Interestingly, I had exactly this conversation with a US work colleague two days ago and she gave that same reason - making taxes clear - as the reason. Though, she went on to explain that this is actually useful because of differing rates of state and municipal taxes.
I totally agree
Was it a large booking? IME this is commonplace in in Britain when booking for groups of around 10 or greater.
If those who had booked a table for ‘x’ time hadn’t turned up after say 10/15 minutes or 30 minutes max depending on how busy it was, without informing the restaurant they would be late, their reservation should be cancelled and table offered to someone else.
That's usually what happens - most restaurants will only hold a reservation for 30 minutes max. But they still have the issue that they've possibly turned away several customers, and it's now 30 minutes (more like 45 if they had to move tables together) past what was likely to busiest period for walk-ins.
Three diners. Me, my wife and her sister. We had every intention of going, and would always phone in the rare event we had to cancel. But $90 up front before we stepped in the door? Don’t think so!
And it doesn’t take that long to get used to mentally adding another 10-15% before you get to the checkou.
One thing I've never got my head around in recent years is - when tips and service charges are added directly onto a single card or contactless transaction - how confident can you be that more-or-less the sum you're giving will go to those who actually delivered the service?
I don't work in hospitality, but I have friends who do. It's a bit of a mishmash how service charges paid by card are handled.
A local, free-house country pub which we've used every couple of months or so for lunch for years suddenly introduced a service charge just after the Covid restrictions lifted, and Yorkie, there was absolutely no mention of it anywhere on their website (I subsequently checked) or on their menus or blackboard. I was surprised when the charge for two main courses and two coffees came in at over £40, but didn't have the gumption to query it before paying. Mea culpa. It wasn't until I was sat in the car and inspected the bill that I realised what they had done.
Isn't that already the case? AFAIK, you are under no obligation to pay any charge that isn't clearly displayed.
Another EU benefit that has stayed around in the UK, card fees cannot be passed on to customers.
Some parts of Canada are even worse (British Columbia in my limited experience). Get the bill, add the sale tax, add the liquor tax, then add the service charge.
In theory, the tip is in reward for providing more than just what you're paying for. Taking dining in a restaurant as an example, a server could provide the minimum level of service without ever speaking to you. Show you to your table, hand you the menu, wait until you order, bring the food, bring the bill.
Is it? I'd say that's just being good at ones job....the reward for which is generally continued employment.
Nope. The actual job of wait staff is to take orders and bring the food:
I do, usually, not just a pound if everything is up to scratch. I've left bottles of wine and the such. I leave it for the housekeepers with a note so they know it's for them.
That's the question I'd like to ask too. In a good many shops, be it a chemist, and ironmonger, or the local Tesco, I often get far more attentive and personal service than in many restaurants (thinking especially of places like the local one recently opened where the service-charge is automatically on the bill even for just bringing a cup of coffee). How did the habit grow up of some people expecting to get extra for just doing their job and others offering equally personal service not? And at what level does it stop? Why never any question of a tip for your GP or your s?olicitor
Nope. The actual job of wait staff is to take orders and bring the food:
waiter
1. a man whose job is to bring the food to customers at their tables in a…dictionary.cambridge.org
I agree that a good waiter/waitress will do more than that but, unless it's specifically included in their job description, it's not part of the definition of the job.
It's all about expectations. I expect good service wherever I shop/eat/whatever. However, occasionally someone will stand out as having gone above and beyond what I would normally expect and it is in cases such as this when I'll leave a good tip or consider contacting the establishment to put in a good word. Quite often companies have a reward scheme whereby any favourable comments about an employee will result in a small reward. It's a morale booster, especially in a place where you're constantly dealing with difficult customers.
