Man Takes Wife To Cheesecake Factory, Stunned To See What’s Printed On Receipt

A California man went out to eat with his wife and as he was about to sign his receipt and leave a tip, he noticed something odd. He shared a post about what happened on his Facebook page.

Mike Abreu took his wife to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Valencia, California, according to Mad World News. The couple ordered two appetizers and iced teas, adding up to $33.76. After paying, Abreu took another look at the suggested tips and added what was suggested for 20 percent. Then, his wife asked how much the bill was with the tip and thought it seemed a bit high. Upon closer look, Abreu was shocked by what he found.

Abreu wrote about the incident in his Facebook post:

So let me start by saying I love the Cheesecake Factory. What I don’t like is what happened to my wife and I there over the weekend and worse, managements and corporates response to it. #checkyourbill​

My wife and I visited the Cheesecake Factory Saturday evening in Valencia, CA. Just the two of us this time as we didn’t bring the usual family of five. We ordered two iced teas and two appetizers. It started when the server brought us dirty dishes and my wife pointed it out and sent them back for clean ones. Then it took a while for her to come back and take our order. It was busy though so I let that go. We waited a long time for a refill and even longer when I asked for my check. When it arrived I handed her my card without looking as I normally do. When the bill finally returned I noted it it was $33.76 total. Right above where you fill in the tip and total was the tipping guide which prefigures your percentage based on your total bill. I personally am a fan of this feature as I don’t like figuring percentages on and odd amount so I normally just go with what they put for 20%. So I began to write in $14.71 as it stated was 20 percent of my bill.

My wife then asked how much was the bill and I replied almost $50 with the tip. She then said that’s pretty expensive for two iced teas and two apps. I looked at the bill again and saw $33.76 which was correct but then I realized that 20 percent of that should be $6.75 and not $14.71 (more than double) that was printed on my bill.

I corrected my bill and pointed it out to the server who directed me to the manager. When I pointed the discrepancy out to the manager she said that there was nothing she could do and it’s up to the customer to figure out the tip. I told her I get that but a lot of people like me rely on that tip guide that is on the receipt to help them figure out what that is. They aren’t expecting the establishment to be deceptive with that and maybe leaving more than double the tip then expected without realizing it.

Now you can ask my bartender and server friends on Facebook. I’m a pretty good tipper, I’ll leave a twenty for a ten dollar tab, 100%. But that’s fine when I feel it was deserved and that was my intention. I don’t want to be tricked or deceived into having to leave a large tip.

Back to the manager. She then went on to tell me that corporate sets up their machines that way and they have nothing to do with it and can’t change it. I then said shouldn’t you tell corporate that your machines are deceiving your patrons and more than doubling their tip amounts? She said I could but that won’t change anything. I said then should I call corporate at which she said you can.

I tried calling the general manager 3 times and sent an email and never got a response so I called corporate. They said they were already aware that their machines have been faulting (at all 250 locations)and not putting the correct information. I then said so you guys know about this and yet you are allowing it to happen? Can’t you put out a message to your patrons or something to warn them that this is happening. I only wonder how many times I just wrote in what they suggested on the tip guide and was ripped off and how many others out there may have been doing the same. I then told corporate that I’d like a follow up call that this had been fixed and was told that won’t be happening. I then said if you can’t fix this I’ll call my local news station and let them tell everyone. He said you can do what you want.

Well I guess I’ll be on the CBS on channel 2 news in Los Angeles tonight. They sent a reporter right over.

Here is my actual bill. Look for yourself. Cheesecake Factory may be ripping you off and you don’t even know it.

Readers shared their thoughts on the story on the Mad World News Facebook page.

“Good for you for pointing out the discrepancy!” one user commented. “I’ll bet if their taxes were figured using the same math they would yell and scream!”

“Always check your bill and do your own math,” another user wrote. “This is not an isolated problem. Have found it at other places too. Some add a 20% ‘Service Charge’ and then want a discretionary tip on top of that.”

Sources: Mad World News, Mad World News/Facebook, Mike Abreu/Facebook / Featured Image: Anthony92931/Wikimedia Commons / Embedded Images: Mike Abreu/Facebook, Anthony92931/Wikimedia Commons