It is actually disappearing in a lot of places. Last summer in western Europe, I noticed that I didn't see it on many menus in smaller places anymore, and I would ask "is service included?" and heard NO each time.

In fact it's a bit more diabolical here. The server's SIN is tied into their sales numbers at the register, which is required to be reported to the government. So there is no opportunity for creative accounting. The server punches in their ID code, this is tracked to their SIN, as are their sales and this is all reported to the provincial government.

Where in western Europe? It would help in determining if things are really changing or whether you just ran into a lot of dishonest waiters.

Tipping For Server Mistakes and Credit Cards
 

The ONLY thing I agree with you is the credit card issue. It's the CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY to bring enough money by bringing a back up method of payment ALWAYS, no matter WHERE you go, even stores. Restaurants usually have pictures of the credit cards they accept on their door. When in doubt, it's a good thing to bring money for JUST IN CASE there's a problem with the card. Otherwise, you will have to get someone to stay at the restaurant while running to the ATM. All of that could be prevented if the customer would take SELF-RESPONSIBILITY for their actions. Not all restaurants have to accept credit cards or all credit cards. That has NOTHING to do with the server. It's just like most restaurants don't accept personal checks or even some bills over $20. The restaurants have a right to refuse methods of payment.

What I don't agree with is not lessening the tip if your order wasn't OBVIOUSLY correctly brought out. Your server is supposed to COMPARE the plate of food and make sure EACH COMPONENT is correctly plated such as the correct side dish, correct entree, and any sides of condiments that were ordered. The server is supposed to be EARNING their tip, so tipping them well if they bring out obvious mistakes to the table only inforces the bad service instead of making the server realize they need to verify what food and drinks they are bringing to the table. Even if they fix the situation, it doesn't entirely make up for a long wait or any inconvenience this may have caused the customer. If the server doesn't apologize, definately a hit in the tip even more so.

If another server brings out the food, sides or bottles of condiments can definately be brought out by the main server without trusting that other server that won't be seeing any tip from that customer. There's no reason in the world to wait 15-30 or more minutes to bring out a side of ranch for example or a bottle of A-1 steak sauce. That other server isn't going to take any effort to verify the plate of food, because they aren't getting tipped from that customer, so they could care less what's on the plate if it's correct or not.

The IRS is NOT in my service, my SERVER IS, so if they don't care about MY DINING EXPERIENCE, WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT THE IRS TAKING THEIR MONEY REGARDLESS OF IF I TIP OR NOT?

The way to get good service is to reward very good service by tipping 20% or over and the way to avoid bad service is tip 15% or below. They will NEVER LEARN if they always get paid no matter what happens. Don't you want to have your server check your food for mistakes instead of wasting your time everytime you have that particular server? I am ONLY talking about obvious mistakes. Example: I have had plenty of times my server takes an appetizer order, brings out the appetizer without the side of ranch I JUST TOLD THEM ABOUT to add to the appetizer and they even wrote it down. It's OBVIOUS the ranch isn't there, so it's up to the SERVER to bring it out, even if another server ends up bringing out the food, it's up to my SERVER to bring it out since my server is the person I am tipping. My server is going to tipout the other server or food runner out of the SALES, NOT out of my tip I leave.

Other Servers and Food Runners
 

If you are talking about sides of condiments, that's 100% in the server's control to bring those ahead of time. There's never a reason to put trust into someone else for YOUR TIP. YOU MAKE YOUR OWN DESTINY IN LIFE BY NOT TRUSTING THAT PEOPLE WILL WORK AS A TEAM, BECAUSE MOST DON'T!!

If you are my server, it's up to YOU to bring out the side of ranch I ordered, NOT that other server or food runner. Am I tipping YOU or the other server/food runner? Since I gave the order to YOU, it's up to YOU to get sides of condiments out BEFORE the food comes out. At least OFFER the customer to do that for them. If they refuse, well, it's the customer's fault for not letting their server TRY to get the condiments not forgotten.

Let's say it's not condiments that's the mistake and it's a wrong side dish. That server that brought the food out, even though is not my server, is STILL PART OF MY SERVICE, so it's ONLY FAIR to tip according to the SERVICE I am receiving. If I don't count off, then that other server that ran the food wrong will keep doing it. The main server will get on the other server for not verifying the plate, making the main server get a bad tip. It's truly not fair to tip well just because my server didn't actually bring me the wrong side dish. The wrong side dish could have also have been put incorrectly into the computer to begin with BY the SERVER HIM OR HERSELF. Let's say the order was put in correctly, even if that's so, that other server bringing out the food IS PART of the ENTIRE EXPERIENCE, so sorry, but the tip WILL be LOWERED. Especially when 9 times out of 10, my server remedies the problems and almost 100% of the time, the other server/runner DOESN'T APOLOGIZE. That other server should have verified the ticket and compared it to the food, as long as the ticket was correct, that is. My husband and I have had a time that our server was at fault for the other server bringing out the wrong food. One time at Applebee's, my husband ordered a burger. Another server brought out ribs. Turns out, our waitress admitted putting the order in incorrectly into the computer and our check even had voided baby back ribs on it.

