Went to a restaurant in LA today and when I got the check I noticed that it was a bit higher than it should be. Then I noticed this 18% service charge. So… We, as customers, you need to help pay for their servers instead of the owners paying their servers a living wage. And on top of that they have suggested tip. I called bs on this. I will bet you that the servers do not see a dime of this 18% service charge.
All the arguments about tipping here are missing the point. The restaurant owner just came up with a bullshit way of raising the prices without showing larger numbers on the menu. That should honestly be illegal.
wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 1 year ago
So it’s a mandatory tip, and it’s balso suggested you voluntarily leave a secondary tip.
Tip culture in America is so aggressive.
Skyline969@lemmy.world 1 year ago
It’s getting stupid in Canada too despite our laws being different (as in, you cannot make less than minimum wage if you work in a place that allows tips).
I got my oil changed a few months ago and the machine prompted me for a tip. For what? The mechanic did their job, I paid for said job. Transaction concluded.
I tried Crumbl cookies for the first (and last, holy crap overpriced) time. Got asked for a tip. For what? I got six cookies in a box and then had to leave the store because there’s no seating to eat them there. The person who helped me took my order. That’s it. Another employee put six cookies in a box and put them on a counter and said my number. Not a lot of wiggle room to go “above and beyond.”
What’s next? A tip at the grocery store for the cashier scanning my groceries? A tip at the drive-thru?
Here’s a tip. Don’t work for an employer who doesn’t pay you what you’re worth.
Mog_fanatic@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I booked a hotel online the other day and was asked if I want to leave a tip… A tip for what? I didn’t even interact with a human. Just clicked a few buttons on a website. Am I tipping the web developer?? Lol
Astroturfed@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Starbucks baristas doesn’t even “make” the coffee. They use superautomatic espresso machines. Starbucks coffee sucks ass.
nan@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 year ago
In the US you generally cannot make less than minimum wage, the employer can directly pay you less as long as your full compensation (pay + tips) are at least minimum wage, if not they are supposed to pay more.
I think the explosion of tip questions is due to the card processors figuring out there was an untapped area where they could pressure people to tip and skim off a percentage of that.
NathanielThomas@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Nope, a tip at a self-checkout.
LetMeEatCake@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Service charge I would presume is primarily paid out to the non-wait staff at the restaurant. The kitchen in particular.
Tips go to the wait staff, and they will pay some of that out to other staff (e.g. front staff) depending on how the restaurant works.
They’re largely separate. The service charge is there so they can increase prices by a tightly controlled amount without needing to fuck up the carefully targeted price points ($8 or $7.99 is a lot better than $9.44). Which is shitty, to be clear: it’s a hidden way to increase prices while still advertising the same price. But it’s not something that replaces or complements the tip, it’s just a shitty price-adjustment.
A waiter or waitress is still going to be dependent on the actual tip.
Jackolantern@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Why don’t the restaurants just pay actual living wage then?
VioletRing@kbin.social 1 year ago
Found their website. They use a lot of flowery words, but I think you sum it up pretty well.
https://www.jonandvinnys.com/service-charge
Vorticity@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Biden was in the news saying he wants to get rid of hidden fees. I was surprised that restaraunts weren’t on the list of industries being targeted. This kind of fee should be illegal. It should be required to be a part of the up-front price.
Hell, I feel the same about sales tax. It should be baked in to the price you see on the shelf or menu.
Letstakealook@lemm.ee 1 year ago
Or they can get a less shitty employer. I see a hidden “service” fee, that’s the tip, take it to up with the owner, I’m not responsible for this. Restaurant staff really need to start directing their anger and efforts at their employer instead of customers.
Fridayj@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
Thank you for posting this you are correct the fee goes to the restaurant and they use the money to pay the back of house. In my experience it is just so the restaurant can provide the same wages as before to back of house but not out of the restaurants pocket. This tends to result in people tipping less so the server directly makes less money. There is also often no accounting/oversight into how the restaurant uses the fee. If I recall correctly the city of Los Angeles is looking into the legality of how these fees are presented to the customer and the fact there is no oversight.
zerofk@lemm.ee 1 year ago
So what’s to stop them from setting all prices to 1 cent and having the rest as service fee?
SpezBroughtMeHere@lemmy.world 1 year ago
How is this any different than just raising the price of everything by 18%? But you see service charge and a percentage and its an outrage.
IGuessThisIsForNSFW@yiffit.net 1 year ago
If you raise the price of everything by 18% the prices on the menu will be 18% higher, possibly discouraging people from eating there. If you add it at the end people will still choose to eat there at least once. It is practically the same as raising prices, just a lot more dishonest.
Squirrel@thelemmy.club 1 year ago
Because raising the price of everything lets you know ahead of time that you are paying more. I’m fine with a price hike if it means servers get better pay, but hiding it like this is scummy and borderline fraudulent.
Guy_Fieris_Hair@lemmy.world 1 year ago
They are trying to tell you to not ask for a livable wage.
lunarul@lemmy.world 1 year ago
It does make sense to increase all menu prices in order to pay higher wages, but it’s a sleazy dishonest practice to hide that increase from the customers until it’s too late.
DONTBANTHISACCOUNT@kbin.social 1 year ago
Like when dealerships can sell cars above MSRP ... SMH
FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Owner wants to get his cut, server wants to put gas in their car. We’re a country of 350 attempted unique make it rich stories and it’s a goddamn mess.
We need UBI and jobs programs aka Trek after WW3…but I fear we may have to fight the war to get it
Random_user@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Listen to this scam.
I stopped at a Starbucks kiosk to get my kid a juice box the other day. When I paid for it by card the card machine prompted for a tip, 25%, 20%, and 15%. Here’s the kicker, 25% was selected by default! You actually have to use button on the machine to move through the selections to get to NONE. To top it off the lady behind the counter casually said, “Oh you’re using a card? Just press the green accept button when the menu comes up.” which would have selected the 25 option.
wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 1 year ago
Super shady!
PixxlMan@lemmy.world 1 year ago
It’s not a tip. They’ve literally just increased the prices without showing and lying about it on the menu.