To respond or not to respond, that's the big question

[JBloggs]

Just received a letter from him demanding the entire 15% gratuity ($23) be charged back to his account. Took the time to write a whole big letter and mail it off to me. Took the time to calculate out the math and everything.
Apparently, this guy runs the nordic center at a New Hampshire ski area and must have lots of time on his hands this time of year. According to his TA profile, he and his wife have enough money to travel to the Caribbean and Mexico several times a year. All this for $23. Just wow.
BTW, the first time since we've owned the B&B that anyone has every expressed an issue with it..

Just received a letter from him demanding the entire 15% gratuity ($23) be charged back to his account. Took the time to write a whole big letter and mail it off to me. Took the time to calculate out the math and everything.
Apparently, this guy runs the nordic center at a New Hampshire ski area and must have lots of time on his hands this time of year. According to his TA profile, he and his wife have enough money to travel to the Caribbean and Mexico several times a year. All this for $23. Just wow.
BTW, the first time since we've owned the B&B that anyone has every expressed an issue with it.

Dude, are you for real? You charge 15% of the room rate?! That is highway robbery. Do all the inns near you charge a gratuity for staying in a room? Is that the norm there?
I am not happy to hear this Phin, and that you think an upset guest has too much time on his hands because he is not willing to pay it. It is the principal of the thing. The guest can travel wherever they want, they saw it as exorbitant.
I for one, would like to say you need to reconsider this automatic gratuity and just raise your rates. I ask you as a fellow innkeeper who is level headed most of the time, and when I am not I hope you will pull me up on it, too.

 

[Silverspoon]

seashanty:
I would likely have read the whole thing, seen the added in gratuity policy and not stayed with you.
gillumhouse:
I would not expect a gratuity added to my bill at a B &B
Breakfast Diva:
gratuity: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service;
I would credit him back the gratuity since legally it's not binding.
EmptyNest:
Sorry I wouldn't be staying with you. I tip well because I get good service not because someone requires me to. Yours is a service fee not a gratuity which is given freely.
[h3]

I'm with them!

[/h3].

I have never heard of a B&B routinely adding a gratuity for a normal stay. To me it implies that the service and housekeeping are sub par and can not generate the normal gratuity that is voluntary. Why not just increase your rate and pay your staff a living wage?

 

[GoodScout]

seashanty:
I would likely have read the whole thing, seen the added in gratuity policy and not stayed with you.
gillumhouse:
I would not expect a gratuity added to my bill at a B &B
Breakfast Diva:
gratuity: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service;
I would credit him back the gratuity since legally it's not binding.
EmptyNest:
Sorry I wouldn't be staying with you. I tip well because I get good service not because someone requires me to. Yours is a service fee not a gratuity which is given freely.
[h3]

I'm with them!

[/h3].

I have never heard of a B&B routinely adding a gratuity for a normal stay. To me it implies that the service and housekeeping are sub par and can not generate the normal gratuity that is voluntary. Why not just increase your rate and pay your staff a living wage?
.

Why do you assume I don't pay my staff a living wage? My head housekeeper makes $5 an hour over our state's minimum, which is already $2.35 higher than the US minimum wage. My entry level team members make at least $1 over the state's minimum wage
So they're well compensated. The fact that they've been with me for years and years demonstrates that.
Do what works for you. This works for us. Except for the once every three year hiccup, apparently.

 

[Jcam]

Just received a letter from him demanding the entire 15% gratuity ($23) be charged back to his account. Took the time to write a whole big letter and mail it off to me. Took the time to calculate out the math and everything.
Apparently, this guy runs the nordic center at a New Hampshire ski area and must have lots of time on his hands this time of year. According to his TA profile, he and his wife have enough money to travel to the Caribbean and Mexico several times a year. All this for $23. Just wow.
BTW, the first time since we've owned the B&B that anyone has every expressed an issue with it..

Just received a letter from him demanding the entire 15% gratuity ($23) be charged back to his account. Took the time to write a whole big letter and mail it off to me. Took the time to calculate out the math and everything.
Apparently, this guy runs the nordic center at a New Hampshire ski area and must have lots of time on his hands this time of year. According to his TA profile, he and his wife have enough money to travel to the Caribbean and Mexico several times a year. All this for $23. Just wow.
BTW, the first time since we've owned the B&B that anyone has every expressed an issue with it.

Dude, are you for real? You charge 15% of the room rate?! That is highway robbery. Do all the inns near you charge a gratuity for staying in a room? Is that the norm there?
I am not happy to hear this Phin, and that you think an upset guest has too much time on his hands because he is not willing to pay it. It is the principal of the thing. The guest can travel wherever they want, they saw it as exorbitant.
I for one, would like to say you need to reconsider this automatic gratuity and just raise your rates. I ask you as a fellow innkeeper who is level headed most of the time, and when I am not I hope you will pull me up on it, too.
.

See to me 15% is high but if it is on everything then they have been warned and could have booked somewhere else.
On the other side of this in the UK it has just been made illegal to have mandatory tipping after various scandals with restaurants doing so to make up min wage bills.

 

[Silverspoon]

seashanty:
I would likely have read the whole thing, seen the added in gratuity policy and not stayed with you.
gillumhouse:
I would not expect a gratuity added to my bill at a B &B
Breakfast Diva:
gratuity: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service;
I would credit him back the gratuity since legally it's not binding.
EmptyNest:
Sorry I wouldn't be staying with you. I tip well because I get good service not because someone requires me to. Yours is a service fee not a gratuity which is given freely.
[h3]

I'm with them!

[/h3].

I have never heard of a B&B routinely adding a gratuity for a normal stay. To me it implies that the service and housekeeping are sub par and can not generate the normal gratuity that is voluntary. Why not just increase your rate and pay your staff a living wage?
.

Why do you assume I don't pay my staff a living wage? My head housekeeper makes $5 an hour over our state's minimum, which is already $2.35 higher than the US minimum wage. My entry level team members make at least $1 over the state's minimum wage
So they're well compensated. The fact that they've been with me for years and years demonstrates that.
Do what works for you. This works for us. Except for the once every three year hiccup, apparently.
.

Sorry, I did not mean to offend or make assumptions. But I did and I am sorry for that.