To think that restaurant service charges are getting out of hand?

[Comcor]

Does anyone else object to a service charge being added to their restaurant bill? I’m more than happy to tip, and would usually leave around 10 percent. If it was crap then I won’t.

I have noticed that “discretionary” service charges at restaurants are going up and up (as well as food prices).

I recently ate out and it was a 15% service charge PLUS they charged for water.

I got asked if I wanted the bill the other day; we said yes, came over with the card machine and asked if we were splitting it. We said yes. Gave us each the machine with an amount on (the second one asked if they wanted to add a tip, so the card tip became the whole problem of the second person.

Came away, have since realised we haven't even seen the bill!!

What service is the 'service charge' for though? Something additional to what you are already paying for?

The establishment would be told!! What a fucking cheek! Glad I no longer eat out.......

Don't get me started on the prompt to "double tip". When the full amount of the bill, plus service charge is added to the card machine, and then you are prompted "do you want to add tip?". Erm, it's already added....

That's the one that gets my goat too; I've no problem with tipping if all's gone well, but object to being taken for a mug who might pay repeatedly

Can't agree about asking the servers if they get any of the charges though, firstly because that's between them and their employer, and secondly because there's just too much incentive to lie if they think there's a chance of more coming their way

I would rather tip the waiter in their hand for the simple fact I know where the money is going

One thing to watch out for with tipping is whether staff who are in their probationary period are eligible for the tips. At many places they aren't and if the restaurant or cafe is in an area with high staff turnover then you end up basically just tipping management.

One of my sons worked at a coffee shop (big chain) and despite working far more hours than the managers wasn't allowed any of the tips for months. One of the long term employees only worked four hours but still took their share of the tip whilst my son was often working 60 plus hours a week and getting nothing. They were happy for him to have the responsibility to open the store but not to share the tips.

It was cafe Nero.

Another example was when I went to a newly opened chain restaurant in Birmingham. I asked about the tips and the waiter (who was a manager) said they were divided between all the staff but when I asked about staff in the probationary period if they were eligible he grudgingly admitted they wouldn't get tips. It turned out only a couple of the staff were eligible for the tips as they had been bought in from other branches. They must have been raking it in.

Third, similar but different, example was when my daughter worked for an extremely busy Buffet restaurant. The manager kept all the tips and sacked any staff who told customers that they didn't receive tips. This was a good few years ago when wait staff weren't as in high demand.

I leave tips but I'm not shy to ask for details!

You're conflating two separate issues /countries.

So do you beleive in the UK that tipping should be the norm?regardless of whether I have :

Had good service?
Enjoyed the meal?
Can afford it (after my local nice pub - now charges 19£.for roast that was 12.00 pre pandemic?)...

Thats just taking the piss - counter service service charge.

I agree with this! Recently went for a meal with 6 of us and we tipped quite well. The table next to us with 16 people on it actually underpaid! Because they are regulars the restaurant let them get away with it 😳 I was shocked that they wouldn’t even pay the full price let alone a tip!

Similar to PP’s. We went to a local expensive restaurant. They had changed to 10% service charge automatically added. When we asked the waitress if she would actually get any of the 10%, she said that the management had said there was no way to work out the tips from the bills, so they didn’t get anything! You would think that they could just take 10% of the total bills, and split it between the staff, but I guess that some people refuse to pay it?

Tipping doesn't sit right with me. I used to work in food and our managers used to take a big share of the tips at the place where we got them. At another place we never saw the tips; the boss said it was tips "for the restaurant" not for us.

At a third place we weren't allowed to accept any tips but we were sent home if it wasn't busy enough on sales and when customers tried to give me a tip, I'd have to put it in the charity box wishing they'd all just bought a donut or something so I wouldn't get sent home early due to low sales.

I think what I don't like about it is, it's a very capitalist solution to the fundamental inequality of people on a lower wage serving people on a higher wage, and the assumption is that the person eating out is on a higher wage and therefore can afford to tip, which isn't necessarily the case.

Me too. And it’s not an American import, the UK has had fixed service charges for decades.

I always tip unless the service is poor. Where I go regularly I always get a better table and better service as a result - win-win

I only tip for exceptional service from one wait staff, and most places I’ve been recently you end up with many members of staff waiting on all tables. I ask rarely have cash and the tip rarely goes to the waiter when paying by card.

