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takeone77
Newbie
Joined: 01 October 2008
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4
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   Topic: service compris
Posted: 01 December 2009 at 7:51am |
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we're on the island now having a great time, but i still am not sure about tipping at restaurants. The bill or menu or waitstaff used to say service compris if the tip was included, but you rarely see that anymore. we used to add ten percent to the total at most restaurants. Is it still that way or should we adding 15 or 20% to the total. All the restaurant staff are usually so nice, I hate to be the unknowing ugly Americans. We've been coming here for 15 years and it has never been totally clear. Can anyone help Please? thanks
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Pelicam
Groupie
Joined: 12 September 2009
Location: Netherlands Antilles
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 26
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Posted: 01 December 2009 at 9:38am |
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service is ALWAYS included. concerning the tips, remember this is only UP TO YOU.
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stbarthlover
Senior Member
Joined: 23 April 2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Online
Posts: 877
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Posted: 01 December 2009 at 4:22pm |
When we first started going to St. Barth (1999) we were told service is included in the price and that it was customary to leave a "pourboire", which we were told meant something about a drink. We were also told the customary amount was no more than 5%. Four or five years ago we began to see restaurant checks with "Tips _______" written on them. Then we began to see "Tip Not Included" stamped on the checks. There have even been reports of waiters demanding a tip. Best I can tell is that we Americans over-tip on SBH. I think it's because we feel inferior! You could tip as recommended by Dave Barry:
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Premium James
Senior Member
Joined: 19 October 2009
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Posts: 69
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Posted: 02 December 2009 at 9:40am |
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You can debate this until the cows come home.
In brief, the service compris was introduced by a Socialist Government, purely for the purpose of taxing tips.
Because of an EU ruling, gratuities paid with a plastic card legally
belong to the restaurant owners, who can even use them as a
contribution towards paying waiters the minimum wage
The wait staff do not see a penny of this.
Leave it to your conscience.
This is part of the debate on the decline of French cuisine in general. The effective abolition of tips and the imposition of a 35 hour week, means that restaurant work is slipping financially in terms of interest for staff, who can earn a better living on a construction site.
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Dave from NY
Senior Member
Joined: 06 April 2008
Location: United States
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Posts: 83
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Posted: 02 December 2009 at 4:13pm |
So if we pay the restaurant bill with cash, then the wait staff gets the "service compris" plus the additional tip we leave?
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Pelicam
Groupie
Joined: 12 September 2009
Location: Netherlands Antilles
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 26
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Posted: 02 December 2009 at 5:41pm |
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how can a englishman understand and talk about europeen rules ? i would like understand that.
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Premium James
Senior Member
Joined: 19 October 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 69
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Posted: 03 December 2009 at 8:05am |
Originally posted by Pelicam
how can a englishman understand and talk about europeen rules ? i would like understand that. |
Besides the fact that the UK is a fully fledged member of the EU, with a few opt outs, exactly the same European legislation as France, I
am technically a Luxembourger.
Originally posted by Dave from NY
So if we pay the restaurant bill with cash, then
the wait staff gets the "service compris" plus the additional tip we
leave?
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My own take on this is that once the money is in the cash register the staff won't see it.
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Second Star
Senior Member
Senior Member
Joined: 04 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Online
Posts: 2205
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Posted: 03 December 2009 at 4:18pm |
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I pay in cash in most restos. I noted last year at Wall House that the full amount went to the manager, and the overage was immediately passed to the bartender. As best as I could tell, the only money that went in the register was the check amount.
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