Annoyed at places that don't take Amex

[GoldenloveNY]

Anyone who opens a business needs to understand the risks and burden that being a business owner brings. Complaining after the fact just doesn't makes sense. If I want to use my Amex, then I should, as a consumer, have the right. 

As far as tips, I am just amazed that many restaurants will "automatically" add a 15%-20% gratuity to the bill. I experienced this when I went to Dallas BBQ last week. Don't get me wrong, I am not a cheap person. If I go to a restaurant, and I am extremely happy wth the food and service, I will give a 15% or 20% tip based on the bill (pre tax). While I got a wonderful service when I went to Dallas BBQ, tips should be based on the type of service a consumer gets. It shouldn't force, or expected by the restaurant.  

[navigatethis12]

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@Revelate wrote:

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OT, but I thought tips typically got spread out to other staff members?  They did when I was a kid busing tables, apparently I was mistaken and naive to assume most places worked this way.

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I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this. I was just saying that when people say they make less than minimum wage it isn't true. I do know it differs between restaurants about if they pool tips and distribute them evenly. I've seen reports of the owner keeping the tips and not giving any to the staff. I reckon the reason they prefer the tip to be in cash is so they can just pocket the money right there.

[cashnocredit]

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@GoldenloveNY wrote:

Anyone who opens a business needs to understand the risks and burden that being a business owner brings. Complaining after the fact just doesn't makes sense. If I want to use my Amex, then I should, as a consumer, have the right. 

As far as tips, I am just amazed that many restaurants will "automatically" add a 15%-20% gratuity to the bill. I experienced this when I went to Dallas BBQ last week. Don't get me wrong, I am not a cheap person. If I go to a restaurant, and I am extremely happy wth the food and service, I will give a 15% of 20% tip based on the bill (pre tax). While I got a wonderful service when I went to Dallas BBQ, tips should be based on the type of service a consumer gets. It shouldn't force, or expected by the restaurant.  

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I haven't encountered this very often. When I do I don't complain but I don't leave more and don't usually go back.  I normally tip at least 25% and often over 30%. I leave a higher percentage at the cheaper places.

[PokemonMaster]

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@navigatethis12 wrote:

People make it a problem by walking out because a business doesn't accept their preferred card. I do agree that the costs of running cards isn't much and if your margin is that thin then you need to do something to raise it. However, any business is going to do what they can to keep costs down and if that means not accepting a certain network for payment, that is their choice. It's silly to have all of what you were going to get, they tell you they don't accept it, and then leave the store. I could see if American Express had cards that give 10% cashback, but as far as I know, they do not. Most businesses have signs and such on the door or near the register saying what they accept. Since you know that American Express is not accepted everywhere, you could ask before gathering your items. It's not the consumer's job to keep the businesses cost low, but usually when a business does something that costs them more money, they may pass it to the consumer.

When I look on the door and see what cards they take I know what cards to use and I completely agree with that. I also agree that if a Merchant wants Amex customers he/she is within her right to raise prices to offset costs. But if a merchant as the right to raise prices or choose what cards they accept. I as a consumer should have the right to choose what card I want to pay with and if the merchant doesn't take it, walk out. I apologize if I came across as rude in my previous post. It was just that your post seemed to place the blame on consumers for all the problems a business owner has.

[sccredit]

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@GoldenloveNY wrote:

Anyone who opens a business needs to understand the risks and burden that being a business owner brings. Complaining after the fact just doesn't makes sense. If I want to use my Amex, then I should, as a consumer, have the right. 

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Nobody HAS to accept your credit card, be it AMEX, Visa, MC or Discover.  As a consumer it is your prerogative to deal with the business' payment forms or take your business elsewhere.  Just like when you applied for AMEX you knew that its acceptance wasn't the same as Visa/MC, it makes no sense to complain after the fact.    

[GoldenloveNY]

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@sccredit wrote:

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@GoldenloveNY wrote:

Anyone who opens a business needs to understand the risks and burden that being a business owner brings. Complaining after the fact just doesn't makes sense. If I want to use my Amex, then I should, as a consumer, have the right. 

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Nobody HAS to accept your credit card, be it AMEX, Visa, MC or Discover.  As a consumer it is your prerogative to deal with the business' payment forms or take your business elsewhere.  Just like when you applied for AMEX you knew that its acceptance wasn't the same as Visa/MC, it makes no sense to complain after the fact.    

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Of course. I was arguing on the basis that I don't have to worry about any burden of using my cards will bring to merchants. If they accept Amex, I will use my Amex. Even if it is for a purchase of $2 from a small business. If a merchant accepts Amex, then they shouldn't be complaining or prefer his or her customers to use another card, or even to use cash. Yes, merchants don't have to accept Amex or any other credit issuer, but given the fact that many today do use credit to make purchases (and as far as I know, Amex cardmembers use Amex more), it wouldn't be smart move to reject a large consumer base. 

[youngandcreditwrthy]

I am glad I started this thread!! hahaha

My point is that if I'm spending $50 on brunch, and you can't give up $2.50 as a business owner to afford your staff a 20-30% tip, then what gives?

I want to use my Amexes ONLY..

my choice.

Frankly, American Express process the HIGHEST amount per transaction and IN GENERAL.. meaning, as whole American Express cardmembers have the MOST purchasing power among all of the bankcard issuers... so I'd be willing to pay a little more percent as a merchant fee to accept a Platinum or even Centurion card...

hell, I only have BCE and Delta Gold...

anyway.... my point being: free markets make the world go around. And btw, it's only been a few places that don't take Amex. Most places do, esp. nicer restaurants. I was so surprised by this particular event bc it was a  nice little place.

