the customer.

One customer of Atlanta-based fine dining restaurant Verdure Kitchen & Cocktails says the eatery has lost her business after requiring a 20% gratuity for her party of three, which she says does not match up to the quality of service as well as the food she and her friends received.

In a video that has drawn over 566,000 views on TikTok as of Friday, fitness content creator @lowimpactfit says she wanted to take a couple of her friends who were visiting from overseas out to dinner, but was disappointed by her experience and will not be returning to the restaurant.

"My point is that this fish was not good," she says. "It was not the kind of fish that I want my friend, who has come all the way from Qatar, I'm seeing her for dinner after like 20 years, that's not the kind of fish that I'm taking her out for."

When it came to the bill, she says the service she received was pretty average and was not on par with the required 20% gratuity. For two starters, three main dishes, and no desserts, she says her total came out to $386.

"It wasn't good quality food," she says. "So what made it so expensive? On top of that, you're adding a 20% gratuity that I don't have the option but to pay. The service wasn't bad, the waitress was nice, but it wasn't exceptional. She didn't bring me a birthday cake. She didn't bring me any sparklers. It wasn't like she did anything apart from take my order and deliver the food in a timely fashion, ask me if I was enjoying my meal. Why was I paying $60 for that? What exactly was I paying $60 for?"

The Daily Dot has reached out to @lowimpactfit via TikTok direct message, as well as to the restaurant via email regarding the video.

@lowimpactfit Atlanta restaurants are such a scam. #verdureatlanta #atlantarestaurants #atlfoodie ♬ original sound - Alexa

Several viewers echoed her frustration with this kind of pricing model in the comments section of the video.

"Went to Carbone’s in Vegas, $250 for what tasted like Spaghettios," one commenter wrote. "Its like this everywhere."

"I use to pick restaurants that I’ve never been to before," another said. "In this post pandemic, high prices, poor service world..I don’t go unless (good) Yelp reviews."

"I can tell this is genuine," one commented. "I experienced this at the Sugar Factory…..ridiculous prices for sub-par food and an automatic 18% tip."

Some viewers defended the practice, writing that restaurants have had to implement such policies because customers were not tipping servers.

"Can’t speak to the expensive food but i understand why they add grat," one commenter wrote. "The amount of ppl who don’t tip well or at all is astonishing."

"Restaurants are including gratuity in areas where people aren’t tipping correctly," another echoed. "I ALWAYS give 25-30% service and continue to get 10-15% tips."

"Yeah idk as someone who’s worked as a server in Atlanta… honestly it’s bc of how bad tip etiquette has become in this city," one shared. "Probs trying to keep employee retention w/o digging into their own pockets."

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