Possible government action on restaurant tips and service charges

NFH

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36181319
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/01/restaurants-to-be-banned-from-adding-discretionary-charge-to-bil/
• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3568670/Death-knell-restaurant-service-charge-Diners-choice-tipping.html
• http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/02/tips-should-go-to-workers-not-employers-government-report-restaurants
• http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/restaurant-and-bar-staff-to-be-paid-all-their-tips-a3238081.html

I would like to see fully inclusive restaurant prices like in France - the price on the menu is the full price that you are expected to pay, including service. This is how other types of services are priced, which is clear, transparent and unambiguous. This doesn't preclude the customer from adding a tip for exceptional service, which should be very much the exception rather than the norm.

When I go into a shoe shop and the shop assistants spend lots of time fetching shoes for me from a back room, there's no expectation that I should add a tip for their effort and service. Why should restaurants be any different? Omitting expected charges from published prices serves only to facilitate a misleading indication of the total price.

LadyDee

Well, if all prices were inclusive of tips what would you do if the service/food was bad? If tips were included then this would presuppose both service/food were good, why should I add more?

NFH

LadyDee wrote: »

Well, if all prices were inclusive of tips what would you do if the service/food was bad?

What do you do if any other type of service you receive is not to the expected standard? You ask for a price reduction; this principle is even enshrined in law under Section 56 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. It seems odd that restaurant prices assume bad service and you're expected to add extra to the advertised price for good service, whereas every other type of service (e.g. car repairs, flights, plumbers etc) charges the advertised price and gives a reduction if there's a problem. The French have got this right for years; the UK should follow suit.

molerat

What other industry is the customer expected to pay extra for the staff actually doing their job - I thought that was one for the employer. When I worked in retail it was a disciplinary offence accepting a tip.

PasturesNew

It's a throwback from the days when it really was a "low pay job", since NMW all low wages are set to the same low rate. It no longer makes sense. I believe that in some places waitresses/similar pay to work at places, the tips are their ONLY pay. I think some might do that in this country, e.g. lapdancers et al.

The price should be the price. Actually, I don't tip, as a rule - and, because of that, I don't return anywhere either as I'm scared "they'll remember me and spit in the food"

Same with home deliveries - I don't use those as the minimum's so high.... but the 1-2x I have done I've NEVER used them again ... in case they remembered.

Dan83

It doesn't matter if the service is good or crap, if you don't want to tip, then don't, simple.

NFH

Dan83 wrote: »

It doesn't matter if the service is good or crap, if you don't want to tip, then don't, simple.

That's quite a naïve comment. It's not simple, hence the proposed action by the government. Service charges that are added automatically are akin to a compulsory tip and create a misleading indication of total price. You can ask for it to be removed, but this creates resentment and can spoil an evening out. Please don't say that something is simple as a result of your failure to consider the issues.