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Old 09-10-2006, 02:25 PM   #1
MWSP
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Default Room Gratuity

I have a question for the experts on the forum. We spent a weekend at an inn up north recently with a large group of friends and at checkout time, a question about gratuities arose.

The inn automatically added a $40 room gratuity to everyone's bill and said this was standard practice. Several of our friends thought the amount of gratuity should be determined by the guest and based upon the service they received. Each guest's experience was different ranging from good to poor.

The question is this: Is it acceptable or permissible in NH for a lodging establishment to automatically add a gratuity to the room bill?
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Old 09-10-2006, 03:38 PM   #2
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Angry Not sure if it is legal but most places do it.

MWSP-

Not sure if it legal. Everytime we have a group with 6 or more people having dinner at a restaurant they always build the gratuity into our final bill. Only once did a server ever inform us when we got our check at the end of the night.

I think back of how many times we double tipped not knowing the tip was built in to the final bill.

Just another day at the Lake.
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Old 09-10-2006, 03:48 PM   #3
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That seems awfully high for a "room" gratuity unless it included all meals as well.

My 2 cents.

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Old 09-10-2006, 10:57 PM   #4
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If by room gratuity you mean the amount allocated to your room attendee(s) for housekeeping services, than your charge seems outlandishly high. Most lodging facilities charge less than $5 per night for that service. If other service gratuities were "lumped" into that figure than I would ask for a breakdown. Just a thought.
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Old 09-11-2006, 07:01 AM   #5
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I've never seen this done, but now will keep an eye out.

It is wrong. The guest should determine the tip. And base it on how much work they left behind. I am a neat person, and things are in good shape when I leave a room, so I can leave a smaller tip. If I was traveling with small kids and left more of a mess, I would leave a larger tip.

It should be up to the guest.
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Old 09-11-2006, 07:02 AM   #6
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Unless you were told about it and agreed to it when you checked in you shouldn't pay it. Call them and tell them to remove it. If they refuse, call your credit card company and do a charge back. If you paid cash then you are probably out of luck. Put their name in this forum so other people will know. Good luck.
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Old 09-11-2006, 07:21 AM   #7
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Most restaurants have a notice on the menu. It says something like: 18% gratuity added to parties of 7 or more. At an inn that notice may be on the paper you signed at check-in. If it's not, then you can fight it. If you signed it without reading it, then you're probably stuck.
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Old 09-11-2006, 08:45 AM   #8
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Default It depends.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MWSP
I have a question for the experts on the forum. We spent a weekend at an inn up north recently with a large group of friends and at checkout time, a question about gratuities arose.

The inn automatically added a $40 room gratuity to everyone's bill and said this was standard practice.
I have seen this before. It depends on the facility. If you stayed a 3 night weekend at $185/night with 4 people in a room and full maid service then maybe it is reasonable. It may be a gratuity for more than the maid service like maybe morning newspapers or complimentary breakfast servers or other workers. I do not see it often for rooms.

In any case I would expect it to be a posted policy divulged before you commit to the reservation. Otherwise, I would complain about the policy to management and the local BBB.

Where I stay for a week there is no maid service. No cleaning no towels or linens. I do not feel it necessary to leave any housekeeping gratuity.
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Old 09-11-2006, 08:50 AM   #9
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Smile Church Landing

We stayed at Church Landing and they add $2.00 per night to the bill. I knew about it because it told me on something I read in the room. It also said that if I wanted to have it removed from the bill, I could. Seemed like a reasonable practice to me.

The original poster didn't say how many rooms or nights the bill included so I can't say if $40 is reasonable. However, I would bet that something told them about it and perhaps they didn't read the fine print.
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Old 09-11-2006, 05:06 PM   #10
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I did not have a bill since my room was paid for by another couple as a gift so I cannot look to see exactly what was charged. I posted this message as a courtesy to the people who were asking since they live out of state and would have no other way to find out. Obviously, I have no issue since the problem did not affect me so I don't feel comfortable posting the establishment's name. The only thing I did notice was the card on the back of the room door that said "Room rate: $225 per person + tax + gratuity," written in pen under the standard emergency exit notice.

