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Thanksgiving drama came up over dispute.: McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Phillip Knox writes, “I went to the Houstonian with three other adults for the Thanksgiving buffet, (which) they had advertised as costing $65 per person. That is a fair price.
“What they did next still has me sputtering. They added a 22 percent gratuity. For a buffet. If they were going to pay their employees for working on a holiday, just raise the price. Don’t spring it on customers at the last minute. What was I going to do, go elsewhere at noon on Thanksgiving Day?
“I will never darken the doors of that clip joint ever again.”
I reached out to the Houstonian and they asked me to pass along this note to Phillip.
Dear Mr. Knox,
I apologize for your dismay at learning of our 22 percent service charge as you arrived for our Thanksgiving brunch buffet. I assure you that we aren’t trying to be sneaky or underhanded, as we go to great lengths to inform our guests in advance of all charges, which are clearly stated on all promotional pieces as well as on our website. I understand that you reserved by phone, so I can’t say for sure that you were advised of the service charge during the call. However, the confirmation email you received Nov. 1 did include details such as the price per person, applicable service charge and sales tax. In any event, I am sorry that you feel as though we failed to inform you.
Sincerely, Jim Mills, Hotel General Manager
This reader’s forum is a chance to become a restaurant critic or ask other dining-wise readers for suggestions. Letters may be emailed to syd@29-95.com or mailed to Syd Kearney, P.O. Box 4260, Houston, TX 77210. Please print your full name and a daytime phone number.
$65 a fair price for a Thanksgiving Buffet......Geez, I must be cheap, lol.
Only thing I find surprising is they didn't add on a $20.00 parking fee
Is it legal to demand a gratuity?
Phillip if you paid by credit card contact the CC company and contest the charge.
Ridiculous, I doubt even a place like Treasures pulls a stunt like this
Treasures does tack on an automatic 20% for all credit card payments of over $100.
Including tax and tip, this works out to $83 / person - or $332 for the group of 4. That's just plain dumb.
Our family all pulled together and shared a beautiful family Thanksgiving dinner for 18 people and the grand total wasn't even the cost of 2 of these meals.
There's one born every minute. I say you got what you deserved. Hope you enjoyed it.
I think I would have slipped away to the elevators....I mean the restroom.
You should have gone to Luby's.
You could have feed 4 people for the 22 % alone at Luby's and donated the rest to charity. Get over it.....
It would seem to me, to be quite legit, if it was posted and even emailed to the patron...sounds like someone didnt read his email...and is now throwin a temper tantrum.
For those saying "just raise the wages of the staff," i say pay your gratuity and get over it. He didnt complain about the service, nor did he complain about the food. and as previously discussed, if he had had a true problem with the surcharge, he should have cited his concerns while paying.
This doesnt sound shady...it sounds like someone not skimming an email.
You say, " He didn't complain about the service...". If you read the article, it was a buffet. There was no service. This whole thing was self serve. The staff did not wait tables, it put out the bulk food and let the patrons serve themselves. He was forced to pay 22% extra for NOTHING. Sheesh.
While it may not be a normal amount of service...
I believe one could constitute the pre bussing of tables, getting drinks and keeping them filled, and any special accomodations one might need as service...
there is a lot more to being a waiter than simply writing down a food order and bringing said food.
Further, keeping the food trays full is also a service. AS there would be some might angry patrons if there were no food in the line.
So get a clue, chump, and learn some reading comprehension.
I normally tip 18-20% on good service so 22% isn't out of line for me considering the location (The Houstonian) and that it was on Thanksgiving Day and if the manager is correct that it was explained up front.
That being said, I am in Australia for the past month and typically only American tourists tip here. I tip 10% but my Australian counterparts from work advice me not to tip at all since staff in restaurants here are paid pretty well. This also might explain while why many foreigners visiting here don't generally tip well.
"They added a 22 percent gratuity. For a buffet"
Its the Houstonian, I can only imagine how many waiters, busboys, etc were swarming around that dining hall, so 22% is not out of line for that level of service......