To be quite honest with you, I truly wish my food would be under a heat lamp instead to have more of a chance to get my food brought out more correctly. I have had more mistakes with other servers/runners running the food than the main server. Even if my server brings out my food, I have had LOTS of times OBVIOUS mistakes brought out by my own server. It's pathetic when your own server, being you are only in a party of 2, brings you quesadillas when you ordered bbq chicken nachos. That is what happened to me and my husband. He wrote it down, but admitted putting in the order wrong. He should have VERIFIED the WRITTEN ORDER, which he could have caught his own mistake instead of us having to catch it. He made 2 mistakes. 1. Not putting the order in correctly 2. Bringing the food completely wrong to the table from the kitchen.

Paying a GOOD Tip Regardless of WHO BRINGS Out the Food
 

It's NOT FAIR that customers should pay for GOOD SERVICE when it sucks REGARDLESS of WHO BROUGHT out the food wrong. Think about it. I had one time a MANAGER(BTW GOT FIRED, because he sucked), brought out fries as my side dish when I ordered potato salad. I am going to assume that my server more than likely put in the order correctly. Even if, I had to sit and wait to get someone to come to my table to tell them, since the manager ran off fast. Then, I had to wait to get my correct food, which was my potato salad. That DID ALTER MY MEAL. It altered my food getting cooler by the minute waiting to eat my potato salad with my burger as I has originally ordered. My server or that manager also didn't even solve the problem, some other person did. My server NEVER ONCE came by to apologize for the situation or see if I received my potato salad. She was also going out of order of requests since we had asked for the check and refills, she only got the check, then went to 2 other tables before getting our refills. She got stiffed. Normally I don't ever stiff, but she sucked. I would have at least left 10% if she would have came to apologize and would have seen if I had my potato salad as well as went in order of requests. Even if SHE didn't "BRING" it to me, even if she apologized, even had taken something off the bill from the manager, it still altered my dining experience, so I would tip 15% at the most. I couldn't possible go to 20%, because the service was crappy.

It may not be fair to punish my server, BUT, it's NOT FAIR to make the customer pay for GOOD SERVICE THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED even if MY SERVER didn't do the wrong thing. Also, I wouldn't truly ever know if the order was put in correctly or not, because I am not in that kitchen. If I have to sit and wait to eat my food, don't I have a RIGHT to be pissed and tip less? If I tip less based on another server's mistake, at least the main server can try to make that other server COMPARE the tickets with the food next times around so it doesn't happen again. If I tip a full amount 20% or higher, bringing out obvious mistakes from other servers will keep going on and bad service will keep happening. The only way to stop it, is to stop tipping well for bad service. Also, let's say my server is chit-chatting with a friend, so that's why my food was brought out by another server, well gee, that's another reason why that the mistake would be my server's fault even if they didn't bring out the food, because my server could have brought out the food instead of the other server or food runner since they had time to chit-chat. So tipping lower promotes working harder and less playing on the job as well with this type of situation. I sure as hell would get on my co-workers if the weren't working as a team and affecting my tips. I wouldn't just let them be lazy. I would report them to the manager. If the main server gets a good tip, then NO ONE WILL KNOW ABOUT THE MISTAKES or if the main server does know about the mistake, she or he won't CARE AT ALL, because "I'm getting tipped well anyway" attitude.

Instead of walking 30 minutes to get cash I'd ask the restaurant if there was an ATM nearby - and if not whether I could send a cheque or return later (e.g. next day). If none of these options were offered I'd reduce the tip on my return (likely 10% or less instead of 20%).

Tipping Less Based on Not Accepting Credit Cards
 

Tipping the server less isn't going to make the owner of the restaurant decide to accept credit cards. This issue is NOT part of the customer's service. This issue has to do with the OWNER making the rules of what kind of menthod of payments he or she wants to accept. Punishing the server is only hurting that server. The owner will NOT care if you reduce the tip, because that's not his or her money, that's the server's money.

I don't get WHY would you reduce the tip according to what the OWNER wants to accept as payment or not. HOW EXACTLY is that the server's fault?

Welcome Springs!.

Interesting that all of your posts are in this thread. I take you are a waiter?

In Lisbon, in Brussels and Brugges, and in Amsterdam. I used to specifically recall that esp. in Brussels and other cities I'd been to (I had never previously been to Lisbon) that the menu would say, in whatever the native language, that service is included. I did not see it on a single menu in cafe-type places anymore (not that I was in more than a few places in any city).

