Service Charge + Tip

[Burzhui]

What the fok!
what is the point of a service charge, as far as i'm concerned it is the tip!

If a service charge is included on the bill in a restraunt, do you pay an additional 15-20% or just add to the service charge to make it 15 or 20 or whateer %

[navyones]

I just figure out what the tip should be, then I deduct the service charge from that total. :)

[cheapie]

yep. i used to just add the tip on top of the bill when ordering room service. then i noticed the tip was already added including a service charge. no more tips unless it's pretty quick service and the food looks great.

[x1337xD335C1P13x]

i thought service charge = tip

[MikeD]

I thought the service charge was only added for larger parties. Regardless, I view it as a built-in tip. No additional $$$ from me...

[mwatson]

If they charge me a service charge I refuse to tip even if the service charge is less than what I would normally tip.

[Bires]

If they charge me a service charge I refuse to tip even if the service charge is less than what I would normally tip.

:stupid:

I usually tip very well (worked in food service myself a lifetime ago). I figure if they add a service charge or gratuity, they are telling me how well they did and what tip they deserve..

[RIVERWIDOW]

The only problem with all these scenarios is ,its the hotel, restaurant etc that is charging the extra $ NOT the person who is serving it. I know it sucks but if you have a server or awaiter who does an extra good job, they are not getting rewarded for their good service. The establishment is. You have to think about the little guy. :cheers:

[cheapie]

yeah but i'm not really in the "support the little guy" business. it may seem rude but i'm not going to hook up the delivery guy in spite of being screwed by his employer. he is THE representative of his company to me.

[Markel]

The only problem with all these scenarios is ,its the hotel, restaurant etc that is charging the extra $ NOT the person who is serving it. I know it sucks but if you have a server or awaiter who does an extra good job, they are not getting rewarded for their good service. The establishment is. You have to think about the little guy. :cheers:
The first note just says that it is a restaurant (nothing about room service). If I see a "service charge" on a restaurant bill, that's the tip. Otherwise, it's a phony "extra profit" charge. As others have said, I usually have only seen this on bills for larger parties. Sometimes the menu notes that for parties larger than 6 (or some number), there will be a 15% (or some other value) service charge automatically added. I am certain that this is to "protect" the server from being slighted when a customer sees a large bill and is less likely to tip a typical percentage.

[InfiniteNothing]

yeah but i'm not really in the "support the little guy" business. it may seem rude but i'm not going to hook up the delivery guy in spite of being screwed by his employer. he is THE representative of his company to me.

So do you not tip pizza delivery guys too if the resturaunt adds a delivery charge? I think a service fee and gratuity are two totally different things.

[Merlin]

If there is a service charge then that is there tip. No additional amount given. And I really hate it when they slip that into the bill and keep it quiet hoping that you won't notice and might double tip. I've seen people get suckered on that one more times than I can recall.


So do you not tip pizza delivery guys too if the resturaunt adds a delivery charge?
If there is a delivery charge that had better be what they use to pay the guy's salary.

[InfiniteNothing]

If there is a service charge then that is there tip. No additional amount given. And I really hate it when they slip that into the bill and keep it quiet hoping that you won't notice and might double tip. I've seen people get suckered on that one more times than I can recall.


If there is a delivery charge that had better be what they use to pay the guy's salary.

Isn't a service fee what they use to pay for the hotel service guy's salary?

[cheapie]

So do you not tip pizza delivery guys too if the resturaunt adds a delivery charge? I think a service fee and gratuity are two totally different things.


if they tell me it's going to be $17 on the phone and he gets there and the bill is $20 including the delivery charge :shrug: it's never happened so i don't know. i'm really only talking about room service and restaurant bills.


Isn't a service fee what they use to pay for the hotel service guy's salary?



if so, what's the price of the meal used for?

[InfiniteNothing]

if they tell me it's going to be $17 on the phone and he gets there and the bill is $20 including the delivery charge :shrug: it's never happened so i don't know. i'm really only talking about room service and restaurant bills.





if so, what's the price of the meal used for?

I'm totally with you on the resturants... but usually that's presented as a "gratuity fee" not a "service fee"

Meal cost:Chefs, raw materials, capital.... (where does the price of the carry out pizza come from?)

[ufcrusher]

Since it wasnt clear where the "service charge" was from, I will say the following.

At restaurants that charge a "service charge on parties of 8 or more" its designed as a locked in tip. Usually its 15% but I have seen it as high as 20% for some restaurants. There was a lawsuit about an 18% tip placed on a bill at a restaurant in NY. I believe someone even posted it here before but couldnt find it with a quick search.

The man refused to pay the 18% and left a much smaller tip. The restaurant called the police and the man was arrested over the incident. When it came to court, they arrest was thrown out and the guy prevailed as a gratuity cannot be made compulsory. However, the court did say that if it was a service charge there might have been a better case for the arrest.

If the service charge is based on the cost of your meals, then obviously its designed as a built in gratuity. No extra money given since they didnt trust me to tip on my own.

If the charge is a "surcharge" for the added cost of some ingredients, such as rare mushrooms, added electricity costs, etc. I request to see where they have it posted that they are going to charge such an amount. Usually they do have it posted somewhere inconspicuously in the front and add a small charge to help them cover costs for perceived short raised rates without changing their prices. This annoys me as its their cost of doing business and its a cost that EVERYONE bears, so why should they pass it on to me, I have sucessfully refused to pay that amount when it wasnt posted. Although frankly if its $0.25 its not worth fighting.

For charges on room service, its a built in tip.

[InfiniteNothing]

I guess the real question is who gets that 15% I kinda assumed it was the company and the service people don't get to keep it but now I'm not sure.

[Burzhui]

nah thing is we went to the restraunt and they had a service charge, which was not a tip, it had an extra space to write the tip in.

*******s i say!

[bachviet]

I guess the real question is who gets that 15% I kinda assumed it was the company and the service people don't get to keep it but now I'm not sure.
The tips/service charges are for the servers/service people not companies/restaurants.

Most of the time, I saw an 18% service charge on the bill with party of 6+ pple.

[Burzhui]

The tips/service charges are for the servers/service people not companies/restaurants.

Most of the time, I saw an 18% service charge on the bill with party of 6+ pple.


that's a tip though

[CrystalDuck]

The extra buck or two for pizza delivery does not directly go to the driver, but the company does pay the driver a milage refund (per delivery I think, not per trip or per mile). You still gotta tip your delivery person.

[molecularfire]

If there is a service fee, I don't tip. If there is a delivery fee, I don't tip. Otherwise, I am a very good tipper.