Service charges in restaurants

Specialun

Just took tne OH for an early evening meal..when bill came there was a service charge of 12.5%...roughly 7 quid ish i think...

I dont get this..do the waiters/waitress expect a tip on top of tne service charge..whats the reasoning behind a service charge? Is a service charge for a table of two acceptable

P.s nooooo this isnt my first time for a service charge..just hungover and curious

Fr_Dougal

Restaurant? Well la dee da! No recession here!

fearrua

Sounds a bit rough, I understood charges for big parties, but surely for two people it should be just a tip at the customer's discretion?

martinsvi

I don't tip if the service charge is added

Specialun

TheZohan wrote: »

Restaurant? Well la dee da! No recession here!

Trying to get the roide later ya see

Aongus Von Bismarck

It's unusual for a service charge to be added for a table of 2. No tip is expected once a service charge is added (though I usually would add to it, as I usually tip in the region of 20-25%).

If you're unhappy with the level of service you can always complain and the charge will normally be waived.

A Greedy Algorithm

If the service is poor, can you haggle on the service charge?

Pwindedd

I don't mind if service charge is added - as long this is made clear. E.g. In the menu they could state this. If service charge is added, then I don't tip. I'm not paying twice for something. We have minimum wage rules in Ireland, so no one working in a restaurant should be reliant on tips. If they are that's for another thread.

I tip about 10% if there's no service charge. A bit more if the service was exceptional.

I don't get the point of service charges. Surely the more people eating means more money spent?

I'd really appreciate if someone would explain their purpose as I haven't the foggiest.

Arthur Beesley

OP, better off staying away from the sort of place that has a service charge.

A Dub in Glasgo

Was the service charge optional?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I too don't get the point of a fixed service charge. Just add it to the price on the menu and say that service is included, if they must. It is wrong to say that its not usual to apply a service charge for a table of 2. Most restaurants that have a service charge apply but across the board regardless of the number of customers. If a service charge is applied then it is not expected that you leave a tip. If service is unacceptable you can of course reduce the service charge due.

Specialun

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Was the service charge optional?

Nope..appeared on the bill when i was paying

suicide_circus

Service charge for table of two is weird, name the establishment!

Specialun

But what is a service charge for..surely the waiters job is to serve the food..they already get an hourly rate...

The Backwards Man

If it wasn't on the menu I wouldn't pay it on the bill.

A Dub in Glasgo

I presume the menu stated it would be added? I often find restaurants put an optional service charge on the bill and leave it to the customer to remove it, ie the old Ryanair approach

ratmouse

Definitely wouldn't tip in addition to a service charge.

A Dub in Glasgo

Mr.S wrote: »

Why do we tip for anything in Ireland? Same principal.

Tipping is optional, sounds like this service charge is not

No Pants

I'd only tip if the service was of note. If the order was taken and delivered, that's my minimum expectation met and there's no tip.

Reformed Character

No Pants wrote: »

I'd only tip if the service was of note. If the order was taken and delivered, that's my minimum expectation met and there's no tip.

I couldn't be that miserable.:)

I think if you argue it in tgi they'll take it off, or so I've heard

Aongus Von Bismarck

I frequent the same establishments very often in the area I live in.

I find because I have tipped the wait staff well in the past, the level of service I receive is well above what your average penny pinching punter receives.

Now, that said, its what I expect for the gratuity I pay. I have on more than one occasion sent food that I feel enough effort wasn't put into the preparation. I also expect the waiter to have an excellent knowledge of the wine menu and be able to give good recommendations on food and wine pairings.

Sky King

I normally tell them I'll just get the food from the kitchen myself.

No Pants

upyores wrote: »

I couldn't be that miserable.:)

I frequently tip. All a waiter has to do is take my order promptly, don't make me wait for anything and check back once only that everything is okay.

lertsnim

Specialun wrote: »

Trying to get the roide later ya see

A prostitute would have been cheaper.

mad m

Avoca has this on their menu at end. Not sure if it's 12.5% but it's close to it.

Crooked Jack

upyores wrote: »

I couldn't be that miserable.:)

You receive a service. You pay in full for that service. You are now "miserable."

Ilyana 2.0

Where I work there is no service charge, which is stated in the menu. Tipping is still hit and miss though; if we had a service charge I'd say we'd hardly ever make tips (which is fair enough). I don't agree with service charges anyway; there's no guarantee that a waiter who bent over backwards for a customer would ever get the benefit of it anyway.

y0ssar1an22

This is something that has always confused me. Why do we tip at all, or why is their an expectation of tipping?

You dont tip a dentist for servicing your teeth, you dont tip the postman for delivering your mail, you dont tip the person that makes a roll/sandwich at the deli counter.

The principle is a good one, a little reward for doing that bit extra. Its just that the principle seems to only apply to service in a restaurant.

mikemac1

fearrua wrote: »

I understood charges for big parties,

I don't understand it

Any other business would give you a discount when you spend a lot of money.

In a restaurant they gouge you for more

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

you dont tip the postman for delivering your mail

Yes you do

In good times it was a card and 20 euro at Christmas. Now a tin of roses at Christmas will do

But this is out rural. In a city you might have different postmen throughout the year. If you don't know your postman then tipping doesn't apply to you.

Donkey Oaty

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I find because I have tipped the wait staff well in the past, the level of service I receive is well above what your average penny pinching punter receives.

Sounds like a ghastly place.

I wish you and them well with your arrangement, but that sort of establishment is not for me.

Crooked Jack

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

This is something that has always confused me. Why do we tip at all, or why is their an expectation of tipping?

