Service Charge - Enforced Tipping

[Stew]

I thought tips have always been about reward for service. The tip the bellboy for carrying your heavy bags up or tip for good service at the restaurant. It is a reward not a top up of low wages. Or at least that is the UK tradition.

I remember years ago there being an issue with a restaurant chain having a strop because they had to pay their staff a full wage rather than them having to rely on tips to top them up.

If we tipped everyone for good service, it would be huge. The person who checks you in nicely at the hospital, someone in the supermarket who helps you find a food item, the phone engineer getting your internet reconnected, the gas man who sorts out a leak, the bin man who puts your bin back nicely, the person who changes your tyre, and….

It’s an antiquated habit
(but I do tip when I want to. )

 

[Stew]

I thought tips have always been about reward for service. The tip the bellboy for carrying your heavy bags up or tip for good service at the restaurant. It is a reward not a top up of low wages. Or at least that is the UK tradition.

And also, historically how many jobs were receivers of tips that weren’t low wage jobs? Anyone know if there were any?

 

[hughtrimble]

And also, historically how many jobs were receivers of tips that weren’t low wage jobs? Anyone know if there were any?

They just spell 'tips' as 'bonus'

 

[Stew]

They just spell 'tips' as 'bonus'

That’s a fair point but comes from the employer not the customer. Still a similar idea though.

 

[Pattree]

Taxi drivers seem to think that that they are owed tips. They earn a lot more than I do!

 

[The Frightful]

If i eat out and get good service i tip THEM, i also tip cabbies and takeaway delivery drivers even though delivery is charged. This is mainly because i dont believe that the drivers get what is charged. Most of these drivers are obviously strapped for cash and a couple of quid doesn't buy a Mars bar and a packet of crisps these days. It also shows my gratitude to them for delivering my food.

 

[Paul_B]

And also, historically how many jobs were receivers of tips that weren’t low wage jobs? Anyone know if there were any?

It matters not how much they were paid it was the intention of the customer who was satisfied with the service that determines the reason for the tip. I tip not to top up wages but to say thank you for giving me good service.

AS for tipping anyone that is a strange argument. We are talking about service sector in certain situations where it is a top up to a payment for the service. By that I mean you pay for a meal or a bved for the night in the hotel. AS part of that you pay for someone to provide that service or to service the room / hotel operations. The tip is a specific add on the customer chooses to make to reward the quality of service. To argue it is not that because you would have to tip someone checks you in at the hospital (a service that you do not pay each time you use it) is a bit strange to me. A receptionist at a hospital does not receive peayment for your treatment.

AS to the others well I used to know people who tipped the binmen once a year at the last collection before Xmas. Similarly the postie and the newspaper boy. However I do think that is not usual and IMHO is different to restaurant staff.

 

[TeeDee]

Feel we need to remind ourselves - Tips and Service charges are very different things.
Tip as much as you want where ever you want. You are making that decision.

Service charge is a very different beast and based upon a pre-supposition.

 

[Stew]

It matters not how much they were paid it was the intention of the customer who was satisfied with the service that determines the reason for the tip. I tip not to top up wages but to say thank you for giving me good service.

AS for tipping anyone that is a strange argument. We are talking about service sector in certain situations where it is a top up to a payment for the service. By that I mean you pay for a meal or a bved for the night in the hotel. AS part of that you pay for someone to provide that service or to service the room / hotel operations. The tip is a specific add on the customer chooses to make to reward the quality of service. To argue it is not that because you would have to tip someone checks you in at the hospital (a service that you do not pay each time you use it) is a bit strange to me. A receptionist at a hospital does not receive peayment for your treatment.

AS to the others well I used to know people who tipped the binmen once a year at the last collection before Xmas. Similarly the postie and the newspaper boy. However I do think that is not usual and IMHO is different to restaurant staff.

