Service charge on bill

[Hollychristmasjoy]

I thought of this from the back of a thread I read on here recently and it really is a first world problem! So sorry in advance.

When splitting the bill do you also split the service charge equally or go to the faff of working out your own %.

I recently went out for a meal with friends for one of their birthdays. My friend is a chef at this restaurant and gets 40% off the total bill. It’s not a cheap place to eat but not the ritz either. For example, my main was £30.

I had a starter, main, pudding and 2 cocktails.

Birthday girl had the same as me.

Friend 1 had a main and 2 cocktails.

Friend 2 had just her main and drank tap water.

On top of the above we also got given a extra 2 cocktails each for free because it was my friends birthday.

The bill came to approx £230. The service charge was 12.5% and the amount stated was pre discount, not after (I’m not complaining about this) so approx £28 ish.

Everyone paid for what they ate and drank after the 40% was removed but we split the service charge equally.

Friend 2 only owed £10 for her meal (after discount) as that’s all she had and she had a cheaper item on the menu.

But When collecting the cash I said It was £10 + £7 for the service charge… Now I think for a split second she was about to say something but I’m unsure if I imagined it although it’s got me wondering if she thought it was unfair.

I’m wondering if what I did was right… as technically the service charge was only higher as the rest of us had more but at the same time it seems extreme to start splitting the service charge by %. It also never crossed my mind that it would be seen as unfair until my friend hesitated.

So WIBU to split it equally? And before anyone mentions it ..no I wouldn’t ever ask them to remove a service charge unless the service was terrible! and I certainly wouldn’t do it in my friends place of work.

[Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim]

To be honest I think its ridiculous there is a service charge at all. Maybe sh3 feels the same. I would've either not eaten somewhere with it or asked for it to be removed.

[Testina]

@GoodThinkingMax

Of course you weren’t unreasonable. A service charge is a fixed thing.

Although I do think restaurants which charge it, rather than assume that diners will tip, are unreasonable.

I suppose had it been a tip rather than a fixed, per head charge, she’d have paid less. But really, what a faff…

Was it a fixed, per head charge? That’s not how I read OP’s posts: it was a % of spend.

[Funkyslippers]

Svara yes it's easier but it's not compulsory unless it states that service charge is added. They can't just add it on if they feel like it. If the service charge isn't stated but they add it on I wouldn't pay it unless I was in a big group

[Batshitkerazy]

@Idontgiveagriffindamn

I think yabu. The service charge would be calculated as a percentage of the overall bill. So if it was 10% and her meal cost £10 then if she had gone buy herself she would have paid £1. Paying a larger service charge because of the choices of others doesn’t feel fair.

She couldn’t have gone by herself and just spent a tenner, it was a tenner because of the other friends discount and 2 free cocktails

[FAQs]

I’m not sure why the Op posted, she is obviously unreasonable, has been told so over and over, still disagrees and responds sarcastically to anyone who disagrees.

[BabyDreamers]

I always ask them to take the service charge off. I don't mind tipping but not 12.5%

[Ontomatopea]

@Sweatinglikeabitch

Your responses have been really catty and condescending when you've not been given the answer you wanted. Maybe she didn't feel able to challenge you. You've come to mumsnet to complain over a perceived pause in giving you her money. Can't imagine how you'd speak to her if she'd said anything.

I would be interested to know her side of the story that's for sure

[Funkyslippers]

I've only once been charged a service charge when I'm not in a big group. I didn't pay it

[purplechaos]

I think the fairest approach is for everyone to pay the 12.5% on what they ordered rather than splitting it evenly. I don't follow the argument of "we all received the same amount of service, so it doesn't make sense to split it". It's not a lump sum - it's expressly tied to the value of the items you ordered. Effectively a tax. So if the value of your items is more you pay more.

[Hollychristmasjoy]

@drawacircleroundit

OP, you’re now reaching with the “if she thought it was unfair then she could of worked it all out herself but it was left to me”.
The hesitation you describe came after you had announced the individual contributions. Your poor friend probably would have asked for the service charge to be 12.5% of individual bills if you had raised it.
I still would send her a text. She’s possibly thinking about it now, maybe chatting about it with the other friend… I think you need to own this one and say you’ll make up up somehow with a coffee. I promise you’ll feel better as the fact you started this thread suggests you’re a nice person who knows they might have messed up a teeny bit.

I won’t be sending her a text about it.

I cut her hair for free every couple of months and Iv coloured it for free multiple times.

I started this thread for when we next go out so I can be more aware but il also just let someone else sort the bill and pay whatever I’m asked to pay as it seems easier.

[Hollychristmasjoy]

Just to note, This is the birthday girls place of work. No one wanted to embarrass her by asking for the service charge to be removed especially since we had free drinks also.

[TheTeenageYears]

I think these are quite specific circumstances because of the discount and free cocktails. Friend got the benefit of 2 free cocktails despite a very low spend so if you look at the full price of everything she had, include the £7 service charge and look at what she paid the overall % discount was probably very similar to the discount you received because you spent more and had the same 2 free cocktails. If there was no discount and no free cocktails I would say it was unfair to split a service charge created as a % equally with such differing amounts spent but in this case I think it was fair and the easiest way to work out the bill.

[Tollystar]

I started this thread for when we next go out so I can be more aware but il also just let someone else sort the bill and pay whatever I’m asked to pay as it seems easier.

