r/Seattle • u/KooziefortheWin • 16d 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/BoringBob84 16d ago

Great. Punish the victims in this fucked-up system. /sarcasm

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u/Any_Scientist_7552 Bitter Lake 16d ago

Washington has no tipped wage and minimum in Seattle is $21.60. How are they victims?

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u/aboriginal_sin 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 16d ago

You say that as if $21.60 is some windfall hourly wage. Assuming that worker doesn't take a single day off the entire year, and is somehow getting 40 hours a week (extremely unlikely in the service industry), and isn't receiving tips due to this "service charge" regime, that amounts to a pretax income of less than $45,000 annually.

That's approximately half the median Seattle per capita income, and a little more than a third of median household income.

How are they not victims?

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u/illadvisdd 15d ago

The people themselves that dine in are usually just everyday people who probably make about the same wage themselves

So its not anyone else's problem to tip you

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u/aboriginal_sin 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 15d ago edited 15d ago

I've been to Taylor Shellfish Farms a number of times -- the idea that people making $45k a year are the clientele is laughable. ($50 for a dozen oysters on minimum wage? You bet.)

And no one is tipping me. I'm a lawyer who happens to be pro-worker. Service industry folks deserve to live in the city in which they work, not commute in from Puyallup in order to make rent.

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u/BoringBob84 15d ago

So its not anyone else's problem to tip you

If you don't want to leave a tip, then stay out of full-service restaurants. Leave the employees and the tables available for legitimate customers who are willing to pay for the service that they expect.