service charge of 12.5% will be added to parties of six or more

Smoggy

"service charge of 12.5% will be added to parties of six or more"

I often see on the bottom of menus. But where does the justification come from ? They cant be trying to discourage groups ? Do large groups tend not to tip ? What happens if the service is bad (as its not a tip at this point) ?

ntlbell

Smoggy wrote: »

"service charge of 12.5% will be added to parties of six or more"

I often see on the bottom of menus. But where does the justification come from ? They cant be trying to discourage groups ? Do large groups tend not to tip ? What happens if the service is bad (as its not a tip at this point) ?

If it's bad, ask for it to be removed?

the beer revolu

This annoys me too.

I think the reasoning is that a big party will tend to tip less per head.
eg a party of 10 spending say €300 might think that €20 is more than enough tip to leave (6.6%) whereas a couple spending €60 would probably leave more then €4.

You can always refuse to pay service charge, although people will rarely do this.

Personally, if there is service added, I will not leave any tip.
And I have once asked for the service charge (or was it 'discretionary tip' added to the bill?) to be removed after returning 2 meals and it being dealt with very badly, then being short changed!

I believe tips should be earned and not be automatic.

Jim_Bob_2010

What is with all this tipping crap? I thought I lived in Ireland where the minimun wage was one of the highest in the world?

the beer revolu

Jim_Bob_2010 wrote: »

What is with all this tipping crap? I thought I lived in Ireland where the minimun wage was one of the highest in the world?

Sometimes I like to tip, but I hate to feel obliged to tip!!

And why is it deemed necessary in one particular service industry and not others??

ntlbell

the beer revolu wrote: »

Sometimes I like to tip, but I hate to feel obliged to tip!!

And why is it deemed necessary in one particular service industry and not others??

you tell em mr pink

El_Drago

ntlbell wrote: »

you tell em mr pink

For anyone who hasn't seen it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLV4OxzDKwI

Classic!

Mellor

I think its because a party of 6 is more than twice as much hastle for the server than two parties of 3 each. Agree or not, it's ok to question it if thre was a paticularly bad service

Smoggy

Im not sure how a party of 6 is harder to serve. You are carrying the same amount of food and drink to the same location. That has to be easier than taking the food to different tables.

I would be fine in asking for the service to be removed if it was bad, but for me thats not the real issue. The issue is that there seems to be real justification for adding this madatory service.

I think the the beer revolu is probably correct, that a larger group is more likely to leave a smaller tip. But as tipping is optional, automatically adding it to the bill is wrong.

Mellor

Smoggy wrote: »

Im not sure how a party of 6 is harder to serve. You are carrying the same amount of food and drink to the same location. That has to be easier than taking the food to different tables.

It's not the carrying and the location thats an issue, its the timing of everything.
Making sure people get starters together, main courses as close as possible, it basically requires a better job, and better co-ordination between kitchen and server, obviously this doesn't always happen and that's a reason to ask to have it removed
watch hells kitchen to get an idea of what i mean

hardCopy

Large tables also take longer to serve per had than several small tables because you can't serve up until all the meals are ready

vandriver

If you serve 6 tables of 2 in a shift,you will make tips on the majority of the tables.If you are put on a 12 table which can take up most of your evening,would you want to take the chance of being tipped nothing?I work in a restaurant and this happened with large tables a few times before we brought in the service charge rule.

longhalloween

Mellor wrote: »

I think its because a party of 6 is more than twice as much hastle for the server than two parties of 3 each. Agree or not, it's ok to question it if thre was a paticularly bad service

Its less hassle for the server since they only have to explain the specials, menu ect. once, and can take orders for food and drink together and the check is usually together too.

Its also easier to reset the table once the party leaves. Ive also seen two servers put on a big table, so i think its just to guarantee they get a decent tip.

Eg. five tables of two are much more difficult than one table of ten.

Smoggy

vandriver wrote: »

If you serve 6 tables of 2 in a shift,you will make tips on the majority of the tables.If you are put on a 12 table which can take up most of your evening,would you want to take the chance of being tipped nothing?I work in a restaurant and this happened with large tables a few times before we brought in the service charge rule.

But thats the whole point of a tip, its optional at the disgression of the customer. This isnt a mandatory thing. You shouldn't be expecting a tip. Its a bonus you could receive for good service.

Also if you are worried about unfair tip distribution, pool the tips, don't take it out on the customer.

Davidth88

Am I the only person who HATES service charges WITH A PASSION.

After all , you are by and large paying ' top dollar ' for the food , it's not like you are bringing food in from a supermarket

It's like Ryanair saying the seat to xxx is y euro BUT you HAVE to pay x to check in online ( even though you have to do this ) to me this is in effect part of the fare

So really the menu prices should reflect the full cost of the meal

( apologies for dragging in Ryanair but I was looking for an analogy )

Tips should be earned NOT expected , I hate in the States where you HAVE to tip because the server is basically not paid.

Wasn't there a loop hole in the min wage rule here that tips could be included ??

Jim_Bob_2010

errr pretty much the same post as yesterday but reading this thread again I fell like posting it again, why the féck are people giving/expecting a tip? Do people actually know the minimum wage here V North America, or the price disparity of food for that matter? Waiters shouldn't be tipped even for good service, ffs the restaurants are really making a fool out of people.

