Rami El H.
Google
I visited the cafe as I was told not to miss the opportunity and I was more than happy to wait in line, the cake didnt dissapoint, it was very good and everybody with me enjoyed it.
However, service was not it. Although the whole service was fast and good. When we were paying the bill, the maitre D (not a server the maitre D specifically) was impolite and unprofessional which is weird given the status of the hotel and cafe. Here”s why, before we asked for the bill I went to the bathroom, the bill arrived before I came back. My friends took the decision not to tip which is customary where I come from. Tipping is a choice where we come from. At this instance the attitude of the Maitre D changed and he became aggressive.
Once I came back to pay, he gave me again the machine and reasked me if I wanted to tip because my friends didnt. Why? Who does that? When 2 out of 3 people on the table decide not to tip, the 3rd person shouldn’t be asked again because this is simply an act of coercion. The tone of the Maitre D was not okay and if I wanted to ruin my mood I would have said something. At one instance, he decided to reexplain to me my tipping options and I said thank you. He said and I exactly quote “Thank you for what, in Austria we tip” then blabbed something before leaving. So not only I felt coerced into doing something, he deliberately wanted us to feel bad about it. And this is not okay.
That was my 3rd meal in the city, I was never asked for a tip before and I haven't thought of it given that where I come from it s not customary, and to my knowledge tipping is not mandatory in most European countries but a choice.
If tipping is that important to the employees of the establishment, adding a service fee is way more fair to customers that come from different places and different backgrounds. Coercing or shaming them is not okay. Making them feel bad because they didnt know that you should tip in Austria is not okay and an indirect attack to where they come from.
That said, I still enjoyed the cake! But I wanted to raise what happened.