It was a 2-night stay, Friday and Saturday. Complimentary breakfast was served Sat & Sun. Upon checkout, guests dropped their keys off and were told they were all set. One couple asked for a receipt and that is when the $40 gratuity was spotted. Other guests then asked for a receipt and noticed they were charged as well. They asked for the manager but after quite a bit of time "trying to find him," they were told he was not on the property.

Our friends are only wondering if it is proper to add this gratuity charge. They have stayed in similar establishments and not seen this in the past.
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Old 09-11-2006, 06:22 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MWSP

It was a 2-night stay, Friday and Saturday. Complimentary breakfast was served Sat & Sun. Upon checkout, guests dropped their keys off and were told they were all set. One couple asked for a receipt and that is when the $40 gratuity was spotted. Other guests then asked for a receipt and noticed they were charged as well. They asked for the manager but after quite a bit of time "trying to find him," they were told he was not on the property.
Can you tell us which property you stayed at?
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Old 09-11-2006, 06:30 PM   #12
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Default Here's my cut on it as a bussiness man

I own a small business and form time to time I'm required to travel and spend nights in hotels... I can only deduct what I have receipts for and any cash out pocket expense is always subject to question. Many of the places I stay and eat at, do include on my bill gratuities as a favor to me for tax purposes.

When I stay in Mexico, which is quite often, they explain, its so they can legally claim it as actual wages to the servants and not just a guess. Perhaps that's why they do it here as well. With Uncle Sam wanting his fair share, it makes sense to me... However, sometimes I like to leave a little more under the table sort of speak if they have made my time there more enjoyable...
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Old 09-14-2006, 07:59 AM   #13
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Thumbs down Just my two cents

I've done a bit of research on "forced gratuity" and I still can't get a clear answer. Seems as though establishments have a right to charge it as long as it's posted somewhere where the guest should come across it. Doesn't mean you can't fight it afterward. Sounds like it was not expressed to you before it was billed to you, also sounds like an awful lot of money for your length of stay.

Also sounds like, that money isn't neccesarily "gratuity" paid to the room-keepers. Most guests are probably leaving tips in the room that the maids are keeping, and the business may be using that charged money to actually pay some of their wages. Lousy. But what other explanation is there? I am not buying that the business is paying them a $7-$8 per hour wage, letting them keep their tips, and paying them out the gratuity as well? If so, are they hiring?

I'm not a big fan of forced gratuity for many reasons....
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Old 09-15-2006, 08:06 AM   #14
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Default A New Trend?

Last weekend we stayed at a hotel we've been going to for years. This year there was a new item on the bill $2/night 'service charge'. Never saw it before. I didn't see anything informing me of this charge although to be honest - I didn't look very hard.
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Old 09-15-2006, 09:03 AM   #15
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Default Free newspaper and room safe

Another trend we have seen recently. If you think a room safe and a newspaper at your hotel room door is free, think again. Upon check-in recently at several hotels we noted an "optional" daily charge for both the safe and the newspaper. It is in very small print and you will be charged unless you tell them you do not want it.
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Old 09-15-2006, 09:15 AM   #16
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What's the protocol for renting a house? Do you tip for the cleaning service?
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Old 09-15-2006, 08:23 PM   #17
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Default Tipping

As a practical vehicle to encourage folks to leave their homes for a more expensive and yet outworldly experience without a concious thought to the true tally of the experience, tipping is the proprieter's dream.

For the young person's who wallet or purse that waitstaffs, it is the difference of $5.00 per hour or $17.00 per hour. " It really does fluctuate this much, night to night".

I would leave it to the diner or guest to decide what they wanted to leave as a tip in either a dinning or an overnight situation. The mystery hotel sounds like they are experimenting with a new maximum diner rule, for rooms though.

