The bloody service charge!

That’s an exaggeration isn’t it? Unless you took your own order.

I think some are missing the point - it's the service charge being added automatically that the poster doesn't agree with, not the act of tipping. The costs of being served are already taken into account in the cost of the meal - you don't just pay for food, the bill includes all overheads including staff wages and utilities. Unless it's a large group of people where the restaurant should tell you there'll be a service charge, I always ask for it to be removed. I've had occasions where the server has literally just put the food on the table with no acknowledgement of us or any interaction, then just come to take away the plates at the end. Why would I pay the service charge or any tip at all? If there's been a bit of friendly interaction with the server and the food has been good, I would leave a 10% tip. But it will always be my choice. I worked in a pub with a restaurant serving food, I would never have wanted anyone to feel pressured to leave a tip by means of an automatically applied service charge.

If i went on a date with a tip/service charge quibbler, it'd be the last one

Because in the UK you don’t have to tip and it’s not always 10% - you can choose any amount. It’s the part of the process that requires me to evaluate the whole experience and decide how much to give or if to give at all.
Also some restaurants keep the tips and don’t share amongst staff so I feel I have to ask about that too or it seems pointless tipping when they won’t even see it.
I’m autistic and it can make me feel uncomfortable so I prefer the service charge included so I don’t need to think about it or discuss with the staff.
I hope that it’s clearer for you now and I’d appreciate you not asking me about this anymore

So why did you say working out the tip caused stress?

At our Christmas meal recently the restaurant had added a decent service charge and then when we went to pay, had added on a tip! My manager told them to take the tip off. Plus we weren’t too happy with the meal - waited over an hour for pre booked starters and one turkey parcel still had blue string in it etc

I hate this and yet I never send it back because I don't want to cause a fuss. I eat often at the same restaurant and have eaten there once a month for almost 2 years, in that time I've only once been informed that a service charge is added but I can choose to remove it if I wish.

Well fucking done! Where do we send the medal?

I’ve just been out for a fab Christmas Eve meal in a relatively expensive steak restaurant Generally visit this restaurant 4 times a year Christmas birthdays

cost roughly £215 for a 4 course meal for 2 inc a few drinks
service is always first class and irs a lovely setting
we had to be wait 15 mins for our table but it he staff explained and apologise so so it was fine
we left 220 for the meal in cash and a 20 tip

I’ve always been a generous tipper and would generally say 10 percent as we are easy to please customers 😂

Waiting staff who have been properly trained do more than just carry plates, I worked as a trained Silver Service Waitress, more is going on than you see. It's a bit like icing on a cake: you only see the dressing.

We all know it’s not just carrying plates. The role profile will be clear on the contract. The waiting staff member doesn’t necessarily work any harder than anyone else getting paid NMW for a different job.

I am NOT saying that at all. There is no comparison between those PROFESSIONS and I do not denigrate the heartbreaking, difficult and highly skilled jobs of carers. I do know about them and have also seen them in real life.

Waiting staff who have been properly trained do more than just carry plates, I worked as a trained Silver Service Waitress, more is going on than you see. It's a bit like icing on a cake: you only see the dressing.

Of course they do.

customers always pay all wages and bonus!

Because giving good service is part of the job that they’re paid to do, as explained many times on this thread. It’s nothing to do with morals.

Customers don't pay the bonuses.

We already accept bonuses and commission in loads of jobs - why is it suddenly immoral when service staff are rewarded for good service?

@carconcerns Very well explained, thank you.

Isn’t it telling that not one person here has been able to justify waiting staff getting tips or money from the service charges for doing the job they’re paid to do?

Restaurants that add it invariably state on the menu that it will be added. Therefore YABU as you know they will before you know order. And yes - unless it’s crap service, you are being miserable not to pay it.

I always pay 10% anyway so don’t mind it being added. It’s pretty standard now. I’d never request it be removed

Tell me you’ve not run a restaurant without telling me

🤣

@Newdaysameday
"One very good argument for keeping service charge as an addition to the bill total is that it incentivises the staff to work harder for the customer. If the service was absorbed into the food price you would not have the option to refuse should the service be awful."

What a joker, no matter what job you have chosen to do you should do it properly regardless of how much you're getting paid! Sounds like you're saying we're paying extra for fake pleasantries 😂 what about if other minimum wage employees did a rubbish job unless each customer bunged them a tip. If people aren't doing their job to the correct standard they should be fired.

For those saying they can't run their business without tips, then to your business isn't viable.

Regarding the apparent shortage of staff if all tipping and service charges were stopped with immediate effect it would all even out quite quickly. Good places would continue to attract custom and could choose to raise prices slightly if they wanted to. Some people might choose to not wait on anymore as they're just after the tips but they'd eventually be replaced by others who are happy to provide service with a smile.

i think it’s nice to leave a tip but I think it’s fair enough for you to choose what u want to leave

I always ask if the staff get the service charge, if they do I pay it instead of a tip.

One very good argument for keeping service charge as an addition to the bill total is that it incentivises the staff to work harder for the customer. If the service was absorbed into the food price you would not have the option to refuse should the service be awful.

I don't really get optional service charges. I would much rather they increased the price of the meal to cover staff costs and then not guilt & force me into a charitable deed that is often disproportionate and unfair to tipping arrangements for other minimum wage services.

The TRONC system (although it was introduced in the early 20th century) didn’t become widely implemented in the hospitality industry until circa 2000 I believe. At this time most tips and many bills for that matter were paid in cash.
Wait staff generally kept their individual tips and tipped out other staff members such as the table clearers etc. All staff were responsible for declaring cash tips on their tax return, although I’m not sure how many did this!

Around 2000 things changed a bit and more people were paying with cards.
The current system was made law in 2023 I think. If the restaurant pools all tips and re-distributes to all staff (which many do) the employer is then responsible for reporting these amounts, including any deductions for employee tax.

So if you choose to give a cash tip ‘under the table’, the inland revenue could lose out and the other staff who rely on the tips, such as the dish washers the poorest, often very young guys would also lose out.

Generally it’s a fair system if you understand that service is part of all staff’s the wages but it’s dependent on how well they perform.

One very good argument for keeping service charge as an addition to the bill total is that it incentivises the staff to work harder for the customer. If the service was absorbed into the food price you would not have the option to refuse should the service be awful.

I think there are so many posters on here who know nothing about the industry and to suggest all a waiter does is take food from the kitchen to the take says it all.

FYI - If tips are discretionary there is no VAT added on the service element.
If you check your total you will see that the VAT isn’t 20% of the total bill.