How did we arrive at a ‘discretionary’ 15% service charge?

https://www.ft.com/content/2cc4e5ea-3b37-40a4-ab27-1ab4a4fcbb19

by signed7

27 comments

  2. I presume the « discretionary » is a way round what would otherwise be advertising the wrong price.

    Much as people used to require £x « donation » for things, most intriguingly for alcohol as a way round having to get a licence.

  3. Presumably restaurants are importing the US model where nothing is ever paid for.

  4. if i am asked for anything over printed menu price i will not be paying anything at all

  5. Yes it’s crazy. I go and get an ice cream on a regular basis and they have put in a tip screen when paying. It’s an ice cream shop you are literally putting a few scoops into a cup or on a cone I’m not paying 15% on top of the prices already.

  6. I did t realise we had.

    I’ve never felt pressured to leave a tip and I can’t recall anywhere suggesting a specific amount of money for a tip.

    That being said we don’t get out to eat as much as we used to.

  7. If it’s at my discretion surely I can just refuse to pay it?

  8. https://archive.ph/6ZRot

    So basically the article is saying that the service charge is nothing to do with tips – it’s an integral part of the restaurant costing. Colour me surprised.
    No other industry would get away with such dishonest practices.

  9. I’ve been to restaurants that ask for a tip through the card machine on top of the service charge already on the bill.

  10. The other week, I went for lunch and as I ordered at the counter and paid with my card, it asked if I wanted to give a tip. This was before I’d even got my food!

  11. Makes the meal choices look not so expensive. Any “service charge” should be included or plastered across the menu. Oh… and people definitely should push back before it becomes “embedded” in the public psyche.

  12. 1. card transactions, no tips (I know, in theory you can tip and the owner might get it)

    2. covid inflation

  13. I really think we now need legislation to remove service charges added to the bill, regardless of it being discretionary or not.

    If you want to charge an additional 15% put your upfront prices up by 15% – simple.

  14. How many people take it off? It’s awkward when you get decent service. In Bristol at least I can only remember one place we’ve been to that didn’t add it by default

    As a couple we’ve just settled in to going out once a week rather than twice. With friends they often host and we stay in for a takeaway rather than going out for a curry.

    British attitudes to higher prices seem to be to cut back a lot and save instead. Saw a few things posted on the Europe sub about uk consumer spending being the worst in the g7. The yanks meanwhile keep spending more and more.

  15. That comes off every time. Every. Single. Time.

    You dont tip other industries, so why restaurants? Bus driver got me there in time, better give the driver a tip… no. We have a minimum living wage for a reason.

  16. Just to say, having worked at TGI Fridays 11 years ago, I remember very clearly that it’s was *10%* service charge.
    Over time you may have noticed it’s become 12.5% and now 15%.

  17. I genuinely could count on one hand the amount of instances where I have had service worthy of a tip. Yet my family always insist on paying it. And I always feel like a grumpy old bastard for suggesting we don’t this time.

  18. Companies not wanting to pay a fair wage, so asking public to subsidise their awful wages.

  19. On top of that there’s now restaurants asking you to pay via an app that has includes a charge for using the fucking app. It’s called Sunday and there’s a “checkout fee”. We refused to pay using it the last time it was pulled out at a restaurant

  20. This service charge and tips thing really rattles me. The prices are more than high enough anyway but the employers should just pay the staff properly in the first place. It’s corporate greed and the customer is expected to pick up their inadequacies. All this is already included in your food prices without additional tips and charges. I’d rather not go to the places extorting workers in the first place

  21. Charges don’t only apply to Restaurants though, now it’s being slapped on anything and everything and at times you have to pay service charge and other fees with it and the hidden ones like taxes, levies etc.

  22. Surprised about the comments to be honest – I feel like every single place in London does this, and every customer just goes along with it. I myself have never asked to remove it because I just couldn’t see anyone around me requesting it, so I didn’t want to give the impression I disliked the service (no matter how much I’d prefer to keep my money).

  23. I have never once in my life paid one of these. I ask for it to be removed every single time, and unless the service was *exceptional* I refuse a tip on principle at anywhere that does it.

  24. Never pay it ask for it to be taken off the bill, it’s not legal
    I do it all the time.

  25. Begging with your hat out should be illegal in business.

  26. I always ask for the tip to be taken off – don’t care if they don’t like it

    But I do always tip the waiter / waitress

    I like to think I’m a generous tipper anything from £5 -£20 on a meal for 2 people depending on the level of service the food and the restaurant ambiance

    I tip in cash it’s up the person to tell HMRC

  27. Its cheaper than paying the wage increase to thw workers, it can get around national insurance and means low wage workers can afford to live

Comments are closed.