Wonderful Waterloo Archive

This site is maintained by Sam Nabi as a record of the vibrant Wonderful Waterloo community, which was taken offline in 2014. This site is a partial archive, containing some posts from 2009-2013. To read more about the recovery effort and access the data in a machine-readable format, check out the GitHub page.

Symposium Café

Post #20592 Unknown date Unknown Author	Symposium Café 2-4 King Street North Waterloo, Ontario N2J 2W7 Tel: 519-746-3550 Symposium Café Waterloo is located at the historic Waterloo hotel directly at Uptown Waterloo. It seats 120 indoors and over 70 seats in a scenic patio, and has a 40 seat private room. Sunday – Thursday 8am to 1am Friday & Saturday 8am to 2am
Post #20594 12-08-2010 01:12 PM Shawn City Member Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 508 posts	I usually don't like to start out a new thread on a negative note, but I felt I needed to raise this. I've been to Symposium Cafe a few times before and have always enjoyed their atmosphere, food and service. Last night (Tuesday Dec. 7th @ 7pm) I was part of a group of 7 people who went to Symposium. It was a meeting, where 3 of us ordered full meals and the remaining 4 only drinks. Two members of our party didn't get what they originally ordered after being told later it was not available, and personally my 'substitution' was not as expected. (spicy italian sausage pasta that was seriously bland) Not everyone received their bills at the same time as some people had to leave early for prior engagements. Long story short - I paid my bill, and even though I was disappointed with the service (due to the substitution) I still tipped 12%. Now I look at my bill and they already added what looks like 16.79% . So now I find myself having paid 12% myself + 16.79% gratuity added = 28.79% Tip for an inferior dining experience !! I'm VERY disappointed with that tactic. Nowhere did I see that parties over a certain number of people gratuity would be added, nor did the server mention that if we requested separate bills, then gratuity will be added. That's underhanded and poor customer service! Yes, I realize it's also 'buyer beware' and perhaps I should have reviewed my bill more closely, but all I was looking at was the food items (to make sure I had the right bill) and the final amount. With the server standing there with the debit machine, I'm not about to check the Liquor tax subtotal, Liquor tax amount, HST subtotal, HST amount. So now I'm stuck in the predicament. Do I burn the gas to go back to collect my 12% tip back, in which case I would be lucky to break even or do I simply not go back to an establishment that has disappointed me so much. My vote is: not go back.
Post #20596 12-08-2010 01:38 PM IEFBR14 Transportation Moderator H2OWC Joined Mar 2010 1384 posts	Originally Posted by Shawn now I find myself having paid 12% myself + 16.79% gratuity added = 28.79% Tip for an inferior dining experience !!... So now I'm stuck in the predicament. Do I burn the gas to go back to collect my 12% tip back, in which case I would be lucky to break even or do I simply not go back to an establishment that has disappointed me so much. My vote is: not go back. My vote is neither. Call the restaurant and ask to speak with the manager. Explain that: 1. You and your friends had a bad dining experience. 2. Despite that you left a more than adequate tip. 3. Now you find the restaurant charged you an extra 17% "mandatory" tip. 4. And they apparently did it by stealth. I would then politely ask that they at least reverse the 17% that you didn't knowingly consent to pay. If the manager agrees and shows even minimal sympathy then consider returning. Otherwise write the place off. Make sure you let us know how this ends. There are lots of good dining establishments within a 5 minute walk of Symposium. Symposium have far more to lose than you do.
Post #20609 12-08-2010 04:32 PM panamaniac City Member Panama/France/Canada Joined Mar 2010 577 posts	It is very surprising to hear of a place adding a service charge for a group of just seven people, not all of whom were eating. Just not right, in my view.