TrustedApple

ok this is comeing from someone who works tables in a restaurant and people do not care that you do not get min wage in a restaurant

ok a think that 12.5% is great to have or maybe 8% but my boss well not put it on the menu because where cheap as it is. but every other restaurant in the town has 10 or sometimes 15% s charge on there menu

once we had a table of 12 in and my boss said look after them very well because they as whys come in

the left me 2 euros as a tip after speding 400 euros that is a joke because you have to lok after big tables a lot more then your 2s or 3s

but then you get a nice person you left me 80 euros after speding 560 euros for 16 people

look i must be one of very few irash people in the job because i make good tips but when there is someone from east euro on the for the
tips go down 70% maybe i get more because i am 18

so yes service charges are good if the service is good

we set 45 in my boss place and when your on your own its hard work when its full

ps sorry for the bold it wil not go off

Degag

samapple789 wrote: »

ok this is comeing from someone who works tables in a restaurant and people do not care that you do not get min wage in a restaurant

ok a think that 12.5% is great to have or maybe 8% but my boss well not put it on the menu because where cheap as it is. but every other restaurant in the town has 10 or sometimes 15% s charge on there menu

once we had a table of 12 in and my boss said look after them very well because they as whys come in

the left me 2 euros as a tip after speding 400 euros that is a joke because you have to lok after big tables a lot more then your 2s or 3s

but then you get a nice person you left me 80 euros after speding 560 euros for 16 people

look i must be one of very few irash people in the job because i make good tips but when there is someone from east euro on the for the
tips go down 70% maybe i get more because i am 18

so yes service charges are good if the service is good

we set 45 in my boss place and when your on your own its hard work when its full

ps sorry for the bold it wil not go off

No offence or anything but your spelling and punctuation is pretty terrible for an Irish Person.

Anyhow, i also work in the trade and i don't expect tips. We don't add any charges to bills either. If i do a good job and get a tip i'm happy but if someone walks out without doing so i wouldn't mind. I'm only doing my job and don't expect extra money for doing so.

samapple789

samapple789 wrote: »

you do not get min wage in a restaurant

Surely, you do?

Degag

Deleted User wrote: »

Surely, you do?

Yeah you do, anyone over 18 is entitled to minimum wage no matter what they do.

Hunchback

service charges no matter where you eat are always, without exception at the discretion of the customer. you're not happy, nuff said, don't leave it. but people who as a rule refuse to tip regardless of how good the service is? tighter than a camels ass in a sandstorm. just pure scabbiness. and i hate when i'm eating out with someone and they embarrass me when it comes to the bill, scoffing at the service charge and spending twenty minutes analyzing the bill with calculators... FFS, if you're that bloody miserable, do us all a favour and stay indoors. jesus.

Iolar Iontach

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

but people who as a rule refuse to tip regardless of how good the service is?

Shouldn't excellent service be expected? It shouldn't be provided in the hope of receiving a tip, it's the person's job. Do you tip the guy in the chipper or McDonald's or the person who serves your popcorn in the cinema? Tipping is not part of the culture here, it's a recent, unwarranted introduction. It's crass.

The Hill Billy

Degag wrote: »

No offence or anything but your spelling and punctuation is pretty terrible for an Irish Person.

If you have a problem with a post use the Report Post function.
Comments such as this are off-topic & unhelpful.

HB

CiaranC

Ive worked in Restaurants all over while travelling. I always add a mandatory tip for Irish people to the bill because they are so mean, regardless of the size of the group. I make sure all my colleages do the same.

Bigcheeze

CiaranC wrote: »

Ive worked in Restaurants all over while travelling. I always add a mandatory tip for Irish people to the bill because they are so mean, regardless of the size of the group. I make sure all my colleages do the same.

So you defraud some of your customers based on their nationality. Interesting.

mikemac

I've done this job. And never quite understood the service charge as in any other business you'd get discounts for large orders.

It's not extra work or more difficult
Realy, I'd prefer to serve one table of six then two tables of three.
If it's a big table of 16, we can get two servers to manage it.

Yes, the courses need to be managed at the same time so you better be working well with the kitchen but it shouldn't be an issue.

Management impose the service charge, nothing I hate more then customers giving out to the person on the minimum wage about the charges and prices.

And in many (most?) places the service charge is just taken by management and used to run the place. It's not set aside especially for tips or wages.

If you're not happy then don't pay it, well at least explain why to the manager.

Finally, if you want to leave a tip then cash on the table. If you put it on the credit card gratituty then lol, the server will never see it but the restaurant accountant will

CiaranC

Bigcheeze wrote: »

So you defraud some of your customers based on their nationality. Interesting.

No defrauding about it. It says on the receipt "for our overseas visitors we reserve the right to add a gratuity", and shows the added gratuity plain as day.

The Hill Billy

That is a disgrace.

Bigcheeze

CiaranC wrote: »

No defrauding about it. It says on the receipt "for our overseas visitors we reserve the right to add a gratuity", and shows the added gratuity plain as day.

Well you said Irish people, not that treating all foreigners that way is any better. Sounds like something you'd see on fawlty towers

Smoggy

so how and when do you add gratuity to the bill for foreigners ? Just when you feel like it ? when they look like none tippers ? I have never heard anything like it.

CiaranC

Smoggy wrote: »

so how and when do you add gratuity to the bill for foreigners ? Just when you feel like it ? when they look like none tippers ? I have never heard anything like it.

Tips are expected in North America, staff get paid lower than standard minimum wage and are taxed on their tips. Its the height of ignorance for Brits, Australians and to a lesser extent Irish people to go there and not tip. So they get auto-grat'ed.

This was pretty common I found.

The idea behind the auto-grat for large parties was to guarantee that the server that got stuck spending their entire evening looking after one large table didnt get stung for a nights tips. The auto-grat is usually about 18%

Its just a different culture. I must say I did get a kick out of auto-grating the sorts who you just knew NEVER tipped at home.