Pizza Express charged me hidden "optional service charge"...

missile

pulliptears wrote: »

Riiiiight.
You look a little silly right now

That comment would be out of context too ? :rotfl:

pulliptears

missile wrote: »

That comment would be out of context too ? :rotfl:

Umm no. That comment was in the context of Brett trying to justify why him bumping a thread was good, but someone else bumping one was bad. Thats why he looks a little silly

brettcta

you're still in the wrong context.

pulliptears

brettcta wrote: »

you're still in the wrong context.

If you say so dear. I'm bowing out of this thread now because this isn't what it was about and its unfair on genuine posters. Perhaps next time you'll practice what you preach rather than trying to belittle a poster for bumping a thread eh?

cheapskate101

It seems that although Pizza Express' stated policy is to allow customers whether or not to tip, the amount is included on the bill.

I have sympathy with the low paid waiting staff but not to the extent when they tell teenagers,who are not employed and reliant on their pocket money, that the service charge is compulsory.


Pizza Express should take this...optional...service charge off their bills and let customers decide for themselves how much they want to tip.


If customers have lots of money and ave received good service, then they will probably tip.


But adding a prescribed service charge is basically social blackmail because people do not want to refuse to pay, even if they have had poor service.

cheapskate101

It seems like Pizza Express have not signed up to the Fairtips agreement
Pizza Hut has. along with Fridays and other restaurants.


In future I'll be eating at these companies and boycotting Pizza Express.
http://www.fairtips.org/

cheapskate101

My daughter still hasn't been reimbursed her birthday money for the compulsory optional service charge.

In reparation, I can promise Pizza Express that should I be so desperate ever to eat in one of their restaurants again, I will never, ever be paing a service charge, or indeed, tipping.
And I would suggest that everyone else does likewise.

Tina20

I was at a small private restaurant last night, who added a 4.66 "optional" service charge onto the bill of almost £100 for 4 people.

I was absolutely furious and disgusted. The service and food was terrible, yet they still demand a tip???!

Needless to say we left the correct amount for our bill and left absolutely no tip. I can't believe restaurants get away with this.

cheapskate101

You were lucky it was a small private restaurant.

It seems that Pizza Express has something of a track record in the press as regards service charges:


The trade union demonstration outside the Wimbledon branch of Pizza Express is part of a wider campaign to demand that all restaurants distribute service charges and restaurant tips fairly. Unite is also calling for the immediate reinstatement of Nabil Guirguis, who was dismissed for speaking out over the unfair deduction from staff tips at Pizza Express.

On 27 September 2007 Nabil Guirguis who has worked for Pizza Express for 17 years, spoke to ITV and BBC region news programmes on the day of action to expose unfair deductions. Five days before Christmas, he was sacked for gross misconduct on the grounds that his comments allegedly brought the company into disrepute.

paddyrg

Dqvvx wrote: »

Unions encourage greed and laziness, not fairness.

Bit sweeping and harsh! Unions have played a vital part in employment conditions, safety, etc as well as basic wages over many many decades.

What I would agree though is that too much power in the hands of too few tends to corrupt and unbalance things. Those too few could be management or staff, doesn't really matter if there is a power imbalance and an adversarial relationship. In the 70's and early 80's the miners more or less ran the mines, unions were too powerful, look where that ended up. But similarly look to the dark satanic mills for the opposite extreme. Balance is what makes it all work.