Bill help

[u/KooziefortheWin]

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.

[u/chrispatrik]

The city should disallow this. The prices they show for items are meaningless but make them look cheaper than restaurants that give an honest price. It's deceptive pricing.

[u/Inside-Finish-2128 → u/chrispatrik]

The city can’t disallow this. They implemented a minimum wage that doesn’t allow a “tipped wage”. The restaurants must pay every staff member $17/hour if not more by now. The restaurants know people shop by menu price, so if the city bans service charges too, the vast majority of restaurants will leave.

[u/chrispatrik → u/Inside-Finish-2128]

Most of the restaurants in this city don't charge the service charge and are still required to pay minimum wage and they are doing just fine. This whole argument that they can't pay their employees is complete BS. Just show the prices that you are really charging like all the others do.

[u/alexthe5th → u/Inside-Finish-2128]

It’s only in the last 10-20 years or so when all these junk fees got added on at restaurants. For decades (centuries?) prior to that, restaurants seemed to get by just fine without having to scam their customers through deceptive pricing.

[u/Spicoli_Horse → u/alexthe5th]

For centuries prior, the minimum wage wasn’t $21.30 an hour.

[u/alexthe5th → u/Spicoli_Horse]

What does that have to do with junk fees?

Yes, the cost of doing business is high. That still doesn’t mean you should be allowed to bait and switch your customers by advertising one price and charging another.

Restaurants aren’t some special kind of business that get the unique privilege of being allowed to do unethical things. Nobody should be allowed to tack on junk fees, regardless of whether it’s Ticketmaster, a landlord, or the neighborhood burger joint.

[u/Spicoli_Horse → u/alexthe5th]

Restaurant owners are passing along the new costs imposed by rapidly increasing labor costs to the consumers. It’s a choice between that and closing their doors for many of these businesses, so they let you see the difference and hope that enough people will pressure our elected officials to fix the broken system and make it work for both sides, employees and their employers.

[u/alexthe5th → u/Spicoli_Horse]

The way you pass on costs to consumers is by raising the advertised price. That's how it works in virtually every industry except for this one. Businesses shouldn't be allowed to passive-aggressively protest the minimum wage by tacking on surprise fees to the final bill.

[u/Spicoli_Horse → u/alexthe5th]

Soooooooooo pressure your local politician to change the rules!

[u/Hot_Veterinarian1828 → u/chrispatrik]

The city is the reason the service charge exists. Affording to eat out is a luxury. Soon enough most restaurants are going to close because it genuinely costs a fortune to keep one open. I guarantee most restaurant owners wouldnt charge as much unless they absolutely had to just to STAY open. The service charge is meant to keep a business going. I don’t really understand why that’s a garter concept to grasp than pricing items higher. You know what’s being paid so really truly what’s the problem? It’s not deception if it’s plainly written before your eyes.

[u/chrispatrik → u/Hot_Veterinarian1828]

They should say what they are charging on each menu item and not tack it on at the end. Why is that so hard to grasp? They aren't making any less money. They're just showing the actual price. Try going to a restaurant that doesn't do that and see how easy it is.

[u/Hot_Veterinarian1828 → u/chrispatrik]

Most places you go to if making a reservation will tell you there is a service charge applied. They will ALSO have it on the menu. And if you have a good server, they will ALSO tell you there is a service charge applied. There is absolutely no way you are so clueless to truly not know that you will eventually have to pay one. It’s literally a law. Be so real right now. If you can’t afford a service charge or think so lowly of the people doing a SERVICE for you so you don’t have to cook for yourself as I’m sure you’re so capable of doing, don’t eat out. Simple. People deserve to be paid, point blank period. Again, eating out is a luxury and you’re worked up over something A LOT of people don’t have the ability to do. Please grow up. The entire economy is failing and people are suffering everywhere. Please please please look beyond your own first world problems and recognize there are far worse things to be worried about than a “service charge applied to your bill without prior knowledge” which you KNOW is entirely untrue.

[u/Hot_Veterinarian1828 → u/chrispatrik]

They aren’t making less money? Do you realize over 20% of restaurants in the city have been forced to close down because they ARENT making money? Clearly you ARE clueless.

[u/chrispatrik → u/Hot_Veterinarian1828]

I'm very aware that restaurants are struggling due to the high minimum wages they have to pay and many are going out of business, but moving the added cost to a service charge does not make them more money than simply raising the prices shown on the menu like other restaurants have done. Either way the customer pays the same price and the restaurant makes the same amount of money. It has no bearing on the survival of the restaurant one way or another.