Why do Michelin restaurants charge a service fee....

[Minusorange]

When they're already charging well over £100 for a simple lunch, and over £200 for dinner along with £100+ for a pairing of wine ?

Why can't they just increase prices 10% instead of adding 10% on the bill ?

Psychologically I resent paying the additional 10% while I wouldn't complain if the 10% was already priced into the menu

It's not like you've even got a choice to go and get the food from the Chef yourself so really serving charges should be part of the price, not an additional charge at the end

Should tipping for somebody doing the job they are already paid to do still even be a thing in 2023 ? It's not like you tip the postman, or the plumber, or the train driver for doing their job satisfactorily

 

[Minusorange]

Servers could be on minimum wage though, or worse, an 'apprenticeship...'

It doesn't make sense though, is there some tax benefit to avoid paying them a wage equal to 10% more expensive menus vs giving the 10% tip ?

It's not like service is difficult to require more than minimum wage though, you're literally just ferrying plates to tables and taking orders ? Does good service even exist ? I don't think it does, there's just "Service" or bad service where things don't go expected

 

[Minusorange]

If it was added to the bill, you wouldn’t get the option of asking for the service charge to be taken off. If you don’t like the idea of paying it then don’t.

I don't mind paying for service as part of the bill, I just don't like them adding it at the end of the bill and giving you a faux choice, where if you say no, you're an *******, unless the service was truly terrible but rarely do you get terrible service, you just get typical service mostly, I guess if the waiters did cart wheels or magic tricks you could say it was "good" service

 

[Minusorange]

Of course it’s got tax benefits, your effectively paying the waiter cash in hand.

How if I'm paying on my card ?

 

[Minusorange]

And yes, good service does exist - If you haven't picked up on the difference, you haven't been going to the right restaurants!

What is good service ? Unless they start giving massages or sorting my taxes while I eat or something beyond service, then it's just merely "service" and if there's issues, then it's bad service

For instance there's service on a first class flight, from the lounge with free drinks & food, to the flight, with the attendants taking care of you, you don't even tip them for this as it's pretty much standard on first class

In a restaurant it's just taking your order, drinks and checking if your food was okay, there's not much more to it, maybe suggesting a drink to go with the meal, there aren't levels of good, there's either service or bad service

 

[Minusorange]

Then apply that concept to literally every aspect of the operation - That's what makes Michelin-standard service"

That's not good service though, as said it's standard service

Taking my example of first class, if I went in economy or business, I wouldn't expect the same level, because it's cheaper

Likewise Michelin vs non Michelin, there's different expectations of service but there's no "good" service, there's only service or bad service

 

[Minusorange]

What you're paying for in a Michelin place is service above and beyond anything a normal restaurant

So it should be part of the price factored in, not as an "optional" (let's be honest it's not optional because it's generally a faux pas if you deny the tip unless service was bad)

The service in a Michelin restaurant is obviously good in comparison to a Weatherspoons, but it's also 20x more expensive and to get Michelin, that service has to be standard, so it's not good service, but standard service

I just don't see why it can't be part of the bill, instead of a peer pressured "optional choice", this isn't just for Michelin but generally any restaurant, just pay your staff a proper wage without relying on "tips" but more so for Michelin because of the price everything costs

 

[Minusorange]

Do you ever go to restaurants? There are definitely different qualities of service. I went to a Chinese restaurant recently where they had no problem reaching across you, armpit in face, mid conversation, to get something. That is bad service.

The quality is relative to the price, if you're paying Michelin prices, you expect a Michelin service, as I've already said, yes the service is "good" when you compare to a Weatherspoons however at 20x the price of a Weatherspoon that service is relative and is just "standard" for Michelin so you can't really compare as it's basically apples to oranges

 

[Minusorange]

You said they just ferry plates. That's not true.

If you don't like being pampered and they get the hint, then ferrying plates is all they hopefully do, if I want waffle, I'll order waffle I guess you could ask why bother going to a restaurant then ? To eat the food

But it's not really the point, I said I don't mind paying for service if it's in the menu price, there's absolutely no reason to add it at the end with a socially polarising choice to either pay or look an ahole

 

[Minusorange]

Their service in your average restaurant is a million times better than it is over here.

Because their lives depend on it