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higher wages for the servers... by the customers. Fnbs

Went to a restaurant in LA today and when I got the check I noticed that it was a bit higher than it should be. Then I noticed this 18% service charge. So… We, as customers, need to help pay for their servers instead of the owners paying their servers a living wage. And on top of that they have suggested tip. I called bs on this. I will bet you that the servers do not see a dime of this 18% service charge. [deleted a word so it wasn’t a grammatical horror to read]

TruTollTroll ,
@TruTollTroll@lemmy.world avatar

So they think they are a hotel providing a venue and service? I worked in Hospitality as HR and the service charge made sense for the weddings and events we did… But a smaller restaurant using a ‘service’ tax that they most certainly do not feed back to the employees, is predatory… and as the consumer eating out… I would be disinclined to tip now… If they really used the service tax for the employees, the tips would not be an option, because the staff would be adequately compensated… They wouldn’t need toa sk for the tips… This restaurant wants it’s cake and to eat it too

maiskanzler ,

Even if all the money does make into into the staff’s pockets, the owner still averts financial risk by making worker pay a function of sales. An employer must have higher business risks than their staff, because otherwise the staff wouldn’t need an employer anyways! This absolutely goes against the high risk - high reward scheme that is common place elsewhere. Want to earn more? Take a risky choice! Just want stable support for your life? Get employed and earn a regular wage.

jumperalex ,

[face palm] that is an amazingly important point I hadn’t thought of / not heard discussed before, about the service fee vs actual increase hourly wages. I mean it’s totally obvious now that you said it.

And I really do agree with owners taking the risk if they want the reward. I will only say that there IS a place for balance, and reward for performance. I think the current tip system is tilted WAY WAY WAY too much to the server’s risk and needs to go away. I also think restaurant margins are actually too thin to go 100% wage based and put all that risk on the owners. I fear the bankruptcy churn in restaurants would be too much.

And yet it seems to work out in Europe so I’m probably wrong.

tony ,

In Europe everyone charges what’s needed to pay the staff, with varying tip/no tip cultures. There’s no added risk. In the US unless everyone suddenly switched at once (eg. making tipping illegal overnight) then the restaurants that increased prices would be taking a financial risk because it might drive customers away.

In truth, food price probably works out about the same anyway… in the US the menu price has service charges tax and another 20% added on top of that for a tip. In Europe the price on the menu is what you pay. . it already includes everything except the tip, and tipping is voluntary for good service (depending on country, Europe isn’t one culture).

NathanielThomas ,

I was in Germany in May and I didn’t tip at all for the first 2 weeks. Then I was having a conversation with my aunt and she said she leaves 10% and I began to feel bad about all the places I didn’t tip.

On my last night I took everybody out to dinner and it came out to 190 Euros, so 10% would be 19 Euros. But then I put down 250 Euros by mistake (not recognizing the right bills) and the server came up to me and said this is too much and he gives me back the money.

chrizbie ,
@chrizbie@lemmy.nz avatar

I’m not in america, in our country when we buy a meal the tax is included, as is the cost of paying staff a living wage and tips are really only given (volunteerily, without prompt) in certain scenarios where service might genuinely be extraordinary.

It’s always been fascinating to me that it could be done any other way and to be honest it sounds incredibly complicated and quite shitty the way america does it, it seems to me like it’s an old fashioned relic from the swashbuckling 1800’s, pay your maiden well and she’ll make sure your mead is always topped up… But in 2023 it seems absurd, prepared food and drink is just a product like anything else, do you tip at Walmart when you buy a TV?

tony ,

Knowing some of the absurd stories I’ve heard from americans (tipping car salesmen, pharmacies…) then tipping walmart wouldn’t surprise me at all.

ickplant ,
@ickplant@lemmy.world avatar

Sure, the tipping culture is out of control, but anyone who tips a pharmacist or a car salesman is just a moron.

Master , (edited )
@Master@lemmy.world avatar

Walmart has a policy where you are not allowed to accept tips. If you are caught you are fired. People try to tip all the time for the grocery delivery stuff and if they manage to get money into your hand or the delivery basket you have to inform a member of the management staff. Granted this might not be true at every location but it is part of the corporate training you have to do if you work there longer than 4 months.

NathanielThomas ,

Which is galling since Walmart pays the minimum wage

PraiseTheSoup ,

$22.50 for kids shells? Please tell me where this is so I can never go there.

malloc ,

Name and shame. Fuck this place.

