Compulsory Service Charge - what is the UK Law?

steampowered

bris wrote: »

You would leave £20 on a bill of £400? 2 quid each, I think cancelling is doing them the favour.

This is common and why larger groups tend to leave much smaller tips (per person) than smaller groups.

Most people leave a tip of 10-15% when dining in small groups.

But when dining in larger groups, people tend to think that a tip of say £20 sounds like a lot - when actually it isn't.

Either that, or you have a "free-rider" problem where people are less generous contributing towards a shared tip than they would be paying their own tip.

The psychology of it all is very interesting. There is a restaurant chain in the US that automatically gives a salary uplift to waiters who are given larger tables on a particular night, to compensate them for the loss in tips.

peachyprice

Annielou wrote: »

If we were to spend, say £400, then the compulsory service charge would obviously come to £40, which I think is a bit steep (I would probably leave about £20).

This is exactly why they have a compulsory charge, large groups of people are hard work a 5% tip is pretty insulting.

unholyangel

Went for lunch today. Tipped £5 on a £24 bill. 10% is standard imo, they get more if the service was exceptional and less if it was bad.

The circumstances you can ask for it to be removed from the bill is where you are not told in advance (and it just appears on the bill) or if the service was poor. In circumstances where its detailed on the menu, they can legitimately refuse to remove it. However if it was a compulsory 10% service charge on everything (regardless of party size or anything else), then they really should include that with the base price of the items on the menu.

ETA: Although I'd check with the staff what happens to that service charge. Does the server/s get it? Is it shared with kitchen staff? Or does the establishment keep it? I also always check when paying by card and if theres every any doubts/issues, pay the tip in cash and pay the bill by card.

takman

bris wrote: »

You would leave £20 on a bill of £400? 2 quid each, I think cancelling is doing them the favour.

Annielou wrote: »

I will be going there and I will be paying a tip (if that is 10%, or maybe even more perhaps), but that's not the question, the question was around the nature of the law on this subject.

unholyangel wrote: »

Went for lunch today. Tipped £5 on a £24 bill. 10% is standard imo, they get more if the service was exceptional and less if it was bad.

Is this not a money saving board anymore; you three are discussing paying 10% extra for food at restaurants as if it's a sensible thing to do :rotfl:

How much extra do you pay for other things in other types of shops? Shouldn't we be discussing how to save money and not to randomly pay more just because you feel like you should?.

This isn't the USA and all staff get paid the same minimum wage as all the staff who serve you in other shops. There is no logical reason why you should leave any tip at all.

theonlywayisup

takman wrote: »

Is this not a money saving board anymore; you three are discussing paying 10% extra for food at restaurants as if it's a sensible thing to do :rotfl:

How much extra do you pay for other things in other types of shops? Shouldn't we be discussing how to save money and not to randomly pay more just because you feel like you should?.

This isn't the USA and all staff get paid the same minimum wage as all the staff who serve you in other shops. There is no logical reason why you should leave any tip at all.

You don't pay the "10% extra" for food. It is for service. Service is not always included.

As for your analogy about paying extra in shops, I think the less said about that the better.

[Deleted User]

takman wrote: »

Is this not a money saving board anymore; you three are discussing paying 10% extra for food at restaurants as if it's a sensible thing to do :rotfl:

If that determined to be a Money Saver, it's surely cheaper not to eat out at restaurants at all and to only shop at the cheapest supermarkets?

takman

theonlywayisup wrote: »

You don't pay the "10% extra" for food. It is for service. Service is not always included.

The food will have cost of paying the staff's wages priced into it so you are paying for the staffs service in every restaurant you go to.

theonlywayisup wrote: »

As for your analogy about paying extra in shops, I think the less said about that the better.

I'm not sure what's wrong with that analogy. When you go to a supermarket the staff will direct you to products when requested and the person on the till will scan you food and someone else will put the items in a bag for you if requested.

So why don't they deserve a 10% tip?.

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

If that determined to be a Money Saver, it's surely cheaper not to eat out at restaurants at all and to only shop at the cheapest supermarkets?

Saving money for me is purchasing the products and services you want at the best prices. Paying over the odds for products and services is wasting money.

There is no reason why you should tip staff for simply doing their job.

theonlywayisup

Service is not included in all restaurants, although those that do/don't will display it on their menu/price list.

If that offends you then just steer clear of those places.

takman

theonlywayisup wrote: »

Service is not included in all restaurants, although those that do/don't will display it on their menu/price list.

If that offends you then just steer clear of those places.

It doesn't offend me in the slightest i just find it a strange concept that people seem to be happy to go along with.

"Service is not included" is a strange phrase when you think about it. If service is not included in the price of the food but the staff's wages obviously are; then what are the staff being paid to do exactly?.

This means that the restaurant is paying the waiting staff to do everything except serve customers. So the customers are expected to pay for the service themselves because the restaurant aren't going to.

Imagine going to into a shop and being told that the price of items don't include the service of the person who put's it through the till and takes payment. Would you not find that strange?

mo786uk

I agree that "Service is not included" when voluntary tips are expected is nonsense as the cost of the meal clearly did include the service to provide the food.

the compulsory thing is fine as long as it complies with consumer laws in terms of being upfront etc