NOPE, I am a woman. Second of all, my husband and I eat out at least 2-3 times a weekend, so we go through LOTS Of restaurant mistakes, which MOST of them EXTREMELY PREVENTABLE BY THE SERVERS.

In Lisbon, though, you will typically see a "cover charge" of 2.5 - 3.0 euros per person. Usually includes bread, butter, olives.

At one time, long ago, this would be true. But now, accepting a credit card is an ingrained part of running a business. To use some hyperbole, a restaurant's policy could be for diners to bring their own silverware. If they choose to do that, fine, but it's their responsibility to let you know that before you order.

Having said all that, using cash instead of credit cards in a restaurant is a really, really good idea. Restaurants are the number one source of identity theft.

Accepting SELF-RESPONSIBILITY
 

Sorry, I 100% DISAGREE!! It's the CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY to have ANY TYPE OF FORM OF PAYMENT if one form doesn't work. One time, this is a TRUE STORY, I went to a drs. office for an appointment. I thought I would be able to pay my $25 co-payment with my credit card. The receiptionist said the credit card machine was not working. LUCKILY, I had ENOUGH BRAINS TO BRING $40 in CASH. It's 100% the CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING "BACK UPS" if they cannot accept a credit card or check. I don't care if all fast food restaurants accept credit cards now-a-days, the fact is, the responsibility of having ENOUGH money is completely on the CUSTOMER. I have had certain businesses state they weren't going to accept COIN change. It's still LEGAL TENDER, but they DO have that right to REFUSE ANY SERVICE of ANY KIND. So think about that when you ONLY bring you pathetic credit card with you. You NEED to bring enough to cover the bill you probably will spend and the tip, which could add up to more than $100. Sorry if that sucks, but the CUSTOMER is SOLEY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN WAY OF PAYING. If the restaurant cannot accept payment due to not being able to accept a certain credit card or their credit card machine isn't working, that's the CUSTOMER'S PROBLEM. It's like if my cell phone battery dies because it wasn't charged, that was MY FAULT that I need to ask for some change for a pay phone if I don't have any. A ***RESPONSIBLE*** person brings extra change IN CASE of such an emergency situation. I bring extra kotex IN CASE my period would start early instead of depending on SOMEONE ELSE to lend me a tampon or kotez. GET THAT? INDIVIDIUAL PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEMSELVES!!! PREPARE FOR IN CASE. I NEVER THOUGHT when I truly went to the drs. that day I went to the drs. I would have heard "Our credit card machine is broken." I was SOME LUCKY I had ENOUGH CASH ON ME, without having to go to an ATM. It would have been MY FAULT 100% if I would have had to go to an ATM, because I would have been IRRESPONSIBLE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE BACKUPS TODAY!!! YOU NEVER KNOW!!!

NO SERVER SHOULD HAVE TO TELL YOU "Oh we don't let you use credit cards today." I am sorry, but COMMON SENSE COMES INTO PLAY HERE as well as SELF-RESPONISIBILITY!!! NO ONE TOLD ME "BRING EXTRA MONEY" when I went to the drs. office, because I just did it JUST IN CASE, which I was SO DAMN LUCKY I DID. It's just called being RESPONSIBLE!!! Situations come up, so you cannot ALWAYS depend on ONE FORM OF PAYMENT ONLY!!! I can totally understand not getting a money order since that cost money, but bring at least $30. At least you can pay PART of something until you get to an ATM if it's more. A SMART person would carry at least $50 on themself.

WHY do you feel it's the server's responsiblity to let the customer know such a thing? The customer should be responsible to be PREPARED that no credit cards may not be accepted. Sorry, but it's true. NO SERVER SHOULD HAVE TO TELL THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT!! EVERY CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THE BILL, so it's up to the CUSTOMER to ALWAYS HAVE A "BACK-UP PLAN" of some sort. The server is just following what their manager told them to do, that is it.

There is NO PART in the SERVER'S RESPONSIBILITY to let the customer know they cannot pay with a credit card until pay time comes. The CUSTOMER SHOULD be able to pay with another method such as cash without having problems with that. The server has NOTHING to do with accepting payment methods unless they are dishonest with you, which 9 times out of 10, they are probably very honest with you.

Thanks for the clarification. I can't find anything that says things have changed in Belgium. There is still a 16% service charge included, but it's customary to leave some change on top of that. Maybe there is no requirement to spell it out on the menu, or a different phrase ("prix nets") covers both tax and service charge.

Sometimes there is confusion between the service charge (included) and the tip (not included). If one asks the waiter if the tip is included, he can in all honesty, if somewhat misleadingly, say no.