Is it me, or are restaurants adding more "fees" than in the past?
- Thread starter 97prizm
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I don't care for the convenience fee when buying tickets online and printing them out or downloading a QR code into my mobile rather than buying a ticket in person from a you-muhn drone. I'm doing all the work and they charge me money for saving labor costs. That's a raw deal.
Next will be a convenience fee on plastic wrap and paper bags because I'll be making my own fabulous sandwich.
Next will be a convenience fee on plastic wrap and paper bags because I'll be making my own fabulous sandwich.
I have picked up at Sam's, Walmart and Kohl's. I never offered a tip because the order was relatively small.
I tried to tip a Walmart auto tech because he helped me remove and replace a wiper blade purchased at another Walmart store, and he said Walmart company policy was to refuse tips. He was happy to help out in the rain, using tools and techniques that I didn't have with me. Based on that experience, I don't offer a tip, nor do I need help very often.
One of the local car repair shops near me had the original owner retire, while two employees took it over. In the past they didn't charge a cc fee. I went in to pay for brake work which they did a good job but. "Oh yeah we charge 3% for credit card payments ". I don't think I'll be back, the newer mechanics they have don't seem as skilled. You have to disclose stuff like that
This was at Farm and Fleet and I saw the people in front of me tipping the guy carry out the order. I find the people they use for this job as bottom of the barrel as far as competency. The mail man I had for years refused gifts and tips. That's not the USPS policy though.
Co-worker asked a question about tipping and I think it's very interesting.... Go to Waffle House and in my experience, the service is usually very good. Fast, keeps your drinks filled, friendly, etc. A breakfast and coffee will probably run $15. A 20% tip is $3. Now go to a "fancy" restaurant that costs you $75 for a dinner and drink (even just a soda). A 20% tip there will be $15. The waiter or waitress deserves 5x the amount in a tip ?
Place I used to work started holding our feet to the fire on eating while traveling. When I first started, in 2003, there was no limit. They didn't even mind you getting a couple of drinks. Wanted to go see a movie on a Wednesday when you were 2k miles from home? No problem. Go see a movie, spend $80 a day on food (and that was HARD in 2004/5) - no problem. By 2019, it was $40 per day. They figured an $8 breakfast, a $12 lunch, and a $20 dinner was more than enough - and that was exactly how HR broke the new policy down. Tips be darned I guess..... You wanted entertainment, well, don't you have a phone or a book you can take? Last time I traveled, I straight up told my manager that I was done traveling. I wasn't going to work 12 hours a day in some struggling division killing myself to eat a salad at a Zaxby's and off the Wendy's $5 menu.
By then (2019), even though it was pre-pandemic and supposedly inflation was nada. I couldn't even get out of a Waffle House for anywhere under $15 even then, so it was McMuffins for me most days. I was pretty hot at the Awful Waffle over the 5.95 special suddenly becoming 8.95 (that seemed like it was overnight) and a friggin coke was $2 and an OJ was like $3 (I wanted both, greedy hog that I am). On Friday's I would sometimes pig out at a Golden Corral for breakfast - that was less than Waffle House (at that time) and I didn't need lunch on those days. I usually tended to skip lunch altogether so I could at least sit down in a Longhorn or a Texas Roadhouse at dinner.
But back on topic - I will admit the last time I had Waffle House, there were no hidden fees. It cost $20, which is just hogswash for 2 eggs, toast, hashbrowns, a couple of strips of bacon, and a waffle and some unsweet tea, but no hidden fees.
Last Wednesday my wife and I went out for all three of our miles.
We each had a free drink at Panera (90 day free tea program) and they offered a bagel for a buck. That was breakfast.
For lunch, we split a Bean and Cheese Burrito and a Grilled Chicken Taco which was free if you bought something. They even comped us an iced tea. That was $2.
For dinner we went to a Mexican sit-down restauruant. They advertise a 99 cent taco special on Wednesdays. We each had three tacos which was plenty. Total cost with tip was $8.
