Would you accept a service charge from a pub?

greyteam1959

I never tip.......& also check their credit card machine BEFORE I put my PIN number in.
Just in case they have added a charge that you mistakenly accept on the machine.

Spelunthus

What a lot of grumpy people there are on this thread.

If there is a service charge listed on the menu, then eat, enjoy & pay it ... or don't eat there. - your choice. If you like, and want to be remembered at the place as mean-spirited, then ask for the charge to be removed.

If there is no service charge listed, then tip, or not, as much or as litte as you think. Smile, say thanks, and leave - it won't kill you.

Have a Happy New Year.

Arlandria606

I really dislike it when any establishment automatically adds in a service charge for me. I do understand the reasoning behind it for larger parties, but yesterday I had 12.5% automatically added and I was eating alone!

What I like is when I'm handed the POS to pay by card, and the machine asks me if I'd like to add a tip. That gives me the option of tipping on my card (appreciated as I rarely carry cash) and lets me specify an amount that I think is proportional to the service received.

I don't buy in to the idea that all restaurant servers should be tipped, either - that may be the convention in other countries, but it isn't here, and honestly it's rare that I receive even average service, much less great service.

001LJ

I always ask this to be removed from the bill as I prefer to give tips by cash, tips paid by card do not always go to staff. Back in my waiting days I often refused tips as they didn't go in a staff kitty but were taken by the management.

King_Nothing

Was at one of the local pub/restaurant's we go to a few times every couple of weeks, one day I put my card into pay and it asked if I wanted to leave a gratuity, I was like !!!!!!? It should be noted that this place was a pay before you eat type of establishment :S physic tipping, a new concept? Needless to say I haven't seen it on the card machines in there since though.

anotheruser

Why is this even an issue in the UK?

Our waiters/waitresses get paid (at least minimum wage) to serve me food. No, I won't be tipping. Do I get tipped in my job? No. Do you tip your doctor for saving your life? No. But you tip someone who serves you food, who is paid to do that job...

In the USA, their waiters/waitresses are paid significantly less than the minimum because it is in America's CULTURE to tip. I don't think I am stingy by not giving anything. It's just how life is in the UK... waiters/waitresses get paid less money than company directors because their job is seen to be less skilled. Simple as.

tictak

Less skilled maybe?..... but alot bleedin harder,im on my feet sometimes12 hours a day.Just when i think i can sit down another table comes in.They could pay us a better hourly rate but then service would go down,basicaly we get tipped for being good at our job,if we are not we dont get tipped

Smi1er

Voyager2002 wrote: »

a service charge goes to the management to cover their costs in paying the waiter.

No it doesn't. It is given to the staff as a tip although the firm may take an admin fee for doing this.


I never pay service charges, I always refuse and tip separately is service deserves it.

londonTiger

I hate the idea of tipping, waiters place value judgements on you and size you up as soon as you enter the restaurant. If they think you're wealthy and generous you get preferential treatment.

Most importantly it creates this very american "fake" niceness where they put a massively fake smile on and immediately drop it as soon as they start talking.

The worst experience of this ever was when I was in Cancun (Mexic) a few years ago. Ended up in a place called hooters and when we sat down these two watresses in the tightest tank tops and shorts came over with a massive fake smile, pretending like they've got the hots for us. But it was all for show, well rehearsed and fake. It felt like I was being taken for a mark in a scam.

I hate that. It also rewards the wrong people. The kitchen staff get sod all and they're the ones grafting. For some reason the waiter who just carries stuff from the kitchen over to you gets incentivised pay. Why?

Also from what I hear (in the UK) the service charge is just a stealth charge. It just pays the staffs wages. If the service charge earnt is in excess of the staffs total wages they will get the extra amount. But if it doesn't exceed the wages the staff don't get diddly squat. For that reason the service charge should be done away with completely so diners don't get slapped with a stupid charge which is just a way to get more money out of the patrons.

The service charge effectively goes towards the payroll bill.

Seanymph

londonTiger I think your post is sad. I can't speak for hooters, but my daughter is at Uni and CHOOSES to be a waitress because she loves the interaction with the customers.

She has worked in retail and bars - but has selected a quite high end gastro pub because she enjoys serving people on a special night out, and making their experience better.

Because she is good at it she doubles her wages in tips.

But for the record they all go into a pot every shift, and the waitresses on that shift get 50% shared and the chefs the same.

She has worked in several places as a waitress - and every one has a different policy.

I don't think it's any coincidence that the place with the best reputation has a system she perceives as the fairest.

But certainly she would be really offended if any of her customers felt 'sized up' - she's that lovely to everyone because she is proud of the job she does and she has chosen front of house in that setting because she likes it.