Waiters altering tip line on credit card receipts

[Savinup06]

Hey all I am a server in a restaurant and I know with the system we use once you run the card you cant change anymore on that reciept. I am a college student majoring in Food and Beverage Management and am positive that if not already, within a couple of years this will not even be an issue unless it is simply human error. My only advice from a servers point of view is when your are dining in places where it can be charged "on account", such as in a hotel or resort. My restaurant is in a hotel and people frequently charge items to there rooms and do not take a receipt with them. If they are that careless at the restaurant im sure they do the same at the bar, spa, and golf course. So when they go to check out whos to say that the extra $500 in entertainment charges wernt made by you? Always remember to keep your reciepts until checkout. Another thing that commonly happens is when one of us has a party of people come in getting double tipped. Most operations have a added tip percentage for parties of a certain number or more. It is just a button on the point of sale that the server must press and many people do not even notice it on there bill if they are paying for so many people. I have seen instances where the 21% gratutiy on a check was $300 and the person did not see the gratuity and left an additional $250. I would say this is my two cents...but I would hope it could add up to a least 4 or 5 haha:-)

[sweeps]

Originally Posted by Savinup06

Hey all I am a server in a restaurant and I know with the system we use once you run the card you cant change anymore on that reciept.

Ok, you're the 2nd or 3rd person to mention this... but this is my understanding of the procedure:

1. Waiter brings initial bill to the table.
2. Customer reviews initial bill and gives credit card to waiter.
3. Waiter scans the credit card, gives follow-up bill to customer.
4. Customer fills out tip line, leaves the follow-up bill at the table and walks out.
5. Waiter picks up follow-up bill, goes back to terminal, and adds the tip amount to the transaction.

Granted, I've never been a waiter or restaurant owner, but I've been a customer a fair number of times and this is what my experience has been.

Notice in between steps 4 and 5, the waiter could easily change what the customer has written for the tip, and enter that new fudged amount in the credit card terminal.