Yes, it was cheap. But here's the thing. We almost never eat out. For $11 we would have still enjoyed better food at home. Apples, bananas, organic carrots are our snacking staples and my wife is a wizard with gourmet food on the dirt cheap. I used to travel all over the USA and you had to really make an effort to get away from all the salty, cheesy, sugary foods.
The best place to go out to eat these days... is a supermarket.
We each had a free drink at Panera (90 day free tea program) and they offered a bagel for a buck. That was breakfast.
For lunch, we split a Bean and Cheese Burrito and a Grilled Chicken Taco which was free if you bought something. They even comped us an iced tea. That was $2.
For dinner we went to a Mexican sit-down restauruant. They advertise a 99 cent taco special on Wednesdays. We each had three tacos which was plenty. Total cost with tip was $8.
Yes, it was cheap. But here's the thing. We almost never eat out. For $11 we would have still enjoyed better food at home. Apples, bananas, organic carrots are our snacking staples and my wife is a wizard with gourmet food on the dirt cheap. I used to travel all over the USA and you had to really make an effort to get away from all the salty, cheesy, sugary foods.
The best place to go out to eat these days... is a supermarket.
Oh yeah:
- Here in VA the tax on prepared food is ~9.5% (Increase around RONA time-frame; I think they "Sold" [forced it upon us] based on giving something to the out of work waitresses and such... for some reason it never went away.
- The "Add a tip" things on the payment devises all seem to START at 15% (Now I'm a good [cash] tipper when service is good, but starting at 15% (After 9.5% tax) is rather cheeky if you ask me.
(End result, very rarely do I go out for sit down dinner now)
- Here in VA the tax on prepared food is ~9.5% (Increase around RONA time-frame; I think they "Sold" [forced it upon us] based on giving something to the out of work waitresses and such... for some reason it never went away.
- The "Add a tip" things on the payment devises all seem to START at 15% (Now I'm a good [cash] tipper when service is good, but starting at 15% (After 9.5% tax) is rather cheeky if you ask me.
(End result, very rarely do I go out for sit down dinner now)
That price seems really high. I do know they get you on drinks - a coffee is almost $4, as I recall. So that $8.95 "All American breakfast" (same as you describe, minus the waffle), gets you close to the $15 that I mentioned.
Was the Mexican sit down Del Taco? That's the only place other than Taco Johns that has 99 cent taco Wednesdays.
Actually it's a restaurant out here in Georgia called Los magallas. The tacos were surprisingly good even though honestly I think the chicken tacos were as cheap as cheap could be but still tasty.
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How about when a kid eats at a buffet…they have some questionable height requirements. Meaning if a kid is this tall (maybe 9 or 10 yo is typical) they are charged as an adult. Pretty bad as a 9-10 yo doesn’t t eat like an adult. 14-16? Yes, maybe even more.
Some places have the kids eat free thing, but the age cutoff has gone from 6 down to 2 over the last couple decades.
Can’t really blame them since kids are in puberty at 8 and full food rage by 9. It’s no wonder they are predicting our average life span will drop 10-20 years on the upcoming gen Alpha
11.85 here for what I want, 10.95 without the waffle. I wants the waffle. After tax and God forbid I splurge on onions and a slice of cheese in the hash browns - it's way closer to $20
I don't even know when 8.95 became 11.85 - but I remember the All Star special was 5.95 for a long time (locally, I know price will vary with location)
11
These extra fees are ridiculous and it's on everything. New cars, airlines, restaurants,concert tickets, parking tickets. Either way my budget is my budget I just go out less and enjoy my home more.
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Folks, there is only one way these prices will go down. We quit going and filling restaurants to the brim and paying whatever they ask. Don't be embarrassed to walk out when pricing games become too much.
I deduct the beverages too, I'm not tipping on a $10 bottle of Italian sparkling water, that costs 99c, and so on. Call me whatever you want, but I work too hard to just give my money away like that.
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Hermann
Site Donor 2023
My card from US Bank that pays 4% on food anywhere helps but not a lot. The $200 budget each month for dining out is hard not to exceed. What burns my dairy-air, are businesses asking for tips who don't do anything. to earn the tip.
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