You dont tip a dentist for servicing your teeth, you dont tip the postman for delivering your mail, you dont tip the person that makes a roll/sandwich at the deli counter.

The principle is a good one, a little reward for doing that bit extra. Its just that the principle seems to only apply to service in a restaurant.

Bingo! Im busting my ass doing between 12 and 14 hour shifts in Canada laying pipes in an 18 foot hole in the ground. Every time somebody gets a glass of water or flushes the bog are they gonna send me a few quid?
I dont mind the tip thing so much over here as it's such an established (albeit stupid) custom but no way should we encourage it in Ireland unless it's going to be across the board. Waiters do not work harder than anyone else. I despair every time i see someone on boards talking about waiters "bending over backwards" for a customer. Away and shite

A Dub in Glasgo

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

This is something that has always confused me. Why do we tip at all, or why is their an expectation of tipping?

You dont tip a dentist for servicing your teeth, you dont tip the postman for delivering your mail, you dont tip the person that makes a roll/sandwich at the deli counter.

The principle is a good one, a little reward for doing that bit extra. Its just that the principle seems to only apply to service in a restaurant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38

suicide_circus

It's a funny one alright, why restaurant servers are singled out for tipping and at that, fast food workers are excluded from this arrangement.

Omackeral

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Now, that said, its what I expect for the gratuity I pay. I have on more than one occasion sent food that I feel enough effort wasn't put into the preparation. I also expect the waiter to have an excellent knowledge of the wine menu and be able to give good recommendations on food and wine pairings.

I'm picturing you wearing a monocle

suicide_circus

I have yet to hear a logical justification of why waiting staff should be tipped and other low paid workers shouldn't.

Pwindedd

Omackeral wrote: »

I'm picturing you wearing a monocle

I'm picturing him wearing his soup....

A good friend of my daughter's works at a restaurant I like to go to. I was chatting to her at my house one day and she told me the owner, who is also the chef, takes a cut of the tips each night.

I wasn't impressed.

D1stant

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

A good friend of my daughter's works at a restaurant I like to go to. I was chatting to her at my house one day and she told me the owner, who is also the chef, takes a cut of the tips each night.

I wasn't impressed.

This is pretty common. Especially if you put the tip on a card. I usually ask the staff. If they are good I tip in cash

If the service charge goes to the owner I ask them to take it off. Chancers - these are normally the same people moaning about the VAT rate killing the industry

Greenmachine

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

A good friend of my daughter's works at a restaurant I like to go to. I was chatting to her at my house one day and she told me the owner, who is also the chef, takes a cut of the tips each night.

I wasn't impressed.

Even with a service charge there is no guarantee, it is going to the staff. Would not be tipping on top of the service charge.

Aongus Von Bismarck

mikemac1 wrote: »

I don't understand it

Any other business would give you a discount when you spend a lot of money.

In a restaurant they gouge you for more

The way I understand it, a waiter can normally wait on 3-4 tables at a time. Now out of those 4 tables there's a good chance you'll get one tight b*stard who refuses to tip. Probably annoying, but not the end of the world, as the other 3 tables will probably understand the need to tip.

Now if they get a party of 12 people. They have all their eggs in this one basket. Its more difficult to serve as they need to take all the orders at the same time, bring all the food at the same time, and possibly split the bill up at the end. A lot more work, then at the end of it all, you might have a stag part or something that think its acceptable to leave a small tip, or worse still not at all. Putting a service charge on that table makes sense. It also makes bill splitting easier for the group.

Aongus Von Bismarck

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Sounds like a ghastly place.

I wish you and them well with your arrangement, but that sort of establishment is not for me.

It's consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in Germany... but yes I suspect it may not be for you.

No Pants

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

the need to tip.

The what now?

shopaholic01

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

It's consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in Germany... but yes I suspect it may not be for you.

Snooty!

Aongus Von Bismarck

mikemac1 wrote: »

Having worked in hotels for years the worker with the dirtiest and most difficult job is the kitchen porter.

Managing tables & service is a handy number compared to washing floors and scrubbing pots.

Zero tips for that job so my sympathy for the waiter with 4 tables and only tipped for 3 tables isn't much

The KP doesn't need to know the menu, be able to pair wines and foods, understand the how the food is cooked, where its sourced from, etc.

Its unfortunate, but anyone can push a mop around, but it takes a bit of knowledge to work in a top class establishment as a waiter.

The KP doesn't enhance my dining experience. The waiter does.

miss no stars

shopaholic01 wrote: »

Snooty!

Irish.

Donkey Oaty

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

It's consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in Germany... but yes I suspect it may not be for you.

I'm getting curious now, and thinking of going there for entertainment value.

I think that around nine German restaurants have three Michelin stars - is it one of them?

I'll be booking in your name, by the way.

shruikan2553

No Pants wrote: »

The what now?

Didnt you hear? Anyone working as a waiter/waitress is a poverty stricken common person and needs our charity. I tend to tip but only if they do a good dance for me.

When I worked as a waiter all tips went into one pot and was split out anyway. I prefer the method in where I work now, if you do good work you get a bonus/pay rise/promotion and keep your job..

Butterface

Do people tip in cafes? There always seems to be a tip jar beside the tills. If I have change I'll often throw it in. But to be honest, the person steaming the milk is doing exactly what he's being paid to do. Whether he/she charms the pants off me in the 30 second interaction between the ordering and payment doesn't really come into it. If I go next door to the newsagent to buy the paper, the person at the till could be equally as helpful and charming, but I'm not expected to tip that person.

Cienciano

bluewolf wrote: »

I think if you argue it in tgi they'll take it off, or so I've heard

Nice one, I'm meeting a girl there for a first date, must remember that :pac: