The bloody service charge!

Depends. I would normally tip 10%. Sent one back the other day for a work lunch. They had added 25%!

Because I want to. I don’t think it ‘obscene’ and also, from my experience as a waitress, we used to split tips with the kitchen. With that in mind, 25% on a good dining experience seems fair to me.

So what happened? I presume they didn't actually barricade you in?

This isn’t America!

I think I'm somewhere between the OP and others on this thread saying you should tip. I have always tipped but I am also getting annoyed at the discretionary service charge being added on when I think the service is getting worse. Surely a tip should be for "good" service or above - not doing the bare minimum?

I eat out a lot and I am getting more irritated at places where they add on 12.5%-15% or more (I'm in London) and literally all they do is take the order and bring it. I'm often having to flag someone down more than once to, say, order another drink, or chase up a sauce that I requested when my meal arrived, or to say we'd like to see dessert menus etc. Noone has come to check if everything is ok with my food or if we'd like anything else etc. And then the service charge as mentioned is added. I feel like nothing "bad" has happened enough to take it off but if we are supposed to be viewing it as a "tip for good service" surely you have to do more than just take an order and deliver the food? This is the grey area that irritates me.. I would not have tipped in these circumstances but it also does not feel "bad" enough to warrant taking it off and that awkward conversation! I don't think it should be included automatically, but I have no issue with tipping for good service (although, again, I think 10% or slightly over if we want to make it a round figure is fine).

On a related note, I was looking at Gaucho's festive set menu the other day and considering it - 3 courses for £55..then I noticed in the small print below saying "a COMPULSORY 13% service charge will be added to your bill".. that shocked me and immediately made me decide to go elsewhere!

But it isn't the customers fault you can't live off minimum wage.

If you need to earn £14.50 an hour, go and get a £30k a year job.

People in care homes are working harder than a waitress. As are HCA or cleaners in the NHS.

NO! It is not the bare minimum.

10% is not the bare minimum. The bare minimum is the base amount on the bill.

£5 is just an added bonus taking their salary to £17.50 an hour for that hour but potentially much more if more than one table is tipping them.

If a waitress has 5 tables over 2 hours, and each table spends £100 (likely much more), that's £500 for the 2 hours. At 10% that's £50 extra in tips.

It’s easier. Takes the stress out of working out how much to tip.
If service has been bad, I ask for it to be removed.

I think the price should cover everything anyway. What is 'service charge' supposed to be for? You can't eat in a restaurant without being served so it's all part of the deal. It's like 'booking fees'. Surely the cost of administering a booking is factored into the price. I'm against tipping anyway because it's often unfair on staff behind the scenes, it encourages employers to pay badly and it enables dishonest people to dodge income tax. (How many actually declare their tips?)

Where I work we have a 7% service charge. It literally says on the bill please ask if you want it removing, it's totally optional. It is on the menu too.

Every single day I get some idiot ranting and raving at me about how dare I presume I am getting a tip etc etc. How dare we not tell them first! But we do? It's on the bill - I always circle it with a pen too.

Without the money I get from the service charge I wouldn't and couldn't work there - 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). I would rather simply earn all my wages from my employer, but as it is, it's minimum wage plus tips. You don't tip in Next, but I wouldn't work in Next because I would know I wouldn't get tips. I would need to work somewhere that paid me the same I get with tips - around £14.50 per hour.

Basically, if you don't want to pay it just say. Don't kick off at someone who has zero control over the service charge - and who would also probably prefer to simply get paid that amount by their employer!

Me too!

My job we aren’t allowed to receive any money as thanks. even as a team. Any ‘gift’ over £20 value also must be declared.

Why? 25% that’s obscene amount of tip! We aren’t the US!

Where’s that?

tips are not compulsory - I tip for good service but not a %

DS is a bar manager of somewhere that serves food and says the same

10% would be bare minimum, £5 is leaving barely more than nothing, or an insult, on a £200 bill.

It’s fine to ask for the service charge to be removed and it’s fine not to tip. Tipping is something that should be discretionary if the customer feels the service warranted it.

I hate how tipping is supposed to be based on a percentage of what was ordered. It makes no difference to the service received or waiting staff workload whether they bring out champagne and lobsters or a baked potato and Diet Coke. Percentage tipping is pretentious bollocks.

Why is it? The waiter gets paid the same regardless. £5 extra for less than an hour is fine

The only person I ever tip is my hairdresser 😬

We have eaten out in Bath a few times (dd was at uni there) and the prices are already much higher than they are in other places. We don’t pay the service charge, we can’t afford too and we don’t expect to have too. Eating out for us is a rare treat that I have to save money for, I don’t want to have to pay an extra £10-£20 on what I expected to pay.

Your guess is as good as mine! We get people from all walks of life. And many many people who like to pick at things. They get a good service. Leave a great review. But will deduct a statement for not having service charge.🤣 Just add a couple of pounds if you are that bothered.

We cant win either way.

Had someone the other day order rice, then complain she didnt want rice... I took the order so I know it wasn't a mix up.🤣

We pay minimum wage in this country, so the service charge is a discretionary extra. Some pay it, but there is no reason to. There's no reason to villify people who chose to pay a different amount, not to pay it at all or just pay it cos its on the bill.

I would be happy to be insulted by hundreds of people every year giving me a fiver for simply doing my job.

Another one who has never received a tip.

But why should it be!!

Imagine going to Lidl and spending £100 only for you to be asked to pay £112.50.

We are not the US. We don't pay our staff $2 a hour. They are on over £12 an hour in a relatively easy job (I waitressed for 2 years).

Then you're incredibly mean

Why on earth would anyone think that not adding a service charge would mean you didn’t allow tipping? Are they being deliberately thick? Restaurants didn’t use to add this to the bill, and everyone knew tipping was allowed.

It’s now 12.5% where I live!

How generous of you.