Petition to stop restaurants automatically adding 'optional' service charge to bills

[Surelynotpeter]

I've just been sent a link to a petition to remove service charges from being automatically added to bills in restaurants in the UK.

I really dislike when restaurant automatically add service charge to bills. Although it's marked as optional on the menu, I've found it very awkward to ask for it to very removed. I have started to do this, but then I get questioned about why I want it taken off. Instant one instance, the server said that by taking it off he wouldn't get paid as much. Suffice to say we won't be going back there.

So I've signed the petition because I think adding a tip should be totally voluntary and not the situation we have at the moment that feels a little coercive. Please consider signing it too if you agree.

Link??

I have no idea where you eat that the staff would say that.

I always ask for it to be removed and then tip cash to the actual server as I see fit.

I wouldn't sign the petition even if you posted it (which if you do, will no doubt get deleted).

I prefer it when restaurants add the service charge to the bill. Makes it much easier.

Sorry here's the link:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/764909

dd was a kitchen porter and service charge was shared between all staff which I like. She received two pay slips: one for hours worked and one for service charges. If the service is not good then I will ask for it to be removed, but generally I would point out an issue before the bill arrives and give the restaurant the opportunity to put it right.

I agree, I find tipping quite awkward so I much prefer to be shown what’s expected and pay it.

Just tell them to take it off the bill, or pay the bill less the service charge. It’s pretty easy and no petition needed.

I agree that ideally service change would not be included by default. Putting the onus on consumers to ask for it to be removed (opt out) puts them in an awkward position. Restaurants know this of course.

In other areas - eg the protection of personal data - the law requires that individuals opt in before businesses can process their personal data. Consent cannot be assumed by default subject to opt-out. A similar principle should apply to service charges.

I’m usually happy to pay service charges and tend to tip generously, but I think this should always be something done freely by the consumer

We once had appalling service, our food was forgotten, we actually had to ask for it more than once. I thought they might off a free drink or something. The waitress told us as a gesture of goodwill she would knock off the service charge. DH and DD were quite embarrassed when my response was 'Seriously?'
Sometimes people feel awkward asking for the 12.5 or 15 percent to be removed. Eating out should not result in customers feeling like that.

Signed. Tips and services charges shouldn’t be automatic or assumed …. It’s my choice if I pay.

It still is your choice?

I agree, it shouldn’t be automatically added on in a way so that the customer has to ask for it to be removed

It's not really. They're making it deliberately embarrassing and uncomfortable to have it removed.

I'd rather tips were completely legislated against, so that the price displayed on the menu is the actual price paid, but failing that, tipping should be opt in, not opt out.

I think I prefer it over "having" to tip.

But maybe they could just price the food and drink properly and do away with the idea of a service supplement at all.

My ideal would be that the cost you read on the menu is infact the total cost you are expected to pay.

i simply loath the whole concept of tipping. Loved being in Scandinavia where the cash DH insisted on leaving was collected up and returned to him.

The waitress explained she was a highly trained professional proud of her great work remunerated by a fair wage.

sow much more dignified than servers in the us explaining that a minimum of 20% extra is expected.

Signed.

Not everyone has a strong enough personality to tell them to remove the charges. I personally struggle to see the words on those small screens anyway, and I include those charity yes/no you get at the shop tills. Those should be banned too. Sick of the emotional blackmail.

Can't see a link but.... Who are you petitioning? Businesses should run how they see fit, surely?

I prefer it. I wish everywhere would do it.

I was caught by this the other day.

They'd charged me 12.5% extra. I'd normally tip 10% and was about to add that on top, lucky I realised just in time!

You've got me seethjng about it all over again OP, I might leave a google review.

I prefer it to added to the bill, don’t need to make any decisions that way, just pay what’s on there.
Dh is an overly generous tipper and prefers to put down cash, I just do what’s suggested on the receipt. Never felt like I’d had such poor service that I’d ask for the tip to be removed until very recently when half my main came out then 20 minutes later dds came out (wrong) and 10 minutes after that ds’s came out. The rest of my main never made it to the table. They were very polite about it all but essentially it was quite crap in that we all ate separately because what we had ordered was temperature dependent (one had sizzling prawns and one had steak, they just dry out and get overcooked the longer you leave them). Would have asked for the service charge to be removed but they had already taken it off.

Jolleyes actually ask you if you want buy a can of dog food for charity at the till now

It is never worth what you pay anyway, let alone 12% more, eating out is becoming a rip-off IME

Service charges are exempt from VAT or NI. So they are a very tax efficent way for restaurants to receive payment. If that cost was rolled into the food or drink charges then it would be much greater than a 12.5% increase. So I am all for them as long as they are clearly marked on the menu

Its not personal data!

You can ask for it to be removed and some places ask you first if you want it removed , but that only happened to me once. We rarely eat out now anyway as it’s all too pricy.