Service charge AND a tip

[reddevil]

I quite enjoyed the meal I had at Mr Frascati on Friday night until the credit card receipt came for signing and it had a TIP: line on it. The bill had already had a £9 service charge added to it, so why should the credit card receipt have an option for a tip as well? It is completely misleading. This practice of 'doubling up' fills me with utter disdain.

[Kikujiro]

And is widespread, particularly for some reason among Chinese restaurants in London.

[glenn]

I'm 95% sure - in the US, the credit line is programmed to print even if a service charge is included. I would think you'd need a pretty advanced POS system to get it not to print.

[Charlene Leonard]

there's no such problem in the UK. Restaurants are able to print the slip without the 'gratuity' line if they have already added service but some choose not to. Good Food Guide deplores this so much that they even name and shame restaurants which choose to leave the slip open despite adding service charge already.

[macrosan]

This practice of 'doubling up' fills me with utter disdain. 

Disdain is far too mild a word. It infuriates me !!!!

And is widespread, particularly for some reason among Chinese restaurants in London.

I agree it's widespread, and I've commented on it before, but I honestly don't think it's at all ethnically related.

I'm 95% sure - in the US, the credit line is programmed to print even if a service charge is included. I would think you'd need a pretty advanced POS system to get it not to print

In the US almost no restaurants add a service charge to the bill in the first place. I have sometimes been embarrased in the US by getting a bill, giving them my credit card, getting the credit card slip and finding there was nowhere to add a tip and the card had been processed and closed ! So I was forced to leave a cash tip. I assume that in some places you have to tell them how much you want to tip before they process your credit card.

I remember remarking in my review of QC in Holborn how pleasantly surprised I was that when they brought the bill, the waitress said "The service charge is included".

[Winot]

I'm 95% sure - in the US, the credit line is programmed to print even if a service charge is included.  I would think you'd need a pretty advanced POS system to get it not to print.

Even if it is, the serving staff can always cross out the tip box and write the total in by hand. This has happened in a few places (too few).

I'm always tempted to write a negative amount in open tip boxes but have never had the balls.

[Scott]

Pure evil, that prays on the unsuspecting and the too trusting.

[StephenT]

Seems to happen often in rank and file restaurants. I expect it now, so am pleasantly surprised when it doesn't. I just put a big fat line through the tip section.

[glenn]

Even if it is, the serving staff can always cross out the tip box and write the total in by hand.  This has happened in a few places (too few).

I'm always tempted to write a negative amount in open tip boxes but have never had the balls.

I dunno, I don't think I agree. What if the party wants to give a bigger tip than the service charge, not entirely unheard of.

However, the practice should always be to verbally inform the person paying that the tip's included. On the other hand, that's not always possible -- sometimes the server doesn't know who's paying and/or the table can be in the midst of conversation and it would be rude to interrupt. But it should always be the policy to circle the service charge.

There was just an incident at the place I work at where a customer left a tip on top of the service charge, amounting to a 42% tip. The server said she circled the service charge. I called the customer, and he didn't notice it was circled (judging from the amount of drinks, I can see why), and I ended up refunding the tip.

Edited April 7, 2003 by glenn (log)

[tommy]

I have sometimes been embarrased in the US by getting a bill, giving them my credit card, getting the credit card slip and finding there was nowhere to add a tip and the card had been processed and closed ! So I was forced to leave a cash tip. I assume that in some places you have to tell them how much you want to tip before they process your credit card.

in my many trips to the US, i've never seen this type of situation. generally (always), you give them the card, they run it, and you get a slip to sign with room for the tip.

[jackal10]

Th is might be a new topic, but my impression is that there is a wide divergence of ways restaurants handle the "tronc" (service charge/tips) from the other side of the till. Traditionally they went into an account controlled by the maitre'd, from which the staff were allocated shares by senority, but I guess this is rare now.There are also discrepencies whether the kitchen or just the wait staff join in the share.

The greedier restauranters pocket the service charge leaving the staff no option but to collect tips as well. If you want to reward good service it is worth enquiring of your wait person what system is used, and if need be crossing out the service charge and leaving a cash tip instead.

Some interpret the service charge as a charge for linen, bread and other overheads, rather than as an optional reward for service. If so this should be made clear.

What tax is paid, by whom, and how it is assessed for staff by the revenue are also hot topics.

.

[macrosan]

I have sometimes been embarrased in the US by getting a bill, giving them my credit card, getting the credit card slip and finding there was nowhere to add a tip and the card had been processed and closed ! So I was forced to leave a cash tip. I assume that in some places you have to tell them how much you want to tip before they process your credit card.

in my many trips to the US, i've never seen this type of situation. generally (always), you give them the card, they run it, and you get a slip to sign with room for the tip.

They musta seen me comin'

[Tonyfinch]

Quite honestly I can never see why everybody gets so steamed up by this issue. Sure, it's a bit of sharp practice and shouldn't happen but you'd have to be either blind drunk or a blithering idiot to fall for it and its quite fun to try to embarass the staff by innocently pointing to the open card line and saying "but I thought service was included".

Caveat Emptor is the rule to remember.

[Charlene Leonard]

you'd have to be either blind drunk or a blithering idiot to fall for it

see Macrosan, that's where you're going wrong!

Seriously though, I think you'd be surprised how many people just hand over their credit card without checking the bill first. I can see no other reason for restaurants leaving the slip open except for them trying to get more money out of the unwitting customer.

[Scott]

Quite honestly I can never see why everybody gets so steamed up by this issue. Sure, it's a bit of sharp practice and shouldn't happen but you'd have to be either blind drunk or a blithering idiot to fall for it and its quite fun to try to embarass the staff by innocently pointing to the open card line and saying "but I thought service was included".

Caveat Emptor is the rule to remember.

Tony,

I just don't agree that it's the customers job to be aware of this sort of thing - service is confusing for many people anyway. It's this confusion that many less scrupulous operators pray upon.

I don't think people know to look for it either.

[Basildog]

Another reason people get upset is because eating out is one of rare times that you pay after the event.

edit speelling

Edited April 8, 2003 by Basildog (log)

[rjs1]

On the menu at No. 5 Cavendish Square today:

"For your convenience, a suggested gratuity of 12.5% will be added to your bill".

[circeplum]

someone else has eaten at 5 cavendish square! what did you think of it? (i thought it was diabolical ...)

did you know it's supposed to be owned by cheryl barrymore, ex of michael?

[rjs1]

Sorry, Circeplum, I didn't eat there, I just walked past and looked at the menu. Neither the line about the service charge being added for my convenience or anything else on the menu tempted me in.