Maintaining customer trust through honestyMaintaining customer trust through honesty

When Kenneth Boxer called, you could hear the sense of betrayal in his voice.

Boxer is the owner of the Italian restaurant Palazzio in Santa Barbara, Calif., a restaurant known for its generous plates of pasta and servers who might spontaneously sing along to Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore” on a Saturday night. He he was calling to share his story of a scam he fears might be happening in restaurants across the country.

Recently, Boxer said, he discovered that a server he had employed for about 18 years was double charging customers for tips.

The restaurant has had a long-standing policy of including an automatic gratuity on parties of six or more, which is noted on the menu. It’s also the restaurant’s policy that servers are supposed to make t...