Restaurants and 'optional' service charges - rant

[CookieMonster]

Sorry, but I just need to have a rant about this ... dh and I went to a local Italian restaurant this lunchtime to celebrate his birthday and after a perfectly adequate meal - you know, nothing to complain about but nothing to write home about - we got the bill and found that the 'optional' service charge had already been added on. On handing over his credit card, dh asked for the service charge to be deducted, the waiter asked if something had been wrong and dh said no, we just think it is wrong to add the service charge on automatically. The waiter leaned over and said very quietly 'if you don't like the service here, please don't come back'. We were both gobsmacked ... I just walked out and left dh trying to explain that had they not added the charge on themselves, they probably would have got a tip but now have no fear, we will never darken their door again.
I don't think I have been anywhere else where they print 'optional service charge 10%' all over the menu and tell you to bugger off and not come back if you don't want to pay it.
Rant over .... sorry

Your dh was quite right, I always prefer to leave the tip in cash as I feel it has more chance of going to the staff rather than the owners that way. DH and I go fairly regularly to a Thai restaurant where it says on the menu that a 10% service charge will be added to the bill, so at least you know it's going to happen, but what really annoys DH and me is that when the credit card slip comes for us to sign there is a blank space that says 'tip'. Do they think we're going to pay the service charge twice?

I'd write a letter of complaint... and mention that you think the local press would be interested in your reader's restaurant review...

Outrageous, CookieMonster. I was gobsmacked, too, when I read what he said. Agree totally with MeanBean ... you can't be treated like that!

What a cheek! Was it the owner do you think? If not, write and complain.

yes MeanBean, we're definitely in the mood to write a letter of complaint to somebody. Funnily enough I was reading a section on the back page of the menu today about where to complain to - can't remember though now what it said and definitely can't go back to have a look!!

CookieMonster I'd be gobsmaced too. That is awful. I'd write and complain. Hope it didn't dampen your dh's birthday.

EQofN, no this was definitely not the owner ... it was the head waiter type who was really supercilious. I remember going there once years ago and dh asked if they had any garlic bread - his reply then was 'Sorry sir but we are not Pizza Hut'. And by the way, siz months later it was on the menu!

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Yorkiegirl, it was Bellinis on the Otley Road ... do you know it?

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CookieMonster, send a chum in to look at the menu, get the complaint details, then pass menu back to whoever saying 'no thanks, we wanted more authentic Italian food'.

carla, would love to do something like that to the gits ...

Yorkiegirl, do you know, I must have driven past Salvo's about a million times and I've never been! Think it might be next on the list to try.

Thanks for all your responses - I'm glad I wasn't so indignant for no reason!!

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