Letter: Automatic gratuity at Washington Duke unfair

I'm writing this letter in the hopes that other Duke students may be better informed of the practices of the Fairview Restaurant at the Washington Duke Inn. I was dining in the sports bar during the women's basketball game this past weekend with four of my friends. There were a couple of other student groups in the bar area, but largely it was composed of other patrons.

Having waited tables myself before, I can truly say that our server was the worst waiter I have ever had the "pleasure" of encountering. He pointedly ignored our table in several ways while apparently providing attentively for the non-student tables. It is not my aim to complain about one waiter, however, as one will encounter poor service from time to time. Our dissatisfaction came from the fact that when we received our bills, we were automatically charged a 19 percent gratuity, which this terrible waiter would receive.

In the menu it stated groups of six or more would be charged as such but as we were a table of five, we wondered what was at work here. After summoning the manager, we were informed that all Duke students are charged the 19 percent, regardless of party number, as part of our points plan. When asked why this wasn't stated on the menu, he offered that "it must have been written somewhere on some contract that we signed." While I have not found this information in any contract of which I am part, as of yet, I am more upset at the utter lack of power and consideration which is given to us as Duke students. We were second-class diners, unable to exert any influence or input on how well our waiter was appraised. While I do not believe my experience to be representative of the restaurant's service as a whole, I think it worthwhile to inform the rest of the student community of such practices. As a final point, if you should receive such service, don't feel powerless. Insist that they reissue your bill, paying instead with cash or credit card, subverting this system, and enabling you to have some say.