Is it just me or was that review saying a whole lot of nothin? she spent more time describing how other sushi places look rather than discussing the food.45 seconds of my life I'll never get back
Come now, Joan, I think this was a perfect review of Sticky Rice. Since about mid-2009, that place has been 75% about the "ambiance" and 25% about the food. I found the review wonderfully fitting.
I personally enjoy Sticky Rice for the ambience and, what I consider, good neighborhood food. However, I was disappointed in my experience there tonight. I used a living social deal I had been given - from a person who knows I love to go there quite a bit. When the check came, I was disappointed that an 18% gratuity had been automatically added because I used the living social deal (this was confirmed by my waitress - who informed me it was "policy" for living social deals). I was disappointed because I felt offended - that Sticky Rice (due to the "policy") assumed that I must be inherently cheap due to my usage of a living social deal that required the mandatory addition of a gratuity to my bill. I always tip no less than 25%, having been in the business for a long time (over 15 years), prior to my current station in life - I go out of my way not to be "cheap" in a restaurant. Mabye I am being overly sensitive, but I was, in fact, offended. I wonder why a restaurant would even do a deal with living social if they apparently do not like the clientele they believe to be associated with the deal? And I am even more bothered by the fact that they have this unspoken policy. I am aware that I am not in fact obligated to pay an arbitrarily added gratuity, however, I felt cheap just leaving the 18% (but was so offended I did not want to leave more). I am just saddened by tonight's experience at what has been one of my favorite places over the last few years.
AngryHound, from what I've heard that is indeed standard policy at Sticky Rice regarding Living Social coupons. I understand being offended by the policy, but consider the following"
1. They probably have such a policy to protect servers who were getting shorted by patrons who tipped only on the discounted amount. Having worked in a restaurant, I can say that tables will sometimes pull that (whether out of ignorance, mistake, or drunkeness), and it sucks. I once had a brunch table of 4 (5 or more being the trigger for the 18% autograt) where a guy pulled me aside to "make sure I would get a decent tip." He handed me cash, and I told him that as long as his friends also tipped I should be fine. All three of his friends wrote "tip included" on their tabs. Gratuity was NOT included, and I would always have told a table if it had been and circled it on the bill while pointing to the amount in question. I guess I should have clued in from the question, but I just figured he was asking because one of his friends was a bad tipper. Bottom line, I ended up with a 5% tip (so it cost me money to serve that table after tip out and taxes). Mistakes happen, and I think that was an honest (if kinda stupid on their part) mistake. If you have worked in the industry in this part of the country you will know that many servers dislike autograting tables because you can generally count on most decent people to tip 20% pre-tax (or more). So the autograt screws the server in a way.
2. If it really is standard policy, is it honestly fair to punish the server for the policy put forth by management? As I mentioned above, most decent servers in our area can count on a higher tip than 18% pre-tax for a decent table. If you hate the policy you should mention it on Yelp, or better yet, email management (or talk to the Manager on duty). But don't punish your server. He/she is low on the command chain, and doesn't dictate policy for the restaurant.
My recommendation: 1. email management with your complaint; 2. get over being offended (hell, you just vented to management); 3. put yourself in your server's shoes, and consider what I wrote above; 4. go back again, if the service is decent, tip what you normally tip (which sounds quite generous); 5. continue to enjoy a place you have long enjoyed.
One other note: I sometimes eat out in groups of five, or more, and face the dreaded autograt. Your server probably doesn't know you personally, and there are many bad tippers out there (math is particularly hard after a few drinks, and harder still for some when the see the bill for those ten Patron margaritas). I always stick with my original tip. The autograt isn't personal, and I know that server who is tipped on top of it remembers those few dollars extra more than I will remember them. That's personal, and to me it's worth it.
Concur with what inked says. And the autograt for groups of 6 or more is standard (and always posted on the menu - or should be). What bothered me was this "silent" rule for the living social deal. When we went to pay the check (we were just a two-top), I provided the living social deal and my credit card for the difference. When it came back there was an 18% charge already added to my card with no indication as to why it was added. You can program micros to say (18% grat - living social or something). I felt the waitress could have/should have said something - hey, it's our policy to do an autograt for living social deals, so that is what the 18% addition is for, or have an insert on the menu or something. I did not like having to guess and ask as to why it was added. I rarely do living social deals but think they are great for small businesses for publicity as well as business during the slower months. My boyfriend hates them due to what he perceived as disparate treatment of living social deal users vs. "regular customers," which I dismissed until my most recent experience. Really, if they had just been up front about the policy, I would probably not have been bothered. Not to mention, I had used the sam living social deal I had purchased myself, only a month prior and no autograt was added by my server during that visit - so what happened in the intervening month? All I ask, of all living social businesses, is that you have no hidden additional conditions - be up front. (As an aside, I had originally called for pick-up, and because I wanted to be clear, I indicated I had a living social coupon - after I placed my order, I was told the living social deal could not be used for take out - yet another unwritten condition). Of course I will return to Sticky Rice, but not entirely with the same amount of love I once had for the establishment.
