There have been multiple accounts created with the sole purpose of posting advertisement posts or replies containing unsolicited advertising.

Accounts which solely post advertisements, or persistently post them may be terminated.

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]

Fatbuddha ,

Ok yeah what you are complaining about is valid but I can't get over the $22.50 for Kids Shells... Like a fucking a pasta serving for children?! This restaurant seems insane to begin with.

Edit: Realizing it looks like prices are a line off but still $16 for kids food?

mookulator ,

I’m gonna get lambasted for this, but I don’t see the issue.

If the restaurant paid them more in wages, the customer would pay for that too in the form of higher on-menu prices. That’s just how paying for goods and services works.

Unless this is some mega-restaurant where the owners are making so much money that they could take a pay cut and meaningfully increase everyone’s wages?

Godort ,

Sure, but I would be much happier with higher prices printed on the menu than a secret hidden fee at the end of the meal

Knusper ,

Right, while deciding what to eat or whether to dine there at all, you can’t know that this service fee will be added.

SpezBroughtMeHere ,

You’re right and people are just dumb. This is no different than just raising prices but people see service charge and a percentage as a line item and lose their minds.

40hands ,

Then just raise the fucking prices. Try bending over less for this bullshit.

jemorgan ,

Except that when a business raises prices, the menu shows the increased price. You can decide whether you want to pay before you eat.

This is no different than walking into Walmart, filling up your shopping cart with $100 worth of groceries, and then seeing that they charged you $18 ‘to pay the checkers and baggers’ as you walk out the door.

Knusper ,

I fully agree, but looking at those prices, this is likely a greedy mega-restaurant…

scrubbles ,
@scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech avatar

You’re missing that they’re still asking for tips. Yes what you’re saying makes sense and a lot of restaurants do just that … But then they genuinely don’t accept tips still because they’re not needed anymore. You don’t get the cake and eat it too, you either have tips or you have the fee.

Anticorp ,

Let the manager know that you won’t be returning and make sure they understand why, then never return.

falkerie71 ,
@falkerie71@sh.itjust.works avatar

I live in a Asia where service fees of 10% are normal with no tipping culture.
I can see why people may think 18% is too much, but honestly tipping culture should just be gone entirely. Waiters shouldn’t have to rely on customer tips, which can vary for different reasons even ones that may be outside their control, to earn a living wage.

ChicoSuave ,

Forgive my ignorance but what’s the difference between a service fee and tip in this context?

intensely_human ,

A tip is consensual

Shush ,

You must pay the service fee.

Also, usually the fee is a stated amount - with tip, you pick the amount (though you get guilt trippee into picking higher amounts).

CaptionAdam ,

Turns out my local casinos restaurant does this aswell but its called a forced gratuity.

viking ,
@viking@infosec.pub avatar

Those prices are bloody insane to begin with. >22$ plus tax for chicken wings??? I can eat for 3 days just for that.

Surreal ,

It’s great if they include it in the bill, it gets rid of the tipping culture. If they still ask you for tips then tell them to GTFO

abff08f4813c ,

I think the service charge bit, that is widespread as an alternative to tipping in Europe, makes a lot of sense in general.

Key word in the above sentence is: alternative

Hyzerflip ,

They should then adjust their prices by 18% on all items and not have this bullshit on the receipt. Let the customer choose when ordering how much they are willing to spend instead of this. It will make the process much clearer and avoid confrontation. Bad judgement on the owners.

scrubbles ,
@scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech avatar

I agree, but I’m okay with this as a compromise. I’m in Seattle and we’ve been fighting tipping culture for a while now. I’ll take an 18% fee over those bullshit “suggested tips” that are now starting at 25%

DONTBANTHISACCOUNT ,

Exactly...

This to me sounds like ;
A High tax
A High tip
A High hidden fee

((At least to me ... I am not poor, but I am cheap / frugal at least when it comes to food))

Black_Gulaman ,
@Black_Gulaman@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

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

Aesthesiaphilia ,

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

That's exactly why so many restaurants are adding service charges nowadays. It's a way to legally take tip money from servers.

Saturdaycat ,
@Saturdaycat@kbin.social avatar

You had a los Angeles woman for only 3.75?

collasta ,

That was the coke, but still a damn good street price.

CurlyMoustache ,
@CurlyMoustache@lemmy.world avatar

A dish made famous by The Doors

happyhippo ,

Oh, please help me on this.

I’m Italian and going on a trip to the western US in less than two weeks, and still haven’t understood how to behave wrt tipping/service charge.

In my previous trips to the US, before this nonsense was automatically added to the bill, I would tip between 15 and 20% depending on my level of satisfaction with the waiting staff.

What should I do now, when visiting places auto-charging a service fee?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

NormPR ,

Most places still don’t do this. Just look out for it but you probably won’t run into it. I would say that these days 20% is kind of the new 15%.

happyhippo ,

Ok, thanks!

ingeanus , (edited )

As someone in the Eastern US (grain of salt there), this rarely occurs but if it does it is usually when a place serves a large group (justified as the extra difficulty for serving so many people at once). If I saw this applied in another situation I would 100% consider that a tip, give them nothing, and never eat there again. If it was applied when I went in a large group I’d say it can go both ways, but I’d definitely not go back there with lots of people again because it feels like its an attempt at fleecing the customer for more than the trouble is actually worth. Alternatively I might tip less, taking the 18% into account already as a tip. Overall, I’d say it’s bullshit and a good proportion of the people I know would agree.

Hope your trip goes well

happyhippo ,

Thanks! Seems a reasonable approach

NiiicePants ,

If they’re auto-charging it, don’t tip any extra on top. Check every receipt because in many places you’ll see they automatically add gratuity. This place is definitely shady for adding it as a “service fee” and then still putting suggested tip amount afterwards. I would say do not feel guilty and do not think twice. Service fee implies that it paid for the service.

DarkDarkHouse ,
@DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

With any luck, this becomes widespread and ends tipping culture.

happyhippo ,

Let’s hope so, as someone who’s not used to it, I find it quite confusing and not really transparent. Plus it’s kind of a guilt trip every time. I would take a higher overall bill which covers staff salaries any day. Must also be much better for service workers as they’ll know they’ll be able to pay THEIR bills, whether the business is doing good or not.

happyhippo ,

Thanks!

drifty ,
@drifty@sopuli.xyz avatar

I see no reason to tip at all in most cases and ask them to remove the service charge or it’s equivalent from my bill. I get eye-rolls and looks sometimes but I’m not obligated to pay anything above the charge for my food lmao

Landmammals ,

Glad to see they’re paying a living wage and the tip went back to being an optional gratuity instead of something the server depends on to make their rent.

Neve8028 ,

Yeah. While a service charge is annoying, when you eat in the US you already know that you’ll be adding on an extra 20% regardless. If you don’t have to leave a tip at the end, you’re paying the same amount that you would have with the tip.

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

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?

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

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • [email protected]
  • random
  • lifeLocal
  • goranko
  • All magazines
    •