Originally Posted by
sent
And then there are the places in NYC that automatically add a tip and still have a line available for you to add your own. My (tipsy) husband started writing on the line at a club we visited last year until I reviewed the check to find they had already added a hefty mandatory tip for serving wine in plastic glasses. I can't remember the name of this crappy establishment, but I definitely make sure to check the receipts of bars and clubs in NYC since they seem eager to take advantage of their drunk patrons.
To quote myself, I just had this happen to me again last night! The place is called "Lair" - some bar in the Lower East Side. My husband closed his tab and disappeared with his friends while I sat at the counter and studied the tab. Sure enough, there was the mandatory gratuity, the total check amount, and the "additional gratuity" line right under it. It appears the staff helped themselves to 18% in this case, but given all the inebriated customers all around me, I'm sure they went home with much much more.