Also “kids shells” for $22? Please tell me this is not macaroni and cheese.

TheSaneWriter ,
@TheSaneWriter@lemmy.thesanewriter.com avatar

It’s almost certainly a Mac & Cheese variant. Stuff like this is why I heavily research restaurant prices before going out.

baked_tea ,

Gem lettuce for $22? Wtf is the US smoking?

malloc ,

Just Los Angeles things 🤷‍♂️

ZombiFrancis ,

Since it is L.A. the markup is because of the volume of people willing/able to pay $22 for a kids Mac and cheese. At that point the tip is just mocking the workers of the restaurant.

arvere ,

the most concerning part for me is the “LA woman” charge… is that just a restaurant?

NathanielThomas ,

I don’t get it, so they want you to tip on the auto-tipped bill? And the auto-tip is 18%, more than the suggested tips?

Nioxic ,

Ask the waiter?

IamSparticles ,

Yes. The manager will just repeat what they’re told to say. Ask a waiter if they’re actually being payed significantly more since the fee was added.

stealin ,

I rarely use tip based services bc it shouldn’t be my concern and it makes me uncomfortable. It’s always been a bad business model to make the customer feel like the workers are slaves that don’t get paid enough. Never understood why people are so into going out to eat with that dynamic unless they enjoyed the power dynamic of it all, dumb serf get my food or you will go hungry muahhahaha!

Black_Gulaman ,
@Black_Gulaman@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

There’s already a service charge, why tip more?

Waldowal ,
@Waldowal@lemmy.world avatar

“We want to charge you more, but we want to make sure you blame our wait staff for it.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if the QR code sends you to a website bitching about “the current administration”.

LordOfTheChia ,

From the site they link to:

What About Tips?

If customers have exceptional service, we encourage them to tip our employees at the percentage or amount they feel comfortable with.

Maybe they should change the “Suggested Tips” with “Had exceptional service? Feel free to add a tip.” and start at 5%

Also, they should be clear if all or part of the “service charge” goes towards employee salaries.

From:

www.jonandvinnys.com/service-charge

frosty ,
@frosty@pawb.social avatar

…only mildly infuriating?!

At least this restaurant due is showing their own ass.

twistedtxb ,
@twistedtxb@lemmy.ca avatar

That’s absolutely insane. I would let them know that it’s the last time I ever set foot in their establishment

hydrospanner ,

This would be one of those rare times where I would wish I had cash.

I’d tip the staff directly, based on the original amount, then leave exactly the price of the ordered items, not including the service fee.

Then I’d leave.

athos77 ,

See, I'd check with the waiter to see if the service charge actually was used for higher wages. Just because management says that's what it's for doesn't meant it's true.

Serinus ,

It doesn’t matter if it is. The way to do that is to increase your prices, not with hidden fees.

scrubbles ,
@scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech avatar

I’m okay with the fee IF that means no tipping. If they have a mandatory fee, fine. I prefer when they just raise the prices and I don’t see it, you know, like everything else. (There’s not a plumbing or electrical fee), but at least everyone gets a fair wage. This is bullshit though, the fee means no tip. Tipping should be gone then if there is a fee.

tony ,

Absolutely… service charge or tip, pick one. No double dipping.

Here in the UK service charges are always labelled ‘voluntary’ to get around the law I think. They’re incredibly bad for business though… people don’t like having extra charges slapped on and the servers don’t like being asked (not always politely, from what I’ve seen) to have them removed. People don’t go back to such places… It’s been a while since I’ve seen a restaurant try to do it, but I reckon they’re still out there.

Demonbooker ,

Bold of you to assume that’s going to the servers and not straight into the owners pocket.

ChickenLadyLovesLife ,

I will bet you that the servers do not see a dime of this 18% service charge.

OP does not seem to be assuming any such thing.

SCB ,

It’s likely going to bussers/hosts/associated non-cook BOH

Lazerbeams2 ,

Did you pay $16.95 for lettuce? Tf kinda restaurant did you go to?

beckie_lane ,

A nice one. :)

iamascaryvampire OP ,

think of it as a very expensive salad. it was good but… not $17 good.

Lazerbeams2 ,

Idk, I don’t even pay that much for kosher food and the smallest and cheapest kosher burger I’ve ever seen cost $5 with $10 being closer to the average

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