"Anyway, my point is that I find it purposefully deceitful to include gratuity and then still have a line for gratuity."

I'm sure the printing of it all over the room service menu you ordered from was deceitful as well. It doesn't sound like you're a novice traveler, so I'm not sure what the issue is.

we have a local restaurant here in quincy,il called maid rite.they have signs everywhere that say absolutely no tipping.if the owners catch a waiter/waitress accepting a tip they fire them for it.whats funny is they completely left that out when the restaurant was featured on the food network on alton browns show feasting on asphalt.

A 'service' charge should not be referred to as a 'gratuity'.

A gratuity is by definition an ex-gratia payment and is fully optional.

Here in Oz, we generally don't get 'service charges' included in the bill/check. Nor is tipping expected - It does happen, generally for service over the normal.

And this is all why i'm more apt to go and order from outside delivery. At least when they come, they earned their tip and those surcharges arent on it.

I have been seeing the line labeled "Additional Gratuity" more often lately, which I agree is a better label that is less likely to be missed by someone glancing at the bill and risking double-tipping.

I have always simply circled the included service charges on the bill, wrote INCL. on the tip line, and carried the total down. I don't think I've ever gotten attitude for that.

In some, if not most states, the sales/use tax is after service charge whereas sales tax is not collected on the optional tip. Not sure whether sales/use tax is charged on the delivery charge.

For our wedding last year, our state/local sales tax was charged on the total of the banquet package & service charge of 19%.

I've never added a tip on top of the 18-20% included (plus "Service Charge") and don't recall ever getting a "nasty look" from the person that delivered (waiter?, delivery guy?).

You don't understand. A tip isn't the same thing as a gratuity, which is different from a service charge, which should be distinguished from an additional gratuity, not to be confused with "a little extra," which is entirely different from rounding up the bill and telling them to "keep the change." So you ought to do all those.

Actually maybe it would be easier just to throw your wallet at them when they show up with the 'za.

I fully agree. And I will only accept to pay one or the other.

HTB.

I wish the whole world operated this way. Sadly, what we see instead is cultures that never expected or encouraged tipping latching onto the phenomenon as Westerners travel there and start giving tips unnecessarily.

The notion that I should hand out money to every service person I encounter in a fancy hotel where I'm already paying hundreds of dollars a night for the privledge is ridiculous. They are certainly being compensated more than if they worked at a one star hotel. I'm staying there and paying the insane room rates for the included service -- not just the space. The expectation that you should tip every person that delivers, opens, cleans, or smiles instead of only for extraordinary service is just silly. It makes it feel more like an a la carte menu.

Generousity or stinginess has nothing to do with it. It just isn't right from a client service perspective, in my opinion.

Ugh.

peace,
~Ben~

i generally do not order room service b/c its not a good way to spend my "up to $$ / day" meals allowance (have to have receipts for everything so its not like i get to pocket it either), but I have always been amazed at the audacity of hotels which include "gratuity" and then put a line for "additional tip"... and i don't care if it has become an industry standard. it is just plain insulting, and as pointed out upthread, preys upon travelers who do not read their bill closely and just instinctively add more $$ on the "tip" line.

It also preys upon travelers who don't speak English fluently (or whatever language is on the bill at the hotel where you're staying). I know that if "Gratuity" or "Service Charge" lines were on a bill I received, but in German/Japanese/Arabic/etc, I may simply have no idea and leave the person a tip based on the total at the bottom.

It's all out of control. The shame of it is, it has jaded me so much that I'm less likely to tip when I should since I feel like I'm bilked for money at every turn when I shouldn't be.

peace,
~Ben~