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Discretionary tipping in the UK

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Discretionary tipping in the UK

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Old Sep 10, 2012 | 8:02 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by serioustraveler
At the end of the day a Service charge IN ADDITION to Gratuity is immoral because you're disguising the price of a meal twice, if they want to add a mandatory service charge have it factored into the price of the food.

Gratuity IS optional, a service charge is not optional, therefore there is absolutely no reasonable argument to be made that the service charge can't be factored into the price of the food.
But in the UK - the context of this thread - services charges of the type being discussed here are not mandatory, they are - as the thread has highlighted - discretionary. In the days when a restaurant could pocket that money and not pass it onto the waitress, I'd often check to see if they got it or not - if they didn't, I'd ask for it to be removed and then pay in cash. In that situation, staff were always very happy to oblige

I do dislike where restaurants here don't make it obvious there is a service charge - and I don't like it at 12.5% when tipping is 10% or less
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Old Sep 12, 2012 | 10:23 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by Jenbel
But in the UK - the context of this thread - services charges of the type being discussed here are not mandatory, they are - as the thread has highlighted - discretionary. In the days when a restaurant could pocket that money and not pass it onto the waitress, I'd often check to see if they got it or not - if they didn't, I'd ask for it to be removed and then pay in cash. In that situation, staff were always very happy to oblige

I do dislike where restaurants here don't make it obvious there is a service charge - and I don't like it at 12.5% when tipping is 10% or less
I guess it comes down to whether or not you consider opt out versus opt in to be ethical.

I'm a big believer that nothing should be opt out and you should always have to opt in for things like service charges, because if it's opt out often people won't know they can actually get it removed.
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Old Sep 21, 2012 | 1:54 pm
  #18  
 
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I too object to this automatic ....ing service charge. Tipping is at the discretion of the customer. Most of the time I think they are trading on Brits being too embarassed to ask for its removal.
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Old Sep 21, 2012 | 2:01 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by TwelveInchTony
I too object to this automatic ....ing service charge. Tipping is at the discretion of the customer. Most of the time I think they are trading on Brits being too embarassed to ask for its removal.
True. But you could pick a better target. France for example where service is almost non-existent but where "service compris" is universal compared to the optional and irregular addition in the uk. Try and get the charge removed in Paris for example .....ll
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