Originally Posted by
Majuki
The ideal scenario, of course, would be to have the wireless terminals that the waiters bring to the table where you can hardcode the gratuity into the final slip. This avoids the shenanigans I've sometimes experienced where the waitstaff add in an additional tip or typo the amount.
I wouldn't mind doing it the Denny's way either, which is the waiter/waitress brings the bill and you pay at the front after you eat the meal. I think IHOP also does it this way. And in most Asian countries, this is also the norm, pay at the register after you meal rather than the waiter/waitress taking the card out of your view.
The whole waiter taking your card and processing in the backroom started off more like a service thing in an era when carbon copy imprints and mag-stripes were the cutting edge of technology at that time.
Nowadays, if it's choosing between the "convenience" of the waiter processing it for me where I don't know what's going on in the back versus processing it at the cashier like Denny's, I wouldn't mind doing the latter. At least that way I can keep an eye on the transaction without letting my card out of the view.