Personaly, I find it offensive and would, after getting no relief from the management, would never frequent the hotel again. Guest or no guest.
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Old 09-16-2006, 02:24 AM   #18
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Smile

It's a difficult issue nowadays. I don't really understand as much about the hotel and lodging industry as I do food service. What I do know is that house keepers do make a decent wage per hour in most cases, they are not 100% reliant on tips. I think it's a bit greedy for them to be forcing gratuity upon guests. $2.00 a night isn't too bad, but $40? That's outrageous.

As far as waitstaff, they are reliant on tips. Most of them get paid $2.50 per hour, or maybe a bit more if they're lucky. They also end up paying taxes on their actual sales, and in most establishments have to tip out other staff i.e. buspersons, bartenders, and even dishwashers sometimes, based on their sales as well.

So here is where the problem comes in. Generally, most folks know, 15% of the bill is the standard rate for tipping, but quite a few don't. Even people who do know sometimes seem to put it aside when they are together in large parties of 6 or more. They seem to not tip on the percentage of the bill after a certain point. Let's say you have a party of 12 people, with a $240 check. A 15% tip is $36. Some people just can't see leaving a waitperson a $36 tip. What's wrong with a $20 tip? It's not even that their cheap or rude, they just don't understand the situation. I know people that leave $5.00 tips no matter what the check. I know people that leave a certain dollar amount per person seated at the table. Unfortunately, that's not the way the situation should be addressed.

Reason being, most likely the server is paying taxes on 15% of their sales, and is also tipping out other staff on 15% of their sales. If the party of 12 leaves them $20, the server still pays out on $36, so really, they do get the shaft. Furthermore, in most situations, the house would have to make up for it. That's why a lot of restaraunts house policy is to add the gratuity into the check for larger parties, to cover the server and themselves. It happens the most in larger parties. There really is nothing wrong with a $20 tip, but it's the taxes and pay-outs that cause the problem.

Along with this improved method of solving the problem comes yet another problem. Now the server really doesn't have to go out of their way to "earn" their tip so to speak, cause it's already guaranteed for them. Good servers will go out of their way to try and earn themselves even more, but I'm sure there are some who don't. Some guests are also very offended by forced gratuity. Just keep in mind it's really not the waitstaff's decision. It usually goes back to the business itself. The business does not want to cover the losses, the business does not want to raise the servers rate of pay, and the business also wants the servers to tip the other staff so the business can pay them less as well, so they pass the cost onto the customer. But it happens in almost every business, not just restaraunts--

I can more so understand why gratuity would be added into a check at a restaraunt, but I'm not sure about a hotel. Unless I'm wrong in my assumptions, most housekeepers make a decent wage. They are not reliant on tips, but do they pay taxes on them? That may be where the problem lies. Does anyone know?

I think in the housekeeping industry tipping should be kept generally for good service, and should be left to the guests discretion. If these people are making a decent wage and are not reliant on tips than I can't imagine they would pay taxes on them. Seems the business itself even knows tips are not guaranteed to the housekeeper, wherefore they are paid higher wages than servers.

The reason forced gratuity upsets me in most cases is because it is the business behind it. Instead of paying their help a decent wage they stick it to the customer.

As far as the fine print, my friends and family make fun of me constantly for the way I am with anything put in front of me. If you want my signature on something, you had better be prepared. I read every single word, sometimes even over and over, and ask questions. I have driven sales-people up a wall. I'm not trying to offend anybody, I'm not suggesting anything, it's just the way I am, and it's kept me out of trouble. I also keep copies of everything I sign, write down names and titles of individuals I speak to, and details of our conversations. I scrutinize bills from utility companies and hospitals and have found hundreds of dollars in mistakes. The largest mistake I found was $108 on a Verizon cellphone bill.

Read everything you sign. Don't be afraid of holding up the line, or holding up the individual, it's their job. Take your contract or whatever your signing, and step aside the line and let others go in front. Don't forget your reading glasses. Don't let sales-people, mortgage brokers, real-estate agents or anyone sum up paragraphs for you in contracts and say "This here just says". Read it, know it, and understand it. If you don't understand it, ask. As far as hotel gratuity, ask the person at the front desk when you check in the hotel's policy on gratuity. When you have a party of four or more in a restaraunt, ask the server the policy on gratuity. I know that in Canada, and Europe, the gratuity is added into the check automatically no matter the size of the party in restaraunts. Your not being rude.

