“An optional 12.5% service charge will be added to your bill”
I don’t understand. They add it to the bill but you can ask to have it taken off?
A list of restaurants
jonattonyeah I don’t understand. They add it to the bill but you can ask to have it taken off?
Yup, that’s the bit that makes it optional.
That’s weird. There are people who are like, “yeah, no, I’m not paying that”? I dunno. Just seems like it puts the customer and the staff in an awkward position. I guess they bank on people not wanting to cause a fuss and just paying it.
jonattonyeah isn’t it the basis of service charges in pretty much every country around the world except your weird one?
jonattonyeah I think it’s a better system than being looked on as if you’ve just pissed on the dead body of Christ for only leaving 15%
- Edited
Is it? I’ve honestly have never seen an “optional service charge.” I understand tips, obviously, and a set service charge. That I get. I just think it’s weird to make it optional. If it’s optional, why can’t I just pick the amount myself? I don’t know. I just don’t get it. Fucking sue me.
@Along_the_Wire Yeah, that’s fair. I’m not really debating the merits of the tip system.
jonattonyeah happens in pretty much every hotel in Asia nowadays. Can quite rightly be withheld for shit service.
jonattonyeah if you don’t make it optional in the UK, people will give fuck all. I think it’s a good think it’s there.
Alright, alright. I get I’m wrong here. Carry on.
jonattonyeah Never underestimate the tight-arsedness of the average Brit. I’ve been out for meal where the service and food has been exceptional and people are arguing about giving anything, let alone a percentage.
But I think it’s the Americans who have got this wrong.
Wait staff should be paid a decent minimum wage and not have to rely on tips.
bosstrabs you get great service way more often in the US and it’s just accepted, isn’t it? Tips make it a pretty well paid job, don’t they?
I don’t like what the Seppos consider good service. “Hi, I’m Stephanie and I’ll be your SERVER TODAY! O like ZOMG can I just show you our seasonal menu?”
Fuck off, leave us alone, I expect you to fade into the background until I need something and then you deal with it efficiently. And for that, you can have your 20%.
We get a lot of things wrong. Some places have shifted to the service charge model but they really struggle to keep staff as the wage structure is vastly different. Tips are obviously a flawed system, but it’s so ingrained here I just don’t see it changing. What’s really the problem is the gap in wages between FOH and BOH. People in a restaurant are more often than not paying for the food, but the bartender and server can make four or five times the amount of the chef in the back due to tips (it’s also illegal to share tips with the BOH; service charges can be shared).
When I used to bartend I made good money. $500 in cash plus or minus on a busy weekend night. One St. Patrick’s Day I walked with $1,400. A positive result is you get good people who will stay, as it’s a very desirable job when you’re in school or want to do something on the side. I really enjoyed it (which is why I’m still somewhat in the business). Great for meeting goth birds, too.
jonattonyeah it’s also illegal to share tips with the BOH
Really?
- Edited
Yup. It’s also illegal for the manager on duty to accept tips. It’s in place because of, as with many circumstances, the few ruining it for the many. Shenanigans by a few bad actors - ownership pocketing tips, for example - let to across the board banning of the process. Now there are circumstances that can allow for sharing - if they place is a pooled tip house and hourly wages are not impacted by tip credits. It does vary State by State and with a lot of this, it’s imperfect and problematic. But, like I said, tipping is just part of the culture here. Not sure how that changes.
Tips and guns. Both keepers. Gawd bless da US of A.
Remember not tipping some ‘barista’ in San Fran years ago.
Cunt almost chased me down the street.
“Women want to be with him, men want to be him.”
It’s called the Ed Smallman effect MC.