Post #20621 12-08-2010 05:26 PM Spokes Metropolis Member Kitchener Joined Dec 2009 4708 posts	Originally Posted by Shawn Long story short - I paid my bill, and even though I was disappointed with the service (due to the substitution) I still tipped 12%. Now I look at my bill and they already added what looks like 16.79% . So now I find myself having paid 12% myself + 16.79% gratuity added = 28.79% Tip for an inferior dining experience !! I'm VERY disappointed with that tactic. Nowhere did I see that parties over a certain number of people gratuity would be added, nor did the server mention that if we requested separate bills, then gratuity will be added. That's underhanded and poor customer service! Yes, I realize it's also 'buyer beware' and perhaps I should have reviewed my bill more closely, but all I was looking at was the food items (to make sure I had the right bill) and the final amount. With the server standing there with the debit machine, I'm not about to check the Liquor tax subtotal, Liquor tax amount, HST subtotal, HST amount. Now Im not justifying anything else that happened, but I thought it's standard practice in the food industry that they add the gratuity for groups over 6 (I think it's 6...maybe it's 8) Either way, they should have said something as is usually the practice. I personally haven't had bad experiences there, but I too noticed that the waitress we had was quite bad.
Post #20683 12-08-2010 10:14 PM IEFBR14 Transportation Moderator H2OWC Joined Mar 2010 1384 posts	Originally Posted by Spokes I thought it's standard practice in the food industry that they add the gratuity for groups over 6 (I think it's 6...maybe it's 8) Whether or not it's "standard practice" they need to make clear on the menu or by the server, (1) that it's their practice, (2) what the group threshold is and (3) the percentage of the mandatory tip. None of that appears to have been the case in this case. The reason I suggested talking to the manager is so that they can hear first hand how their patrons feel about this. <RANT> As for "standard practice" the standard tip for adequate service used to be 10% with 12% to 15% if you thought the staff did an exceptional job. The "standard" percentage has since been inflated by the industry to 12%, then 15% and recently even 20%, with even more if for exceptional service. "Standard practice" also used to be that the person(s) who served you got the whole tip. Indeed I used to put the amount on the bill on my credit card and pay the waitperson personally and in cash. After all, I was tipping them for their good service. Now tips usually get pooled and distributed to everyone on staff, including the kitchen and, in some cases, even the restaurant management. Frankly I'm getting sick and tired seeing the industry slowly, subtly and stealthily finding ways to get us to pay their staff's salaries on top of paying for our meals (and what we thought the cost of labour.) </RANT>
Post #20699 12-08-2010 10:59 PM mikeyp Hamlet Member Joined Oct 2010 39 posts	maybe you should just read your reciept a little bit more carefully next time and stop blaming everyone else for your screw ups.
Post #20701 12-08-2010 11:07 PM jay City Member Bauer Lofts, Waterloo Joined Dec 2009 664 posts	I wouldn't call it a screw up, but maybe you do. I looked at what I ordered and it was correct. I hardly ever check to see if the HST is calculated properly so I rarely look that far down the bill especially with the waitress looking at me with the debit machine. It's bad practise no matter how you look at it. I was there and I'm annoyed by it.
Post #20707 12-09-2010 12:44 AM tylercee Hamlet Member Joined Dec 2009 1 posts	I would call the Manager and complain about the food, and the assumptious nature of including the tip in the bill. Gratuities(in my mind) are for good food and good service. Had I received a receipt with a tip included, I'd have flagged down the Server and bitched up a storm.
Post #20708 12-09-2010 01:49 AM Waterloo II Hamlet Member Up from Uptown Waterloo Joined Oct 2010 17 posts Talk amongst yourselves	Symposium is notorious for their bad service, they often burn through an entire staff in a short period of time, as they're always hiring which is indicative of a more serious management problem (meaning I don't even know if they would have the empathy to respond to your request).
Post #20712 12-09-2010 07:51 AM panamaniac City Member Panama/France/Canada Joined Mar 2010 577 posts	Good to know which places in town should be given a miss. To be honest, the place just hasn't seemed the same since they closed the Loo!
Post #20721 12-09-2010 09:39 AM uptownfoodcritic Town Member Joined Jan 2010 123 posts	Symposium has been bad from the start. I'm amazed that people still go there.
Post #20747 12-09-2010 11:52 AM ruud Hamlet Member Joined May 2010 23 posts	They had a $25 coupon for $10 on WagJag a couple of weeks ago, so I guess they're in need of customers.
