AIBU to request a service charge is removed before service?

[Globules]

Went to a lovely restaurant yesterday. We began by ordering at the table using the app. We expected to pay before recieving our food.

The app automatically added a 12.5% service charge to the order. There was no option to remove it.

So I went to the bar and ordered. The server put the order through the app I'd just used, therefore the total was the same. I asked her to take off the service charge. She seemed surprised, but did so.

Inside I was thinking I haven't had any service yet, how can you charge me for it now?

The server poured the 2 drinks at the bar. I carried them to our table. Another server carried our plates of food 3m from the hatch to the table.

There was no other interaction with servers at all. The servers were pleasant enough, but 20 seconds of announcing food was all it amounted to.

The food was really tasty but nothing service wise to justify the £7 service charge they asked for upfront, before you'd even experienced the service!

Hah glad I am not the only one confused by that.
I work on a public sector type phone line, I expect people to phone on Friday afternoons, they tend to as schools finish at lunchtime in Scotland so many people work half days or not at all. It would be rather boring if I was sat there with no one calling because it’s not de rigeur on a Friday afternoon. Oh and we get a wide variety of callers, some sound like they might be good tippers, others not.

Maybe stop tipping the binmen and the estate agent and give the money to your daughter?

I’ve paid for the food at a price the company worked out in order to be able to pay their employees. I tip if I feel like it. Nobody should expect it.

Yes they work hard(,I have done the job myself) but loads of people earn the minimum wage and we don't tip them. It's just ridiculous

I ask to remove service charges.

Mediocre or indifferent service is bad. You want a tip, serve well. It’s not beneath anyone.

If the industry paid a fair and decent wage employee’s wouldn’t need to rely on tips

Your issue should be with the owner’s not the customer

WTF? The cost of the food being cooked/prepared is included in the price of the food! Why on earth would you think that people should then tip the kitchen staff on top of that? 😂

Just wanted to say the chefs do
get service charge and tronc too. So in the OPs post someone has prepared the meal as well as served and someone will wash and clear up.

I work in hospitality management and see both sides, a lot of people complain about service in their front of house interaction because its the visable part but please don't forget the chefs, kitchen porters. They are all included in the same scheme.

Also
yes, cash tips are great for the waiter/ess but miss the rest of the crew and card payments mean everyone gets an equal share in their wages.

It's like the tipping stalwarts dont realise you're actually paying for the meal as well. Mind-blowing.

In the US they try adding 20% for take out

I hate it. I always ask for the automatic tic to be removed and leave a cash tip with my server. The only exception is when I’ve had awful service or it’s at a bar where I have taken my own drinks to my table.

Do you REALLY not know that this is how it works?? 😂🤣

It’s not the way ’it works’. It’s what restaurants would like. Tipping has always been discretionary. When someone points out it’s not just the server who contributes it shows up how silly it is. We don’t tip other MW workers. There’s no reason to tip restaurant staff - it’s convention, but the convention of 10% for an exceptional experience has now been widened to 12.5% for any experience (and worse in the US). It’s nonsense.

If you should pay it, it should be included in the advertised price of the food.

There is no reason not to if it isn’t optional.

I’m guessing the app and pre-pay is to prevent people (sorry, scumbags) who do a runner

YANBU
We went out for dinner recently for an occasion. The manager was unavailable and two very young servers who didnt know which table was supposed to be ours. Seated us at a table for 8 when there was 10 of us, squeezing in two extra place settings. Had to go up to the bar to get drinks ourselves, and also had to go up and get food ourselves (carvery). They ran out of soup, then the carvery went on fire and we had to wait 40 minutes before getting our mains. I laughed when I got the bill and seen they still added an automatic 10% service charge lol. Of course I asked them to remove it.

It’s up to you whether or not you pay it.

Just don’t get mad when the prices either go up or the place closes down.

I have an issue with service charges … but in completely different circumstances. One of my hobbies is fine dining. Food as art if you will … and it is not cheap! I probably splurge two - three times a year and usually try a place I haven’t tried before. So the tasting menu at one of my favourite places is £285. With drinks and coffees etc - approx £320. So £660 for two of us. I feel that a service charge of £120 for ANY service is ridiculous! There’s always some surprise when I ask for it to be removed … and usually a question as to whether there was an issue with the service … there rarely is. But I don’t want to be subjected to what I consider to be a ‘rich tax.’ I do tip. In cash. To our server. But not 20% of an already expensive meal …
I also have an issue with the daily ‘service charges’ on cruises 😂 they are added to mine and also my DDs accounts. Like my children have the money to tip 😂

If it’s a service charge, and by law given to the staff, how would they paying (or not) of it affect t(e business at all?

I'd imagine it would impact staff attraction/ retention

Couldn't care less tbh

It's a low skill job that doesn't require high rates of pay 🤷‍♀️

I agree with you. I do tip but I do think it should be optional and I hate the service charge being added as you have to be borderline embarrassed to have it removed. I also think some people are working harder / more emotionally draining / demoralising jobs for minimum wage than servers do. I’m not saying it’s right but in this country they are paid the national minimum wage unlike servers in other countries.

How? The business isn’t making it happen or not happen. The staff are getting the full pay they agreed to

Somewhere that puts a service charge on the bill, that has to legally go to staff, may be more attractive to potential staff than somewhere that doesn't. And they'll be less likely to jump ship if they get more in their pocket at Establishment A that does this than Establishment B that doesn't.