9 comments:
Is it just me or was that review saying a whole lot of nothin? she spent more time describing how other sushi places look rather than discussing the food.45 seconds of my life I'll never get back
Come now, Joan, I think this was a perfect review of Sticky Rice. Since about mid-2009, that place has been 75% about the "ambiance" and 25% about the food. I found the review wonderfully fitting.
Start flaming in three... two.... one.... GO!
Roxanne- so true
The Washington Examiner? The rat bastards who litter every block on Capitol Hill? I know that slow news days happen, but don't give them any traffic.
I personally enjoy Sticky Rice for the ambience and, what I consider, good neighborhood food. However, I was disappointed in my experience there tonight. I used a living social deal I had been given - from a person who knows I love to go there quite a bit. When the check came, I was disappointed that an 18% gratuity had been automatically added because I used the living social deal (this was confirmed by my waitress - who informed me it was "policy" for living social deals). I was disappointed because I felt offended - that Sticky Rice (due to the "policy") assumed that I must be inherently cheap due to my usage of a living social deal that required the mandatory addition of a gratuity to my bill. I always tip no less than 25%, having been in the business for a long time (over 15 years), prior to my current station in life - I go out of my way not to be "cheap" in a restaurant. Mabye I am being overly sensitive, but I was, in fact, offended. I wonder why a restaurant would even do a deal with living social if they apparently do not like the clientele they believe to be associated with the deal? And I am even more bothered by the fact that they have this unspoken policy. I am aware that I am not in fact obligated to pay an arbitrarily added gratuity, however, I felt cheap just leaving the 18% (but was so offended I did not want to leave more). I am just saddened by tonight's experience at what has been one of my favorite places over the last few years.
AngryHound,
from what I've heard that is indeed standard policy at Sticky Rice regarding Living Social coupons. I understand being offended by the policy, but consider the following"
1. They probably have such a policy to protect servers who were getting shorted by patrons who tipped only on the discounted amount. Having worked in a restaurant, I can say that tables will sometimes pull that (whether out of ignorance, mistake, or drunkeness), and it sucks. I once had a brunch table of 4 (5 or more being the trigger for the 18% autograt) where a guy pulled me aside to "make sure I would get a decent tip." He handed me cash, and I told him that as long as his friends also tipped I should be fine. All three of his friends wrote "tip included" on their tabs. Gratuity was NOT included, and I would always have told a table if it had been and circled it on the bill while pointing to the amount in question. I guess I should have clued in from the question, but I just figured he was asking because one of his friends was a bad tipper. Bottom line, I ended up with a 5% tip (so it cost me money to serve that table after tip out and taxes). Mistakes happen, and I think that was an honest (if kinda stupid on their part) mistake. If you have worked in the industry in this part of the country you will know that many servers dislike autograting tables because you can generally count on most decent people to tip 20% pre-tax (or more). So the autograt screws the server in a way.
2. If it really is standard policy, is it honestly fair to punish the server for the policy put forth by management? As I mentioned above, most decent servers in our area can count on a higher tip than 18% pre-tax for a decent table. If you hate the policy you should mention it on Yelp, or better yet, email management (or talk to the Manager on duty). But don't punish your server. He/she is low on the command chain, and doesn't dictate policy for the restaurant.
My recommendation:
1. email management with your complaint;
2. get over being offended (hell, you just vented to management);
3. put yourself in your server's shoes, and consider what I wrote above;
4. go back again, if the service is decent, tip what you normally tip (which sounds quite generous);
5. continue to enjoy a place you have long enjoyed.
One other note:
I sometimes eat out in groups of five, or more, and face the dreaded autograt. Your server probably doesn't know you personally, and there are many bad tippers out there (math is particularly hard after a few drinks, and harder still for some when the see the bill for those ten Patron margaritas). I always stick with my original tip. The autograt isn't personal, and I know that server who is tipped on top of it remembers those few dollars extra more than I will remember them. That's personal, and to me it's worth it.
Concur with what inked says. And the autograt for groups of 6 or more is standard (and always posted on the menu - or should be). What bothered me was this "silent" rule for the living social deal. When we went to pay the check (we were just a two-top), I provided the living social deal and my credit card for the difference. When it came back there was an 18% charge already added to my card with no indication as to why it was added. You can program micros to say (18% grat - living social or something). I felt the waitress could have/should have said something - hey, it's our policy to do an autograt for living social deals, so that is what the 18% addition is for, or have an insert on the menu or something. I did not like having to guess and ask as to why it was added. I rarely do living social deals but think they are great for small businesses for publicity as well as business during the slower months. My boyfriend hates them due to what he perceived as disparate treatment of living social deal users vs. "regular customers," which I dismissed until my most recent experience. Really, if they had just been up front about the policy, I would probably not have been bothered. Not to mention, I had used the sam living social deal I had purchased myself, only a month prior and no autograt was added by my server during that visit - so what happened in the intervening month? All I ask, of all living social businesses, is that you have no hidden additional conditions - be up front. (As an aside, I had originally called for pick-up, and because I wanted to be clear, I indicated I had a living social coupon - after I placed my order, I was told the living social deal could not be used for take out - yet another unwritten condition). Of course I will return to Sticky Rice, but not entirely with the same amount of love I once had for the establishment.
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