On the other hand, like an above poster mentioned, double-tipping does happen sometimes. Guests may not take note of the signs or print in the menu's that state gratuity is added into the bill. Although the server could tell the guest/s that gratuity has been added into the check, some guests may find this rude. Same scenario if a waitperson walks over to your table, hands you the check, and says the gratuity has not been added into the bill. Some guests may find this rude. It's tough.

Some establishments may also give servers the option of adding gratuity into the check at their discretion, as long as they know they will pay out on 15% no matter what. Case in point, I have customers I've been waiting on for years. I don't need or want to add gratuity into their bill. Back to customers being offended, in the best interest of the waitstaff sometimes it's better for them not to add gratuity into the bill. They may lose out.

The best way to handle the situation is for the guest or customer to inquire about the gratuity before being seated or staying at the establishment. If your unsure whether or not the server has added the gratuity into your check, ask. It should be visible on the check as well.
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Old 09-16-2006, 08:54 PM   #19
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Default Whoa!

Having experience in the hotel/lodging industry, the only time I've seen a gratuity of any kind automatically charged is when it's negotiated by a larger group. Even at larger convention hotels, it's never been more than a few dollars per room per night (and even then, it's covered by the group hosting the conference and billed seperately).

I agree with other posters - unless it's a policy disclosed when making the reservation, then it should absolutely be optional. I generally tip $2-$3 per night.

Housekeepers/Room Attendants at all of the hotel's I've worked at clean between 10-15 rooms per day. At 40 bucks per room per weekend, that's a cool $400 - $600 per weekend in addition to their hourly wage. If that's the case, I'm definitely in the wrong business!

I would call the hotel and have them explain the charge and show you where it was disclosed.

PS - Someone mentioned tipping a cleaner when you rent a house. All the vacations rentals I've rented had a cleaning fee of $50 - $75. As far as I'm concerned, no gratuity is required if you're already paying for it.
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Old 09-18-2006, 10:00 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JG1222

PS - Someone mentioned tipping a cleaner when you rent a house. All the vacations rentals I've rented had a cleaning fee of $50 - $75. As far as I'm concerned, no gratuity is required if you're already paying for it.
Thanks. I feel better now.
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Old 09-18-2006, 04:48 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JG1222
I would call the hotel and have them explain the charge and show you where it was disclosed.
One couple left a message when they checked out asking the owner/manager to call and have not received a reply yet. Another couple phoned when they arrived home and have not received a call back either.

They also mentioned the inn charged the entire amount of the stay to their credit cards as soon as they booked, which for some of them, was several months ago. Is that the norm now?
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Old 09-18-2006, 07:20 PM   #22
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Default And The Mystery Hotel Name Is?

Can we now all learn what the mystery hotel's name is, please? I don't think that protecting them any further is necessary.
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Old 09-19-2006, 12:39 AM   #23
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I highly doubt their going to return your calls folks, unfortunately. Have you tried calling your credit card company and doing a charge back? And yes, like Pineneedles said, please post the name of the hotel/resort for all of our reference.
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Old 09-19-2006, 04:18 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MWSP
They also mentioned the inn charged the entire amount of the stay to their credit cards as soon as they booked, which for some of them, was several months ago. Is that the norm now?
I hate that. I reserved a campsite over the summer on my MAC card and they charged me that day without any notice. But that was the only time its ever happened to me.
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Old 09-19-2006, 05:59 AM   #25
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+1 on disclosing the name of the hotel/inn. Inquiring minds want to know, so we can watch out for this type of thing.
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Old 09-19-2006, 11:13 AM   #26
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Default They're Ripping You Off

I travel 3-4 times a month and spend 75 nights a year for business in a hotel and another 20 nights in a timeshare,,, I NEVER heard of this! It's a hidden charge, I would think it's not legal.
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