The bloody service charge!

I think 10% is a bit stingy and 12.5% is a bit fussy. 15% for good service, 20% for exceptional.

If ordering with a big group and splitting the bill, it can be awkward to discuss.

A 12.5% standard service charge takes the debate out of it.

In my view that is very mean for good service (2.5%)

I always ask the server who gets the service charge or tip and generally give at least 10% for adequate service, more for good service.

I recall speaking to a waiter post covid and he said what tough times the lockdowns were as the payments they received were based on salary whereas much of his income was tips.

I"m unsure if its legal to charge a service charge. If the restaurant does it will be paying VAT on it. Basically HMRC expect staff in restaurants to pay tax on tips soniften estimate it or you can have a tronc master paying the tax and keeping records. From the point of view of the staff member it helps if they need to get a mortgage etc. I know a local company who charge a service charge which they pay out regularly. However when staying there they were happy to have cash instead.

For tables of less than 4 people, I prefer to tip. I usually add 10% to the bill, more of service has been above and beyond.

i do agree with service charges for larger groups, especially at this time of year. It takes more effort and attention from the staff to serve larger groups and I don’t have an issue with paying for that.

I don’t tip- I don’t care either. We aren’t in America. I don’t get tipped. I don’t feel embarrassed asking to take it off. I have however found myself choosing restaurants that don’t add a tip .

One that really took the piss was six by Niko. We’d bought a gift experience with all the food and drink included and it was fully paid. They then presented a £20 tip on the full worth of the gift value 😂 it was mad

All of the - presumably wealthy people - commenting rude comments about those who don't or can't tip, how incredibly snobby and rude! Just because an extra few quid is nothing to you doesn't mean it isn't to many other people.

The price should be the price, a menu is an itemised list of how much each thing costs. Sometimes you can afford to go out for a lasagna and a soft drink and other times you can afford to go out fir steak and cocktails, just because you can't afford to pay extra on top for nothing doesn't mean you don't deserve to enjoy a meal out.

How dare you say poorer people shouldn't be allowed to eat out by looking at a menu and totting up the cost without worrying about added extras?

The majority of people I know and love are on minimum wage or thereabouts and they absolutely can and should go to eat out if it's in their budget for the month. Who on earth do you think you are to say otherwise?

This middle class tipping of the little people reeks of power play and snobbery, as has been mentioned you don't tip other minimum wage workers so why just the waiters?

Also where is the logic that a person on minimum wage should give money to another person on minimum wage? Bunch of jokers.

"I would just pay but not add another tip, obviously."

The service charge is the tip. You don't tip on top of a service charge.

I tip 10% so if that's what's included that's fine. I always check it's going to the staff.

If it 12.5% then I get a bit annoyed but CBA getting them to take it off so I can pay 10%

We went to gusto and DH asked them to take off the 12.5 so he could pay 10. It was embarrassing. It's our annual meal after the panto so I've just remembered and will book elsewhere that doesn't do this.

It's something that has started since COVID.

Now I would expect a service charge - because no one tips.

Ironically we previously would often tip more. Now we don't tip as often.

I can't live off minimum wage, and we have to do a lot more work than other minimum wage jobs (I know, I've worked plenty).

Really - you do more work than a carer in a nursing home? Its not a race to the bottom. If you want to be paid more, then study and get a job which pays more, don't 'guilt' people into giving you more money

Public sector workers will never and should never be tipped, so I'm really not sure why the NHS is relevant here

Please explain the logic behind your thought process. Many public sector workers earn the same as waiting staff for doing a much more important job that is also physically demanding, anti social hours etc and if they don't do it to a good standard people may die.

My understanding has always been that most hospitality jobs differ from other minimum wage jobs in that there is no sick pay or holiday pay, so tips make a big difference.

So you would tip £40 in a chain for 4 people?? and £50 for a meal for 2? Really - if its an up market restaurant then they are probably paid more anyway.

Its archaic to tip in this day and age

Tipping anyone can fuck right off. Never have and never will.
Don't care what others think of me for saying that.

It is taxable

and the service charge doesn’t necessarily go to the staff. The law change was that tips and SC cannot be used to pay staff so they reach minimum wage

Did you pay your share of the bill excluding tip? Or did you not pay anything?

if they were demanding you pay your share plus £70 of tip then that’s out of order.

I wonder if it can be equated with people who get regular bonuses?

We rarely eat out. The last time was six months ago, so I’m probably not up to speed with what is expected these days.

When I was a waitress working for minimum wage, I didn’t understand tipping. I’m being paid a wage to do my job, so how come on a Saturday night I’m coming out with an extra £50 cash on top when I’m already being paid and other people doing their job don’t? I wasn’t complaining but I found it bizarre and still do. I think it’s an Americanism that’s got out of control.

You’re not run off your feet by that one table though. If you are busy it’s likely that lots of tables will be tipping, and it all adds up.

It is completely free money just for doing your job that you’re already paid for. It is untaxed, and won’t affect a top up benefits claim. That sounds like something to be thankful for, not something to complain about when it’s too small.

From a hospitality perspective service charge added to bill with new laws goes directly to all staff, not an added profit margin. It’s also a lot fairer than handing a server £20 cash as service charges/gratuities are not taxed and get shared by hours worked from the potwashers, to chefs, to bartenders and hosts as well as servers.

I'm just not taking part in this awful imported American custom. They are paid a fair wage for the job here and I don't get extra tips for just doing my job that im paid for. If someone wants to tip then that is their choice and it shouldn't be forced upon people

I always just ask for without the service charge when I ask for the bill. The restaurant is just trying to embarrass you into paying the service charge and it bloody annoys me.

Everyone who says “they don’t mind” are just encouraging more places to do this. I never used to mind leaving a few quid for good service but it’s got ridiculous now, having to wait for a bill, then wait for it again whilst they take off extra voluntary charges.
This seems to be an American import but we don’t have the same system as there. Staff here are paid at least minimum wage and have the NHS etc. are other places going to start adding on service charges everywhere? Till staff, retail, care home workers, cleaners etc?

The people working in care homes are welcome to come work in a restaurant too 🤷‍♀️

It isn't the customers 'fault' I need to earn 30k a year. That's my business, and why I chose a job where I can easily have a pre tax income of 30k. Some of that comes from tips.

All I ask is that people who don't want to tip, don't give me abuse over a service charge that is decided by a head office many miles away.

Public sector workers will never and should never be tipped, so I'm really not sure why the NHS is relevant here.

Why though? They have already spent a huge amount of money in the restaurant. The restaurant is making a profit on that. If you go to a clothes shop and spend £200, maybe the shop assistant has helped pick it out, check for a different size in the back and brought it to you, smiled and then took it to the till so you could pay. Would you then tip her £40 on top?? Surely being a waiter, that is your job? You are not doing the customer a favour? Or if your car has work being done, they charge you £200 you give them a 15%-20% tip on top? I don't know anyone who does that.
I don't go out anymore as can't afford it now, but the whole tipping in restaurants and hardly anywhere else is so odd. USA have this weird set up with their waiting staff but we don't have that here. And calculated on how much you spend, they have already spent £200! Charge the price you want for the food and drinks, and don't expect people to top it up by adding "service charge".

Because in many restaurants the tip is shared. It doesn't all go to an individual, so the people washing up will get a (small) share as well. If you've got a bill for £200 I'd say it's quite likely you were there for over an hour. So your fiver for an hours work drops to maybe £1.50 an hour bonus for being run off your feet the week before Christmas. It hardly seems worth it.