Tipping in restaurants

Jalipa dearest let us all know which establishment you work for. We will strike the 12.5% from the bill demanding to know from your manager what it was intended for. We might leave a few pence on the table in cash, after we have settled the bill and are on the way out of the restaurant. I.e. the traditional tip practiced in this country and not some smoothie upmarket 12.5% for which there is no tradition. It's a continental con.

I bet your restaurant

a) Charges a fortune for mineral water. refusing tap water.
b) Charges separately for vegetables
c) Serves minimal quantities of food on strangely shaped plates.

And oh dear what was that "Cover Charge" for? The tablecloth?

Restaurants that deduct from their tips include:
Pizza Express
Carluccio's
The Real Eating Company
Tootsies
According to the BBC

A number of restaurants pay their staff below minimum wage and expect tips to make up the difference. Amazingly this is not illegal. Also if you leave a tip on a credit card – some restaurants will take up to 60% of your tip. Naturally the staff never sees any of the so-called service charge. Also remember – You do not need to pay a Service Charge – you can refuse.

I am a waitress in a Knightsbridge restaurant and I am appaled by the fact that they add a 12.5% service charge because it is not a tip, it goes towards my salary. I would like to make it known that 99% of the time in any restaurant the waiter does not directly receive this. I have been in this trade to support my studies for almost 7 years and take great pride in what I do and I believe that I offer excellent service to my tables. That is what I am paid to do. I never expect anyone to give me a tip, although some of my regular customers do sometimes leave me something. The tipping culture is debatable, in receiving a tip I am always grateful and yes it is something that makes your day; especially when you earn badly for doing a job that is actually very demanding of your time and ability, but I would like to say I never serve a table expecting them to give me a little something else. I would like everyone to boycoot the 'dicretionary' service charge that is added to your bills because I beleive if you would like to tip great service then please do, if you dont want to there are few waiters that will be upset with you for it.

Im a waitress and the owner of my restaurant, couldn give a shi about my job, my health, my food, and your food, he is only interested in you spend money on his restaurant. your tips will help me to pay my taxi or bus that night!!!
I have to apologize or take any complaints of you on behalf of the owner desires.
If I work there is becasue I need to save money for my studies because I want to be a professional who goes to a restaurant and humilliate people as you are doing now!
If you think we get pay and treat with quality well think again.... nooooooo of course we are not paid enought to deal with people like you who pretend to be the most arrogant and snobs in the planet.... we should deserve a medal to hear your moanings!

I think it criminal and deceptive that all Chinese and other restaurants place in very, very small print at the back of their menus that 10% will be added to the bill as "service charge". What is this "service charge"? Is this for tips for the waiting staff? Is it taxed as income? Has VAT been paid on it? - I believe so.

I think it even more criminal that a certain class of restaurant, because they think they are "up market" and highfalutingly grandiose charge 12.5%, and some even 15% for this "service charge".

Some restaurants add the word "optional" to this charge. 'Optional' meaning pay up or we'll break your legs.


Service charging is a totally dishonest practice.

In the USA service charges are the property of the employer, not the employees, such amounts do not constitute tip income to the employee.

In then USA on the question of retention of Tips: The law forbids any arrangement between the employer and the tipped employee whereby any part of the tip received becomes the property of the employer. A tip is the sole property of the tipped employee.

I expect the law is different in the UK/England.

I thought we had a minimum wage wage n this country. The practice now is to add 10% Service charge, which covers the Tips.
Has anyone told HMRC, as Service staff are deducted £500 from their tax allowance as the HMRC assume they get tips.
Rip off Britain again.

When abroad - Beware

Euros 'cause Spaniards to tip too much'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/16/wspain216.xml

Still somewhat confused by the introduction of the euro five years ago, consumers across Spain are reportedly over-tipping in the country's cafes, restaurants and bars.

The largesse must come to the delight of the country's waiting staff - but not to Spain's economy minister, Pedro Solbes.

"I see people having a couple of coffees and calmly leaving a euro tip," Mr Solbes complained at a political forum in Madrid.

A 25 peseta tip used to be considered acceptable

Tipping is rubbish and should be banned in favour of one price on the menu / bill. Restaurants seem to have gotten comfortable paying low wages to staff with the promise of them earning money in tips. Do they even give the staff any of the "service charge" on the bill? Doubt it. If you pay the staff right, this incentive to give good service would be solved because the bigger incentive of staying in that job takes precident.
Don't try and tell me I have to pay extra for service, the food has to get to people tables somehow, it's a fixed cost!!!

When I attend or use the services of any other establishment than a restaurant, I know that the workers there are fully employed by and receive their full pay and wages from the organisation running that establishment. I know that if they fail in their duty of care to me as the customer during the provision of their service, I can sue the owners of the establishment they are employed by. The owner is 100% responsible. I am paying them for the service.

But the owner of a restaturant doesn't seem to want to be 100% responsible for the service they are providing. They seem to want to escape their responsibility in paying living wages to the persons they use to deliver their service. Are these zombies they "employ" self-employed? What is their legal relationship? How do I know if these zombies really do wash their hands before they serve me? How do I know if they are not crawling all over with germs? Who guarantees all this?

If I am paying the restaurant for the service then I expect the restarant to be 100% responsible. There should be no question of a tip.

If you came to the restaurant I worked in I'd hope someone puts visine in your water...ever go to a restaurant where the servers make salary..service suffers..it sucks..its called a buffet..or smorgasborg...and yeah..you do tip the delivery guy you silly silly man...crawl back under that rock and please go food shopping or go to burger king

I now know why I hate eating out in US restaurants. The waiting staff hang around your table, generally interfering with your drinks, interrupting your conversation and getting in the way. They behave like ponces. And worst of all they hover above your table like vultures waiting for you to die or move on just to collect the crumbs and few pence you leave on your table.