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Optional service charge?

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  • 09-05-2010 8:57pm
    #1
    allandanyways
    Registered Users Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭


    Myself and my OH were in a restaurant in Liffey Valley today, and when we received our bill, we were charged an additional 1.98 as an "optional service charge".

    I didn't see much optional about it seeing as when we had worked out the price of our individual meals and a drink, we were still 2 euro short of what was on the bill. It was listed on the bill as such

    Meal 1 - (say) 11.50
    Meal 2- (say) 14.50
    Drinks X 2- 2.75 x 2 = 5.50
    Optional service charge- 1.98
    ___________________________
    Total: 33.48

    So we paid it anyway because we needed to be on our way.

    I'm just curious, in this restaurant, it has always been before that service was not included i.e. tip accordingly, but why do they bother putting in "optional service charge" when we apparently had no other choice than to pay it?

    Has anybody seen this before? Is this standard? We're students so we don't eat in restaurants all the time, and usually go to the same places, so maybe it's commonplace and I just haven't noticed it.


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    #2
    Random
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,080 ✭✭✭✭Random


    If it's optional just deduct it from the total and pay that. Pisses me off no end when places do that.


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    #3
    krpc
    Registered Users Posts: 619 ✭✭✭krpc


    Random wrote: »
    If it's optional just deduct it from the total and pay that. Pisses me off no end when places do that.

    Agreed! Strange thing is that, if the meal and service was good, most decent folk would give a tip to their server far and beyond the amount of that "optional service charge."


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    #4
    Magenta
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭Magenta


    rc_irl wrote: »
    Agreed! Strange thing is that, if the meal and service was good, most decent folk would give a tip to their server far and beyond the amount of that "optional service charge."

    I don't believe in tipping. This isn't America, waiting staff get the same minimum wage as a cashier, sales assistant etc. I don't see why I should feel obliged to pay extra if the service is very good. Isn't that what it's supposed to be anyway?

    OP, don't feel pressured to pay it in future.


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    #5
    txt_mess
    Registered Users Posts: 262 ✭✭txt_mess


    Magenta wrote: »
    I don't believe in tipping. This isn't America, waiting staff get the same minimum wage as a cashier, sales assistant etc. I don't see why I should feel obliged to pay extra if the service is very good. Isn't that what it's supposed to be anyway?

    OP, don't feel pressured to pay it in future.


    I know the restaurant you are talking about ( or nearly certain i do ) was in there at the weekend that optional charge never used to be there this was the first time I had seen it and there was no prompting us to see if we wanted it added.

    I do leave tips the majority of times in restaurants forgetting arguements about the fact good service should be standard , simple truth is it isn't always there so if we get looked after well I leave something extar to show my appreication to the waiting staff not the company I just paid the rest of the bill to.

    Having said that once I saw the optional charge added I didn't leave any tip I don't like the assumption I paid it but no more then that I'd say the waiting staff are losing out big time.


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