:-) Good luck all!

[fittiger]

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@navigatethis12 wrote:

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 I really don't agree with this. I work a lot harder than servers and very rarely get a tip. A tip should be something that is appreciated, not expected. Also, don't believe the rubbish about them making less than minimum wage. If they don't make up the difference of their pay and minimum wage in tips, the restaurant is required to pay it.

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This is 100% false.  Many server's work for far less than minimum wage, basically enough to break even after paying taxes.  If you do not tip your server, I can assure you the business owner does not make up for it and you are essentially stealing money from that server, especially after they are required to tip out bartenders and bussers.

If you are too chincy to tip your server when they perform a satifactory or better job, then you need not go to dine in restaurants.  Also, do not refuse to tip your server because the food is bad, he's not cooking it.  Ask for a manager to take care of that if you don't think you should pay full price.

I don't know what you do that you work a lot harder than servers....maybe you do, maybe you don't.....but servers are making money based on service.  The business does not pay them.  If you choose to believe otherwise, maybe you should try working that job for a month.

[fittiger]

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@youngandcreditwrthy wrote:

I am glad I started this thread!! hahaha

My point is that if I'm spending $50 on brunch, and you can't give up $2.50 as a business owner to afford your staff a 20-30% tip, then what gives?

I want to use my Amexes ONLY..

my choice.

Frankly, American Express process the HIGHEST amount per transaction and IN GENERAL.. meaning, as whole American Express cardmembers have the MOST purchasing power among all of the bankcard issuers... so I'd be willing to pay a little more percent as a merchant fee to accept a Platinum or even Centurion card...

hell, I only have BCE and Delta Gold...

anyway.... my point being: free markets make the world go around. And btw, it's only been a few places that don't take Amex. Most places do, esp. nicer restaurants. I was so surprised by this particular event bc it was a  nice little place.

:-) Good luck all!

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I dont understand this about the $50 brunch and the restaurant providing $2.50 for 20-30% tip???  20% tip would be $10

Also, how would you feel about your AMEX if the business starting tacking on a 3% charge to all of your AMEX transactions?  Over time this will add up significantly if you are passing all your spending money through this card.  Now think about a business and how much money comes through in a month....lets say a restaurant bills customers $500K for a month.  If they all payed with AMEX, that could be a $15,000 loss over Visa/Mastercard.  If that was your business would you want to take a monthly loss of 15K?

Just try to be more considerate about people that don't want to accept the heavier fees of AMEX.  I can promise you the "highest amount per transaction" of AMEX users won't make up for this.

Did you also know that if you return a product that was purchased with an AMEX, the same fee applies on the return transaction as well?  So the business has lost about 10% on something you decide to return.  

All I'm saying is be a little more thoughtful about what you want to rant about.  If you don't want to support a business because they don't accept AMEX, then don't.  Just don't be a brat about it.

[navigatethis12]

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@fittiger wrote:

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@navigatethis12 wrote:

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This is 100% false.  Many server's work for far less than minimum wage, basically enough to break even after paying taxes.  If you do not tip your server, I can assure you the business owner does not make up for it and you are essentially stealing money from that server, especially after they are required to tip out bartenders and bussers.

If you are too chincy to tip your server when they perform a satifactory or better job, then you need not go to dine in restaurants.  Also, do not refuse to tip your server because the food is bad, he's not cooking it.  Ask for a manager to take care of that if you don't think you should pay full price.

I don't know what you do that you work a lot harder than servers....maybe you do, maybe you don't.....but servers are making money based on service.  The business does not pay them.  If you choose to believe otherwise, maybe you should try working that job for a month.

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You are incorrect. Look up the law and you will see that it is illegal not to pay minimum wage and the difference must be made up by the owner. I believe there is an exception for contract workers only. If the server is not intelligent enough to know the law, that is not my problem. How is it stealing if the money never belonged to the server in the first place?

I do not go out to eat, except maybe one or two times a year; I prefer to cook myself since people don't understand what exactly a vegetarian is.

I do janitorial cleaning of office buildings and make deliveries and such for a sales business, on top of my own side business. I lift heavy boxes, tables, chairs, and more. I have to deal with a cusomter forgetting to ring in something and needing it within ten minutes. I have to deal with an event happening and having to set it up within the hour. Servers carry food from the kitchen to the dining area. Yes they may have demanding customers and have more than a few tables to serve, but it's not as difficult as other jobs. As I said earlier, the employer is require to pay the difference. If they are not, they should reported to the proper authorities.

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@youngandcreditwrthy wrote:

I want to use my Amexes ONLY..

my choice.

Frankly, American Express process the HIGHEST amount per transaction and IN GENERAL.. meaning, as whole American Express cardmembers have the MOST purchasing power among all of the bankcard issuers... so I'd be willing to pay a little more percent as a merchant fee to accept a Platinum or even Centurion card...

hell, I only have BCE and Delta Gold...

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 It's also their choice to not accept that payment network. If you were actually a merchant you would understand the dangers and hassles of accepting American Express. The whole people who have an American Express card spend more is just rubbish. There are plenty of people who do not have it or who do not use American Express branded cards to purchase high price items. They will lie and tell you you will make more money and attract more customers but that is false.