Service Charges - Do You Tip As Well?

[simon.r]

When presented with a bill that includes a service charge do you leave a tip as well? I'm making the assumption that the service was good enough to merit leaving a tip had there not been a service charge.

 

[ianrauk]

NO, Never.
Service charge is just that, to cover tips.

 

[Markymark]

Correct. Never.

 

[stevede]

Have been to a restaurant and refused to pay the service charge because the service received was not good. Always leave a reasonable tip though when service is good.

Wouldn't do both.

 

[Booyaa]

Nope.

 

[simon.r]

Good. I figured I was normal in not leaving a tip in addition to the service charge - just wanted to make sure!

 

[pplpilot]

I'm with Mr Pink on this.

I ask for the service charge to be removed. Its just another way of upping the bill. The price you pay for the food to be purchased, prepared, cooked and bought to the table is the price it states on the menu. End of story. Tips, perhaps if the service has ben exemplary but not normally. Why do people feel the need to tip someone serving them food, cutting their hair or driving them home in a taxi but not tip other people serving them, you wouldn't tip the lad/lass selling you some socks in Next/ASDA etc or the girl in the chippy or local takeaway.... Utter nonsense.

 

[Aperitif]

Funny question. On Sunday I paid, plus the service charge at whatever it was..C/Card. didn't stop me from giving cash to the maitre d' who was doing all the running around and making sure stuff was just fine.
The reason for tipping is, I suppose, the time, enduring experience, and maybe, just how privileged one feels to be served in such a manner. I'm not tight, either, so don't mind everyone feeling nice, no matter what the protocol or diktat.

 

[buggi]

i ask for the service charge to be removed and give the waiter/waitress a tip. Otherwise they don't get the 10%. If I'm going to tip, i tip the person serving me, not the restaurant.

 

[Roadrider48]

Service charges on the bill are a bloody cheek! It's like the owner is somewhat getting away from paying all of his staff salaries. Tipping should be discretionary, not compulsory!

 

[TVC]

Nope, also I never add a tip on a card payment machine, too many cases of this being an extra skim for the owner, If deserved I leave a cash tip on the table.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

There is no tipping in Japan.

 

[vernon]

i ask for the service charge to be removed and give the waiter/waitress a tip. Otherwise they don't get the 10%. If I'm going to tip, i tip the person serving me, not the restaurant.

And the the waiter/waitress puts it into the kitty to be re-distributed amongst the staff negating the motives behind the removal of the service charge from the bill which does tend to be distributed amongst the staff......

 

[vernon]

Service charges on the bill are a bloody cheek! It's like the owner is somewhat getting away from paying all of his staff salaries. Tipping should be discretionary, not compulsory!

In France I believe all bills are 'service compris' and have been so for a long time. Service charges were not always levied back in the day of my GCE French lessons and "service compris?" is now a redundant phrase from my juvenile French armoury.

I don't have a problem with service charges. It isn't compulsory to eat in establishments who levy them and it's normally flagged on the menus that are displayed outside of the restaurants.

Of course the classier establishments don't stoop to such common behaviour and rely on the fact that their clientele don't worry about the magnitude of the bill service charge included or not.

 

[vernon]

There is no tipping in Japan.

So what do they do with their landfill?