Did those people pay for their bin service in any different way that they paid for their healthcare?
The actual specific jobs are slightly irrelevant, just a random list of jobs that are a service but generally not tipped.

 

[Stew]

Feel we need to remind ourselves - Tips and Service charges are very different things.
Tip as much as you want where ever you want. You are making that decision.

Service charge is a very different beast and based upon a pre-supposition.

Very true. We actually had a meal yesterday witha service charge.
Personally I would rather they just built it into their prices but it also removes the concern about needing to tip.

 

[Broch]

From the Governments own announcement of the new regulations last October:

<These changes will require employers to pass all tips, gratuities, and service charges on to workers, without deductions.

From today, if an employer breaks the law and retains tips, a worker will be able to bring a claim to an employment tribunal. >

So, it doesn't matter whether it's called tips or service charges, 100% of that amount is supposed to go to the workers not the business revenues. I don't know how they will enforce it though.

 

[William_Montgomery]

It feels underhand to me, and like it preys on peoples desire to not want to stand out or cause a fuss. I don't like that. Tips are something else entirely, down to ones own discretion, as it should be.

Taxi drivers seem to think that that they are owed tips. They earn a lot more than I do!

Cabbies generally don't earn very much at all, hence the tradition of tipping them.

 

[gibson 175]

Reservoir Dogs. Mr Pink ( Steve Buscemi) refuses to tip. Waitress only refilled his coffee 3 times instead of 6 times.

 

[Keith_Beef]

and then leave a cash tip.

When I lived in the US I would sometimes not add a tip to my bill paid by card, when I judged that the kitchen staff had done a mediocre job but that the service had been good. In those cases I would leave a cash tip that the waiter or waitress could pocket. In the US it is lawful and widespread to pay restaurant staff below minimum legal wage and to expect that the shortfall be made up in tips.

Here in France the rule is that the price stated on the menu includes service: there is no expectation of a tip. I only rarely leave one.

 

[Paul_B]

Did those people pay for their bin service in any different way that they paid for their healthcare?
The actual specific jobs are slightly irrelevant, just a random list of jobs that are a service but generally not tipped.

No but then they're the outliers. A kind of old way of showing how much you have. Most tipping is probably the direct service industries such as restaurants. That's the only place I have tipped, but then I've never stayed in a truly posh hotel that had people to carry luggage to people's rooms.

 

[NotSafeForWork]

Generally the only tip I would leave is "don't eat yellow snow" at any chain like wetherspoons etc.

I eat rarely at a non chain place and leave a tip as know the staff all by name, get staff discount etc - as we do maintenance there and get treated well so an odd situation.

 

[MartinK9]

Tell them if the service was fantastic I'd gladly pay it but bringing the wrong food out and a cold side is not good service.

 

[Tengu]

No.

(I dont eat out much, but the last time was really good, Sign of the Angel in Lacock, if you are ever round that way).

 

[Broch]

If the service is good, the food is good, the atmosphere is what I expect, in other words if I've enjoyed my experience, I don't care if it's on the bill or I add it. If I haven't enjoyed the experience I will tell them and not pay it. If they aren't happy with a fuss in front of their other guests then they shouldn't put it on the bill

The industry in this country has grown up around tipping low paid service providers. For any one independent restaurant to stop it they would have to put their prices up and appear less competitive. They have started adding it by default because fewer people are tipping - it's a catch 22 situation for an industry that is struggling.

Oh, and you're not paying for the food, you're paying for the wages, insurance, rent, rates, and all the other costs that every business has.

 

[TeeDee]

Tell them if the service was fantastic I'd gladly pay it but bringing the wrong food out and a cold side is not good service.

I know. And you are correct. It wasn't myself paying ( being spoilt ) so it was only twigged up the road in the car.
And I could ring back or turn the car around and make a bit of a minor stink or scene , but the Opening Post was more about the concept of service charge being a , honorable? or justifiable.

Ironically after a pleasant enough meal it just left a bitter after taste.