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With the introduction of the new chip & pin mobile machines, customers are able to input a gratuity just before they enter their pin number.
I have had the experience where a service charge has been automatically added to the bill...yet one is still presented with opportunity of adding a further tip via chip & pin machine.
If I was cynical, I would think that the management is deliberately trying to cheat the less observant customers.
I did point this 'discrepancy' out to the waitress who said "oh....its just the machine ....we cant change it". I said "oh....so it's not policy?"....she said "no."
Do you think this is an issue that trading standards would be interested in?
I think in the first place it's worth a letter of disgust to the owner of the restaurant involved. The very least is you may come out with a voucher for a free meal.
Hi
I work in the hotel/restaurant and would like to explain. All the machines issued after chip and pin came in have this facility, you can't turn it off, but some places do skip over the section for you. It really does depend on the place and what their policy is. So the waitress was correct, however there are no trading standards laws that are being broken. If you received good service and the food was good and you are happy to pay the service charge, then do not fill the extra grats on the machine, if you feel that the standards did not meet the amount the bill came to, then ask for the service charge to be taken off. Both service charge and grats are up to you to pay if you want.
Hope this helps
Clils-what homoeopathics is saying is that the service charge is already added in the bill, why is he prompted to pay again when paying by CC. You will also find that if you ring up your terminal provider they will be able to remove this prompt, it is a software issue.
Always pay cash - apparantly, if you give a service or tip by card, it goes in the restuarants pocket!
Yes it does (in my experience anyway). The waiting staff rely on tips to top up their wages, so always make sure you tip in cash, even if it's been added onto the bill. Personally I think this is a cheek anyway restaurants should never assume that you want to tip, it is up to the discretion of the customer. My partner and I went to a restaurant last year where an "optional service charge" was added onto the bill. Although the food was nice, the service was appaling and we refused to pay the extra. At the other end of the scale, myself and a group of friends (all of us have worked as waitresses and bar staff) were celebrating a birthday with a meal out. The waiter we had was brilliant, and again the "optional service charge" was added onto what was a substantial bill. We paid the bill on various cards and made sure we gave the waiter his 10% in cash.
I think more people need to be aware that this service charge is optional. Just because its on the bill doesn't mean you are obliged to pay it - if the service or food is rubbish then don't pay it!
~ I'm a lover, not a fighter... well, most of the time ~
Sorry to bring up an old thread but I was searching for something to do with service charges and found this. I just wanted to add:
If the food isn't satisfactory but the service is good, you should still pay the service charge, but make a complaint about the food.
It's not the waiter's fault if the food is bad, it's the cook's fault and that is something you should take up with the manager by making a complaint, rather than penalising the waiter.
Restaurant Service Charges
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Re: Restaurant Service Charges
I'm a lover, not a fighter... well, most of the time 
~