I work in care getting barely more than minimum wage. My job consists of clearing up bodily fluids and behaviour that can become very challenging and aggressive, sometimes downright dangerous whilst giving my all to give my residents a good level of care. I am not allowed to accept any tips.

If it comes on the receipt as a service charge I refuse, then leave a cash tip to the actual person who served us. I’m not sure how it works through the til, but I want to leave a tip for the employee who actually served us, not split tips, shared or out through into wages then taxed on.

I don't mind 10-12.5% being added automatically because it saves me having to work it out, but you're perfectly at liberty to only pay for the food.

I'll nearly always tip and find it easier if added to the bill. But I agree it is awkward to have it removed, and maybe it should only be applied automatically to larger parties.

I think where service charge is added the restaurant shouldn't "assume" more than 10%, which is a fair tip as a proportion of any bill, IMO. A customer can always choose to increase (I sometimes do).

I agree, it is awkward to ask to have it removed. We also always tip, but if it’s for example somewhere expensive at lunchtime, 10% is probably enough. That doesn’t necessarily seem to mean that any of the restaurant staff will be getting the tip though.

Maybe calling it a “service charge” should be banned? Call it a tip, and it has to go to the staff, instead of possibly the restaurant/owner.

I have been caught out by the 12.5% thing recently too. It seems so much more painful than a 10% tip, which I’ve always given as standard.

I also think that the assumption that it must be affordable if you’re eating out anyway is not true. I will take my kids out for a meal as a treat, and in this case a percentage tip on the whole bill falls very differently than if you are eating out with friends - with friends you can split the tip, but with your kids the parent is paying the tip for several people’s meals. I will often just drink tap water and have the cheapest thing on the menu myself so that the kids can have a nice drink and pudding. But sometimes I wonder why I bother when that extra 2.5% on the tip cancels it out.

YANBU.
I’ve never really understood percentage tipping really. Why give a greater tip because you ordered the most expensive steak rather than the burger or an alcoholic drink rather than a coke? How does that affect the service?
I’ve asked for service charges to be removed plenty of times and then just given cash tips and tip as I see fit or what I feel I can afford - which on occasion has actually been more than the service charge. It gives me a really bad impression when this is done and puts me off frequenting again. 15% is taking the piss - I wouldn’t pay it and I wouldn’t return, I think it’s quite insulting to the customer. It’s just a bit silly and unnecessary really, this isn’t the US.

I think it’s so cheeky that they are adding on service charges - we just had one added today and we needed to rush out so I've only just seen it. I agree with others though it’s awkward to ask for it to be removed.

A few years back we were in California and were using up change in a restaurant before heading back for a flight. I used $1 notes and coins and we had double checked what we had before the meal - somehow $10 went missing..! Still a mystery but I think they didn’t like the fact the tip was on the low side - more like 10% than the 25% they were hoping for. The waitress actually said - you haven’t got another $10? We will have to put it that you have underpaid your meal 😮I felt bad at the time but when we were driving away I realised what they had done! Very cheeky. California pay minimum wage too - so the tip should have been whatever I wanted it to be.

Yes totally wrong to add it especially when the don’t mention it on the menu before hand - if they do this to me it will be removed and I probably won’t be back as it’s extremely cheeky
in France the service must be included in the price by law much better system imo
if they feel they need to charge more to cover staff wages then put the prices up so customers can see what they will be charged up front rather than being sneaky - I work for minimum wage and don’t get tipped so I really don’t like the whole concept of service charges tbh

Why? I totally agree with @AMorningstar

It can be a tricky one. I think the price stated should be what you pay and that should include 'service', or let me know when it's ready and I'll pop into the kitchen myself....a tip I'd different. I consider this optional. I'm not awkward/fussy enough to require exceptional service, I just want my order to be taken correctly and then the meals I've ordered to be brought over in a timely manner. When I've finished take away my empty plates. My friends/family would each chip in to the nearest fiver/tenner. That's your tip.
I think the fact that we mostly pay by card makes a difference. I don't. I generally take cash unless I'm expecting to pay for others.

I would assume the service charge was the tip.

Makes it far easier to just pay the 10%
I usually tip more if not included.
I paid £17.50 for tonights dinner ( solo)
I gave the waitress £3 - so more than 10%
I like to tip