Compulsory Service Charge - what is the UK Law?

wesleyad

I have to agree with takman, we have a weird culture where certain jobs get tips for no apparent reason. I tip in restaurants, I tip food delivery drivers and I tip taxi drivers. I don't tip in fast food places, parcel deliver drivers or bus drivers (I doubt I'm alone here). Effectively they are doing the same jobs, yet one is deemed tip worthy and the other not. Very strange.

Sicard

The amount of a tip or service charge is determined by the level of service provided. If a compulsory service charge is mandatory and the service is no good you're held by the short and curlies because by dining at this establishment you've agreed their terms. Personally I wouldn't even entertain going there and tell them why. Go somewhere where they pay their staff better and who don't impose such ludicrous terms.

steampowered

The point of this thread is that the service charge is not usually mandatory. But it becomes mandatory when you dine in a large group.

This is actually very common.

A lot of restaurants say something like "a 10% service charge will be added to your bill when dining in groups of 6 or more".

Have a look for it at the bottom of the menu next time you go to a restaurant.

Kayalana99

I'm still flabbagasted with Pizza express and their service charge.

We went out and total bill came to over £300 I think, and then we used a 40% discount code (which lets face it most people who go to these Pizza places Dominos/Pizza hut places tend to have otherwise it's just OTT expensive) and then they added a £37 service charge on.

Now I wouldn't mind paying that at a posh place, but my meal came out in a microwave dish! The alcohol was £6 a pint...which was more expensive then the posh place near us that charges £30 for a main meal.

Luckily it was a choice although you feel akward basically saying you don't want to pay it (infact we were quite suprized as we had dinned there before without it but because there were more of us...) and a tip was left but £37 is ridiculously high for essentially a pizza joint.

[Deleted User]

Kayalana99 wrote: »

I'm still flabbagasted with Pizza express and their service charge.

Moneysavers obviously don't frequent this establishment!

Seriously, vote with your feet.

steampowered

Kayalana99 wrote: »

£37 is ridiculously high for essentially a pizza joint.

On a £300 bill, £37 is a 12.5% service charge.

That is equivalent to a £3.75 tip on a bill of £30. Doesn't sound so much now does it?

This is the problem. People tend to look at the total amount rather than the percentage. Most people tip 10-15% when dining in a small group. Yet they tip much less in larger groups.

This is why waiters feel stiffed when they have to serve larger tables, and why many restaurants apply a service charge to larger groups.

takman

steampowered wrote: »

On a £300 bill, £37 is a 12.5% service charge.

That is equivalent to a £3.75 tip on a bill of £30. Doesn't sound so much now does it?

This is the problem. People tend to look at the total amount rather than the percentage. Most people tip 10-15% when dining in a small group. Yet they tip much less in larger groups.

This is why waiters feel stiffed when they have to serve larger tables, and why many restaurants apply a service charge to larger groups.

This is one of the main issues with having a tipping culture as waiting staff come to expect it and feel annoyed when they feel they won't get tips.

They should just be paid a set wage like all other industries and shouldn't have to be bribed to do a good job.

When you think about it it's crazy how your saying that overpaying by 12.5% on a bill is reasonable. When you insurance is up for renewal do you ring them up and pay them 10% more than the renewal quote?. When you go to a supermarket do you pay the staff 10% more as a tip?.

People seem to go along with things just because they think they are expected to do it.
Have you ever thought about why you actually leave a tip when going to restaurants?, what exactly justifies that..

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

steampowered wrote: »

On a £300 bill, £37 is a 12.5% service charge.

That is equivalent to a £3.75 tip on a bill of £30. Doesn't sound so much now does it?

This is the problem. People tend to look at the total amount rather than the percentage. Most people tip 10-15% when dining in a small group. Yet they tip much less in larger groups.

This is why waiters feel stiffed when they have to serve larger tables, and why many restaurants apply a service charge to larger groups.

If the bill was £300 and then the 40% was applied (as the other poster said), that makes the final bill £180 and £37 becomes 20.5%.

unholyangel

takman wrote: »

This is one of the main issues with having a tipping culture as waiting staff come to expect it and feel annoyed when they feel they won't get tips.

They should just be paid a set wage like all other industries and shouldn't have to be bribed to do a good job.

When you think about it it's crazy how your saying that overpaying by 12.5% on a bill is reasonable. When you insurance is up for renewal do you ring them up and pay them 10% more than the renewal quote?. When you go to a supermarket do you pay the staff 10% more as a tip?.

People seem to go along with things just because they think they are expected to do it.
Have you ever thought about why you actually leave a tip when going to restaurants?, what exactly justifies that..

I leave a tip at restaurants because I know most restaurant staff work long hours for NMW and many of them are students. I know from experience that being on your feet all day/night can be exhausting and despite some people being generous....a lot of people don't tip at all or will only round it up. I know that they usually don't get sick pay and have to be completely clear of any symptoms for 24 hours before they're allowed to return to work. I also know that restaurants operate on narrow profit margins, wages are usually the biggest overhead of a business and that the industry has a lot of competition (hence why usually NMW, as they strive to attract customers over their competitors). Up until relatively recently, they could actually use tips to make up the staffs wages.

And yes, I also tip my mechanic & auto electrician, hairdresser etc if they provide good service. Not necessarily always money though - sometimes a bottle of malt whiskey or a hamper or a voucher of some sort.

Just because someone is doing their job, doesn't mean they don't deserve appreciation for it - especially when doing it well in a friendly & pleasant manner.

LABMAN

unholyangel, malt whiskey....really?!