Giraffe Restaurant Service Charge

elsie1985

service charge should be optional. not fair a lot of people will pay the service charge without really checking and then leave a tip on top

LilySue

Last year we enjoyed a family meal out at our local Giraffe branch, so this year four of us went back and when my husband went up to pay he noticed the service charge. He chose to pay it, but we won't be going back because firstly I think these charges should be optional and secondly the portions were smaller and the service not as good as last year.

Carl31

i hate service charges, i dont see the point

Its a bit like calling the police to catch a thief, then being charged £50 when they catch him, paying extra for a service that is their business by its nature

A restaurant is somewhere that prepares and serves food, therefore this should be in the price, not an additional cost

wiogs

LilySue wrote: »

Last year we enjoyed a family meal out at our local Giraffe branch, so this year four of us went back and when my husband went up to pay he noticed the service charge. He chose to pay it, but we won't be going back because firstly I think these charges should be optional and secondly the portions were smaller and the service not as good as last year.

They are optional so there was no need to pay it

http://www.giraffe.net/tipping

"An optional service charge is added to your bill........."

Another reason that people may want to avoid giraffe is that they keep 10% of all tips/service charges for themselves

"Both discretionary and service charge tipping policies are subject to a 10% deduction for administrative and other business costs........."

sarah69696pink

Whilst I personally don't agree with restaurants adding the service charge automatically to a bill, I do think you have to be very careful when not paying it (unless of course it's entirely undeserved). It is not your waiter or waitresses fault the company works this way and sometimes this service charge makes up their wage.
Additionally for those who think the service charge will mean they end up getting 3x their wage - this is rarely the case as the service charge is different from a tip - the service charge is generally split between all staff working there from cleaners, receptionists, chefs etc.
My husband works at a restaurant and is salaried, but his salaried is made up of a percentage of a service charge (kind of like a bonus) so when this is not paid (by anyone in restaurant not even a table he is serving at) his wage is automatically lower that week.
The service charge is split between everyone and is put directly into their pay where they are taxed (as they should be) on it. Anything additional that week/month goes into a pot to try and cover for quiet weeks when they don't have many guests in.
Anything extra left is seen as a tip and is again split between everyone but is seen as additional to wages and a treat. To give an idea how much this is - he works at a very nice and very busy central restaurant and tends to take up a max of £30 a week extra (ironically when he worked at a pizza chain years ago he took more home in tips).
I certainly tend to mind less paying the service charge now knowing all this - however there are still some rare occasions where we will ask to speak to management about not paying (i.e. if food and service really bad and no-one is trying to help despite us raising issues)

Carl31

Comparing the US tipping culture to the UK is wrong anyway. Historically (not sure if it's the same now) but US waiting staff received low basic wage, with the remainder to be received directly from the customer, based on the service provided, like a comission. The better the service, the bigger the tip etc... so it was in the staff interest to provide a good service. As time went on, this came entrained in their culture, with food being priced accordingly

in the UK we don't have that culture, a meal.is priced to include service, so tipping isn't needed. When it comes to service charges, they are just a way of extorting more out of customers

it would be like doing your shopping at tesco, then being charged extra for staff stacking the shelves and checking out your shopping when you pay

ukjoel

Or tipping a traffic warden a tenner as he efficiently gave you a ticket. Its his job, its what he does and is paid for to do.

Tipping is a guilt trip. You should never feel pressured into doing it.

LynseyLou_2

I am glad someone started this thread. I need to get this off my chest!

I have been to Giraffe twice. The first time I went, the food was fantastic (around three years ago) and I don't remember there being a service charge. There was three of us on the table and we had quite a large order and drinks. We left a tip because the waiter was lovely and very attentive.

However, when I went back to Giraffe the service was absolutely appalling (1 year ago). My fiance and I went at lunchtime - there were more waiting staff than customers and it took them 15 minutes to take our order. We weren't in a rush, so we didn't say anything. We decided upon the lunchtime burger deal - we both ordered burgers. We waited 30 minutes in a nearly empty restaurant and no burgers arrived. I decided that enough was enough and it was time to complain. It took me ages to attract the attention of the waiting staff who were milling around the bar area. When I asked where our order was, we got eye-rolling and a lot of sighing. They checked with the kitchen and were told 10 minutes. So forty minutes in total for a couple of burgers. The waiting staff then proceeded to openly b*tch about us (not my paranoia - there was pointing and stifled giggles...school girl stuff). I am no shrinking violet and stood up and got my coat. At that point, the manager came over and asked if there was a problem. I explained that everything about our experience was unacceptable and we got an apology and a guarantee that our drinks were on the house. I thought this was an acceptable solution so we sat back down and our burgers came out.

The burgers were COLD. I summoned the manager again and he sent them back. Twenty minutes later, we were presented with two more burgers - which by the way, were mediocre. I have had a nicer burger in a greasy spoon. I was pretty livid at this point and then the bill came. The drinks were taken off as promised but I was confronted by the 10% service charge. I could not believe it. I told the manager that it wasn't paying it and he said he understood. I am guessing that the till adds it on automatically because I don't think he would be THAT stupid to ask us for a tip when we had appalling service start to finish.

I will admit that I am biased against Giraffe because of our experience but I am inclined to come in on the side of the OP. Don't just assume that you are going to get a tip - it should be earned.

lionelator

kwmlondon wrote: »

I expect a 10-15% service charge to be added when I have food at a restaurant and am quite surprised when it isn't and always add that amount myself as a tip if it's not automatically put on the bill. I'd only consider not paying it if the service had been truly dire.

I would actually end a friendship with someone if they said they didn't pay the service charge, I'm actually holding myself back from my view of those who don't pay this but let's just say I have a low opinion of such people and leave it there.

You tried to twist your way out of this later in the thread, but ending a friendship on the spot cos of a tip? Holding yourself back from a view of people who don't tip unless it's absolutely dire, and saying you have a low opinion of these people?
Wow. Just wow.

Quentin

LynseyLou wrote: »

I am glad someone started this thread. I need to get this off my chest!

..... I summoned the manager again and he sent them back. Twenty minutes later, we were presented with two more burgers - which by the way, were mediocre......

You had this on your chest for a year!!!


(Bet your returned burgers were noticeably moister than the first ones - as a general rule to pass on, never return food and ask for a replacement! Just complain, say why you don't want it, don't pay for it and leave)