What were all this waitstaff milling around a buffet for? 22% at a buffet would not have me as a happy camper. I generally tip at buffets if there is any decent service and refuse to tip when the staff is standing around trying to look important!
$65 for a buffet turkey and dressing dinner is on the side of being a ripoff to start with...
For less than $65 we had our turkey feast at home and had 7 adults and 4 children attend then had turkey or ham sandwiches and pie for the next 3 days!
If he paid by credit card in advance, I am not sure what his gripe was. Just cancel the reservation. That being said, a service charge on a table for 3 is a bit out of line and 22% is nuts.
Stanley...what a name...id be a crotchety old man if i had that name as well...
but seriously...perhaps youre bitter because those tips the waiters receive end up paying them more than your pedestrian teacher's salary...i dont know what it is...but you need to take a chill pill and lay off the profanity and racist remarks.
perhaps you should be using your retirement, Im assuming you are around that age, to be doing ANYTHING but trolling and making ridiculous ignorant remarks on an internet message board...
you remind me of Clint Eastwood in El Camino...how many times have you yelled "get off my lawn" in the last 3 hours?
BTW...i dont really think you taught for 35 years...maybe 3 to 5 years...because no geezer ive ever heard has referenced a buffet o' penis...
Aggie Mike, please reference in the above screed where Stanley used so-called racist remarks, because I sure didn't see any.
If anything, he told the observation as he knows it to be. There's nothing racist about that. Trust me - I know.
Using Julio as the server's name is pretty bigoted and racist...its an obvious latino name...i dont see how you could possibly not see that...
And Latinos make up the vast majority of minimum-wage or low-earning busboys. Again, where is the racism here?
Just because the facts aren't on your side doesn't make them racist, CT. Deal with it.
Again, you are stereotyping. I bussed tables and washed dishes...i am white...
its racist to assume that any race was performing those duties...
just because you dont see it...doesnt mean it isnt.
Well, you must have gone to A&M, because reading comprehension fails you. (Oh, is THAT racist? I get confused about that nowadays with everyone throwing the race-card around. Silly me.)
I said in my earlier post that the MAJORITY of bussers/kitchen help tend to be Latinos. There are statistics from the DOL that back me up. So are the facts racist? (Probably in your CT mind, yes, but that's besides the point.)
Anyway, it doesn't matter what I try to tell you - you'll simply call it raaacist. That's a clear signal that you can't argue the facts so you have to resort to name-calling. Grow up.
Youre assuming i went to A&M...it could have been Utah State...they are the aggies as well.
Regardless of what the DOL spits out...to automatically assume someone's race by their job, is racist. it is what it is...its bigoted and racist...
Why you fail to comprehend that is beyond me. Maybe you should skip out on the tequila next time one of those "jose's" are serving you.
Okay, fine - I'll remember that the next time Mei Ling is doing my nails and Nehru calls me from tech support. Gotcha.
Now hush, Mike, the adults are talking.
Had the tip been for a waiter/s that saw to the diner's needs, I could understand it but if this was a self serve buffet I'm afraid I'm at a loss. Who were they tipping and for what? Regardless, it was disclosed in the email and we can just hope it wasn't done so in 6 pt font down by the contact information away from the body of the email.
It is understandable one would be stunned to find a generous gratuity on their bill after buffet service. I also understand why a venue like the Houstonian adds a gratuity. The Houstonian may wish to account for the fact that no matter how lovely, it is a level of service beneath table service and compromise at 15%. Either that or simply charge more for the buffet and pay employees directly.
i like your name stanley and i like your comments. thanks for keeping it real and telling it like it is.
Nothing sneaky here. All hotels have a service charge, regardless of the services rendered. 18% is pretty standard--whether you eat at their restaurants or dine in your room. Next time you have a chance, look at your hotel dining receipt. It will generally include this charge plus an additional line for gratuity for the waiter.