Service charges in NYC restaurants
Jan 9th, 2008, 08:51 AM
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Service charges in NYC restaurants
I've just got back from a trip to New York and was surprised to get a check in one restaurant with a service charge on it. There were only 2 of us dining. I'm used to seeing this in Europe but have never encountered this in the US before.
Is this a trend which is new? Was it because we were British and they thought we might be mean with a tip?
The particularly galling part is that the credit card slip was left open inviting a tip as well. Another vexing European habit.
I'll be interested if anyone esle has seen this.
Diz01
Is this a trend which is new? Was it because we were British and they thought we might be mean with a tip?
The particularly galling part is that the credit card slip was left open inviting a tip as well. Another vexing European habit.
I'll be interested if anyone esle has seen this.
Diz01
Jan 9th, 2008, 09:20 AM
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Without knowing what restaurant it is it's hard to comment.
Many restaurants have a service charge for 8 or more people (since groups seem to end up undertipping). And some places that are used mainly by tourists have a service charge of 18% for people from out of town - as well as outside of the US, where habits are different - to make sure the servers get an appropriate tip. But- if there's a service charge it should say so on the menu. And you shouldn;t have to tip on top of it (but that may be a function of the standard CC forms).
Many restaurants have a service charge for 8 or more people (since groups seem to end up undertipping). And some places that are used mainly by tourists have a service charge of 18% for people from out of town - as well as outside of the US, where habits are different - to make sure the servers get an appropriate tip. But- if there's a service charge it should say so on the menu. And you shouldn;t have to tip on top of it (but that may be a function of the standard CC forms).
Jan 9th, 2008, 09:38 AM
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With the increase in the number of European tourists, many restaurants---particularly those in very touristy areas---have begun adding service charges for all diners (usually 18 to 20%). It's not a welcome trend, in my opinion, but it's a definite trend.
Even very upscale places like Per Se add a service charge now to all bills, not just those with 6 or 8 people or more.
Sometimes this charge appears on the bill only and not just on the menu, another very bad sign. But then NYC is so overrun with European tourists these days, I guess I'm not surprised. It's starting to change the character of the place a little, but the restaurants that really don't cater to tourists rarely have this charge, especially in the more residential neighborhoods.
Even very upscale places like Per Se add a service charge now to all bills, not just those with 6 or 8 people or more.
Sometimes this charge appears on the bill only and not just on the menu, another very bad sign. But then NYC is so overrun with European tourists these days, I guess I'm not surprised. It's starting to change the character of the place a little, but the restaurants that really don't cater to tourists rarely have this charge, especially in the more residential neighborhoods.
Jan 9th, 2008, 10:13 AM
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Please tell me I am not pasting a quote from an editor of a travel forum. How do you spell pho paah?
"But then NYC is so overrun with European tourists these days,"
LOL!
I still don't like the %20 addon and this is coming from someone who %90 of the time tips that. When did restaurants decide that %15 was no longer the acceptable practice? %10 for mediocre service and %20 plus for excellent service????
"But then NYC is so overrun with European tourists these days,"
LOL!
I still don't like the %20 addon and this is coming from someone who %90 of the time tips that. When did restaurants decide that %15 was no longer the acceptable practice? %10 for mediocre service and %20 plus for excellent service????
Jan 9th, 2008, 01:45 PM
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I don't like it either, especially if 20% is automatically tacked on. I am more than happy to tip well for good service, but I'm not about to leave 20% for a poor service just because the restaurant said too. In that case I would cross it out and re-calculate the bill.
I think a better way to handle it would the add "service not included" to the menu and the bill and let people read, think, and do the math for themselves.
I think a better way to handle it would the add "service not included" to the menu and the bill and let people read, think, and do the math for themselves.
Jan 9th, 2008, 05:15 PM
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Well, I understand why some laces do it -esp if they get a lot of european tourists that are not used to tipping in restaurants. I think you'll find it's mostly upscale place s- and it eh wait staff doesn't get tips - they're essentially working for free.
(A couple of year ago 2 German university students paid a visit to my neighbor and we all went out to lunch. Never mind the fact that they didn;t offer to buy the - very inexpensive - lunch for someone housing them for a week - they also didn;t want to leave a tip. I explained how it works here and why - but their point of view was they were students and didn't have a lot of money - so shouldn't have to tip. I told them many of the wait staff in the casuale places in my area are probably students too - working their way through school - and if they could aford to come to the US they could afford to tip. And if they weren;t going to tip they should stick to fast food places
They had plenty of money to go to shows and see sights - and go shopping - but just didn;t want to tip. I think that's what these restaurants are protecting themselves against.
(A couple of year ago 2 German university students paid a visit to my neighbor and we all went out to lunch. Never mind the fact that they didn;t offer to buy the - very inexpensive - lunch for someone housing them for a week - they also didn;t want to leave a tip. I explained how it works here and why - but their point of view was they were students and didn't have a lot of money - so shouldn't have to tip. I told them many of the wait staff in the casuale places in my area are probably students too - working their way through school - and if they could aford to come to the US they could afford to tip. And if they weren;t going to tip they should stick to fast food places
They had plenty of money to go to shows and see sights - and go shopping - but just didn;t want to tip. I think that's what these restaurants are protecting themselves against.
Jan 9th, 2008, 05:25 PM
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I had a friend who worked as a waitress for many years in L.A., and she said that there certain nationalities that nobody wanted to wait on b/c they knew they wouldn't get a tip. Mainly Australians. If they heard an Aussie accent, those people were probably going to get ignored by most of the waitstaff. (Not my friend, but she confirmed that she usually ended up with no tip except a big "thanks, mate!")
I thought she was exaggerating until I traveled around Europe with some Australians in a tour group. We Americans were always adding extra for the tip b/c they would simply say, "Aussies don't tip" and leave it at that. I was pretty aghast at the attitude, but I imagine that many of them feel the same way when they're in the USA.
I thought she was exaggerating until I traveled around Europe with some Australians in a tour group. We Americans were always adding extra for the tip b/c they would simply say, "Aussies don't tip" and leave it at that. I was pretty aghast at the attitude, but I imagine that many of them feel the same way when they're in the USA.
Jan 9th, 2008, 05:28 PM
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PS: I know that attitude is not held by all Aussies, and those folks were fabulous people otherwise.
But obviously if a particular restaurant gets a lot of foreign patrons that refuse to tip, they have to do something about it. It's not surprising that some will start adding service charges, particularly in NYC and L.A. where there are so many foreign tourists.
But obviously if a particular restaurant gets a lot of foreign patrons that refuse to tip, they have to do something about it. It's not surprising that some will start adding service charges, particularly in NYC and L.A. where there are so many foreign tourists.
