service charges in restaurants

Mesai · 25 Jul 2023 at 06:40

It’s only going to get worse. I have no issue rewarding great service, but I can see it following America where companies use it to compensate for terrible wages.

Hopefully people don’t just accept stupid tip amounts and encourage the bad behaviour.

Terminal_Boy · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:10

Look closely at the menu in any restaurant in France and you‘ll see “15% service compris” printed on it somewhere. This comes from La France making a minimum wage mandatory in 1985 (“Le SMIC”) and this statement dates from then to tell customers that staff are being paid at least the minimum wage and this was included in the price of the meal.

Some restaurants have a tip jar next to the till in the hope of catching any small change, but tipping still isn’t expected.

wesley · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:42

Went to a Thai restaurant, nearly £110 for 6 of us, service charge was like £14. I asked them to remove the service charge. They asked why I said it's like paying for another person's plate. They didn't found it funny and REFUSED to remove the service charge.

At the end I said we'll go without paying or remove the service charge..they removed it at the end and gave us the nasty looks from all waitresses and even the chefs came out to look at us. Bully

Efour · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:46

Exactly I'm far too much of a polite pussy to actually confront the manager or whatever I'll just moan for the next week.

Bear · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:50

wesley said:
Went to a Thai restaurant, nearly £110 for 6 of us, service charge was like £14. I asked them to remove the service charge. They asked why I said it's like paying for another person's plate. They didn't found it funny and REFUSED to remove the service charge.

At the end I said we'll go without paying or remove the service charge..they removed it at the end and gave us the nasty looks from all waitresses and even the chefs came out to look at us. Bully

That is tight, you begrudged chipping in £2.33 each? The refusing to remove it is another thing altogether though and I would have done what you did and said I wont pay the bill then

200sols · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:54

Stupid American culture.

BUDFORCE · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:55

One less reason to go out for a meal, excellent.

To have to leave my house, the potential to have to make small talk with other people (god forbid) pay way over the odds for food you could cook at home better for a fraction of the price.

No thank you.

I only like going out for breakfast really, local cafe or similar, and they don't put 10% on.

Destination · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:56

GuruJockStrap said:
I'm happy to pay providing the service I received has been great but more importantly, that all of that service charge goes to the individual.

Precisely this. Who is the service charge going to?
Is it instead of a tip? In theory it should be, but I am not convinced that sort of thing is.

200sols · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:56

Bear said:
That is tight, you begrudged chipping in £2.33 each?

Why is it tight? Basically adding 10% to everything you buy. Tipping is stupid.

dansew123 · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:59

wesley said:
Went to a Thai restaurant, nearly £110 for 6 of us, service charge was like £14. I asked them to remove the service charge. They asked why I said it's like paying for another person's plate. They didn't found it funny and REFUSED to remove the service charge.

At the end I said we'll go without paying or remove the service charge..they removed it at the end and gave us the nasty looks from all waitresses and even the chefs came out to look at us. Bully

Good on you. Sounds like they didn’t deserve it anyway

Destination · 25 Jul 2023 at 07:59

CAPTAINBUMFLUFF said:
I saw that video, said "its a nice house for only a $5 dollar tip". The USA is too extreme with the tips, everywhere you are recommended to tip ~20%. Was in Shakeshack in Seattle and even the self serve machines prompt you to tip.

Indeed, the US, the great free society where no one seems to be paid a wage, and relies on begging from the consumer for doing their job.
Service society my arse! It is the greatest trick every played upon their population, we the employer don't need to pay you, as you will do such a bang up job begging that the customer will pay twice!
Apparently they tip sales assistants in a clothes shop. ******* hell.

Bear · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:00

One thing to also note is that many restaurants state that any party of 6 or more, a service charge will be applied to the bill. Its normally written on the menu, so is stated up front and quite normal in many of the places I've been to

Bear · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:03

200sols said:
Why is it tight? Basically adding 10% to everything you buy. Tipping is stupid.

Because its £2.33, moaning about that amount of money is ridiculous

Kenai · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:04

jcr said:
my girlfriend went to the local Thai with friends the other day. when they got the bill there was a 10% service charge added on.
is this a new thing? is it compulsory? when did tipping become compulsory?
if i were there i would have told them to jog on.
a table of 6 with 3 courses each plus drinks is quite a hefty bill and 10% on top of that is taking the Mick!

I suspect I know which restaurant you're talking about, I went there a few weeks ago.

The menu says a service charge will be added and they were quite open about asking if I was happy to leave it on the bill, so no issue with that for me.

I suspect most places like this would get less grief if they simply added 10% to their pricing but then people who object couldn't ask for it to be removed, swings and roundabouts.

200sols · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:07

Bear said:
Because its £2.33, moaning about that amount of money is ridiculous

No, its 10%. Its not ridiculous. Why not add 10% to everything you buy after all its only a small amount and not doing so would be tight.

darkgen · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:12

I employ the rule of thumb that if a service charge is applied to bill, no tip. If not, I'll tip 10%. I rarely go out to eat anymore since COVID; dropped from about ~30 restaurant visits a year to perhaps 3 or 4.

Bear · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:13

200sols said:
No, its 10%. Its not ridiculous. Why not add 10% to everything you buy after all its only a small amount and not doing so would be tight.

What do you mean no, its £2.33 and its also 10% and moaning about such a insignificant amount of money is tight. Not going to bother discussing the rest of your argument as its reductive to the absurd

200sols · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:15

Bear said:
What do you mean no, its £2.33 and its also 10% and moaning about such a insignificant amount of money is tight. Not going to bother discussing the rest of your argument as its reductive to the absurd

Its 10%. I'd rather keep the 10% than give it to somebody else. Its quite simple.

Bear · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:17

200sols said:
Its 10%. I'd rather keep the 10% than give it to somebody else. Its quite simple.

I get it, you failed at life and moan about chipping in two quid. Tighter than a ducks backside. Dont tell me, you only paid the itemised bill on what you consumed with your pals as well

Kenai · 25 Jul 2023 at 08:19

Bear said:
I get it, you failed at life and moan about chipping in two quid. Tighter than a ducks backside. Dont tell me, you only paid the itemised bill on what you consumed with your pals as well

Sounds more like the type to go for the £45 Surf and Turf while everyone else has a £15 salad and then casually suggest just splitting the bill equally