Sounds very wise, but if you are lumbered with this job again, the script goes: "The service charge is set at 12.5%, so can everyone make sure you round up sufficiently to cover this"

[Rogue1001MNer]

Well, I don't think you were unreasonable at all.

But then, I agree with @VladmirsPoutine

Also, you'd all agreed to the venue, which was the workplace for one of your group, so presumably the staff know you. You were looked after well. Why wouldn't you tip generously.
Life is swings and roundabouts. If someone "loses" one time, they'll "win" another, and you can make sure this happens don't think it's a big deal.

[Hollychristmasjoy]

@Ontomatopea

I would be interested to know her side of the story that's for sure

I can assure you my friend is perfectly capable of ‘challenging me’.

Im sure if she thought I was such a bad friend she wouldn’t make me maid of honour at her wedding next year and be going away in November together. She would probably stop stopping around for cups of tea and cake too.

I was just simply asking if others thought it was unfair so when we next go out we can split it differently (or il just make one of them work it out instead).

Im a good friend, Iv done a lot for this friend and she has for me.

[Twiglets1]

@Hollychristmasjoy

Just to note, This is the birthday girls place of work. No one wanted to embarrass her by asking for the service charge to be removed especially since we had free drinks also.

I agree it would have been inappropriate to ask for the service charge to be removed seeing as you were looked after so well including free cocktails.

You don't need to send your friend a text (she didn't even comment did she, just looked a bit taken aback). I think the lesson learnt is just to be a bit more mindful next time that most people (according to your poll) think it fairer for service charges to be split as a percentage of what individuals order. Next time I would just remind people when working out how much everyone owers that "the service is 10% or 12.5%)" and they should then volunteer the extra money.

[Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim]

@Rogue1001MNer

Well, I don't think you were unreasonable at all.

But then, I agree with @VladmirsPoutine

Also, you'd all agreed to the venue, which was the workplace for one of your group, so presumably the staff know you. You were looked after well. Why wouldn't you tip generously.
Life is swings and roundabouts. If someone "loses" one time, they'll "win" another, and you can make sure this happens don't think it's a big deal.

Tip people...for doing their job..that they are paid for.

Can we please not blindly walk into their Americanism BS

[Ontomatopea]

@Hollychristmasjoy

I can assure you my friend is perfectly capable of ‘challenging me’.

Im sure if she thought I was such a bad friend she wouldn’t make me maid of honour at her wedding next year and be going away in November together. She would probably stop stopping around for cups of tea and cake too.

I was just simply asking if others thought it was unfair so when we next go out we can split it differently (or il just make one of them work it out instead).

Im a good friend, Iv done a lot for this friend and she has for me.

Shes probably wondering if she can get out of any of these. Seriously if you're that close to her then send her a text and some of the money back.

[ClocksGoingBackwards]

The friend can’t expect to go to a swanky restaurant on a tenner. She shared the experience and should share the tip.

[burnoutbabe]

@GoodThinkingMax

Of course you weren’t unreasonable. A service charge is a fixed thing.

Although I do think restaurants which charge it, rather than assume that diners will tip, are unreasonable.

I suppose had it been a tip rather than a fixed, per head charge, she’d have paid less. But really, what a faff…

It's never a fixed charge Of £x per person, it's always a %!

so yes dividing it by 4 is very unfair when it's calculated as a percentage of spend.

[Hollychristmasjoy]

@Ontomatopea

Shes probably wondering if she can get out of any of these. Seriously if you're that close to her then send her a text and some of the money back.

Should the birthday girl also send her a couple of pounds too since she also had the same as me? Or is it just myself that should offer her a few pounds?

[Hollychristmasjoy]

@Ontomatopea

Shes probably wondering if she can get out of any of these. Seriously if you're that close to her then send her a text and some of the money back.

Also I very much doubt she’s wondering if she can get out of these.

Going away was her suggestion.

[Applegreenb]

@burnoutbabe

It's never a fixed charge Of £x per person, it's always a %!

so yes dividing it by 4 is very unfair when it's calculated as a percentage of spend.

This was my question to OP if it was a fixed or percentage. Some very up scale places have a fixed service charge. They wouldn’t add 10% to £2000 bottle of champagne for example. I worked in a place where it was a flat service charge for the table regardless of what you ordered, it’s not common but does happen

[Testina]

It’s not for you to decide what the birthday girl does. Honestly I’d be embarrassed at you sending me money, or suggesting it. I’d appreciate a text that said, “hey - cold light of day and it seems unfair that you ordered so much left but got hit for same share of service charge. Let’s balance it out next time!”

[Augend23]

I think the issue with the service charge this time is that you have the Bill (b)

Service charge is b * 0.125 = s


But then the discounted amount without the service charge is: b0.6 = d

b0.6 + s = p

So p = b0.6+b0.125 = p = b*0.725

So everyone owes 72.5% of the menu cost.

Or they owe 12.5/60 = 21% on top of their discounted amount.

If everyone put 12.5% on top of the £10 they owed the bill would be short by a significant chunk.

Obviously that's quite a lot of maths!

I probably would have eyeballed it after 4 cocktails - I think I would have concluded they owed £2-£3 and divvied everything else similarly. I can see why you didn't but that is the sort of thing that pisses me off.