Post #20833 12-09-2010 09:51 PM ElmiraGuy Village Member Joined Dec 2009 50 posts	Originally Posted by mikeyp maybe you should just read your reciept a little bit more carefully next time and stop blaming everyone else for your screw ups. Umm ... do you by chance work there? Have some money invested in the business? I found Shawn to have every reason to take issue with this. A tip should NOT be mandatory! The owners are already making a good mark-up on the food. If the service is good, I'm happy to tip well, and I don't look for reasons to not tip well. if the service is crap (which it sounded like in Shawn's experience), I would tip very little. I look at tips as commentary, not mandatory.
Post #20859 12-10-2010 09:26 AM Shawn City Member Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 508 posts	Update - On Wednesday Dec. 8th I emailed the Head Office of Symposium Cafe. The email was basically my original post, with a couple extra sentences including the sentence below: BTW - how do you calculate the gratuity? 16.79% seem very strange. My total bill $19.68 (including added gratuity of $2.83) Check # 462528 for the bill. In addition I request a refund of the added gratuity to the credit card I used and my personal contact details. I figure, it's 2010 and we're an online community, they have a contact email address on their website, therefore an email to their head office should solicit an equal or greater response than a call to the local establishment. To date, no response. I'll give them until Monday and follow up with a phone call or even a visit if I happen to be in Uptown Waterloo.
Post #20870 12-10-2010 10:51 AM Shawn City Member Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 508 posts	Update #2 - I just got a call from the General Manager of Symposium Cafe in Waterloo, a woman named Michelle. She was very polite and apologized for my experience, both in the double tipping and the problem with my order. She explained the added gratuity policy (7 or more people) and also noted it was written on the menu.. I'm going to have to look for that and see where it was written. She said she was also going to remind all serving staff that they must notify parties of 7 or more of the gratuity policy and to ensure people don't accidentally double tip. We also discussed the menu screw up and the poor quality of the food that was finally brought to the table. Instead of a simple gratuity refund, which is all I asked for, she kindly offered me a $25 gift certificate that I can pick up when I'm in the area. All in all I'm satisfied with things. Who wants to help me spend my gift certificate?
Post #20873 12-10-2010 11:17 AM IEFBR14 Transportation Moderator H2OWC Joined Mar 2010 1384 posts	Originally Posted by Shawn Instead of a simple gratuity refund, which is all I asked for, she kindly offered me a $25 gift certificate Congratulations! That's one reason why I suggested you contact the manager. Any reputable business is going to bend over backwards to satisfy a customer, especially a regular one, who takes the time to summarize a service issue as you did. I've done similarly over the years and have almost always gotten at least what I asked for. I suspect that $25 was a small price for them to pay for some constructive feedback, never mind your continued loyalty and the positive publicity you're giving them on this forum. (The "almost always" qualifier is reserved for the handful who didn't resolve the issue and who therefore disqualified themselves from my further business. As I said before there are lots of restaurants and pubs within a short walk of Symposium.)
Post #20893 12-10-2010 06:59 PM Trogdor Town Member Waterloo Joined Mar 2010 118 posts	Originally Posted by Shawn She explained the added gratuity policy (7 or more people) and also noted it was written on the menu.. Yeah, I think that's common practice in the industry and I've noticed it on their menu before so I know that it's there. There's no defending the poor food though. I'm glad you got a refund!
Post #22193 01-03-2011 08:57 PM Shawn City Member Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 508 posts	Update During the week between Christmas and New Year's I dropped into Symposium to collect my gift card and use it for breakfast. I think the manager who called me was on duty that day because she recognized my name and knew exactly why I was there and was very welcoming and friendly. I also noticed that she "briefed" the waiter. The food and service was very good, but a little on the expensive side. We both had the 3 egg breakfast (which is their standard breakfast) and something to drink (coffee, etc) and the bill came to just over $23....covered by the gift card, so all was good. (yes I added more for the tip) I'm pleased by the outcome of everything.
Post #27965 03-27-2011 12:32 AM thusenth Hamlet Member Guelph Joined Oct 2010 10 posts	I really enjoy the atmosphere at the Symposium in Uptown Waterloo. I've had some bad experiences with the one in Guelph, but Uptown Waterloo's Symposium is usually a good bet for a good low-key night. I may very well just be infatuated with the loft-like atmosphere with high ceilings and exposed brick though. The food is a little expensive for what you get in terms of quality, but all-in-all recommended. http://www.scoopl.com/biz/on-256875/