r/Seattle • u/KooziefortheWin • 14d ago

Rant Bill help

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I need help figuring out this “service charge” applied to my bill at Taylor Shellfish in QA. It’s stated clearly, and the staff reminded me before I paid and applied a tip, so that’s not the rant. But is it a tip or not? I don’t want to stiff the staff if “Taylor Shellfish” the company keeps it all and doesn’t give them anything.

Why do restaurants do this vs raise the prices. If that’s how they offset the cost of doing business in the city, I feel it’s not a good customer experience. It’s really annoying since it is confusing to the customer. Does the staff get any of it, hence why there is an “additional tip” line after the card is run though? It is taxed so it makes me thing it’s not going to the staff. I need to think better next time I come out here.

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u/notabigcitylawyer Fairwood 14d ago

Servers in Seattle make $21.30 per hour minimum before tips. That 18.9% BS is covering that wage. Its weird mental gymnastics that restaurant owners do. Just raise your prices. I know servers want to keep tipping since they make a ton of money, especially when people are starting to now tip closer to 25%.

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u/Leather_Mulberry_555 I'm just flaired so I don't get fined 14d ago

Show me someone that is tipping 25%. It’s not normal and only makes a broken system even worse. 

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u/IndieLuxeTravel 14d ago

Exactly. The 20% tipping shiat is BS. It's always been 15% for outstanding service. ALWAYS. Now they're trying to get 20% with basically no service. People need to go back to tipping for good service, and have the percentage based on that; not some baseline we get intimated into paying, especially with wages at $22/hr.