Fresh Ideas

I’m listening this morning in Magic 89.9 FM and the topic was in regards the Service Charge of restaurants. I actually didn’t bother about this issue in reality, but when i heard the arguments on the “Goodtimes” morning program of the DJs namely Mo Twister, Mojo Jojo and Grace Lee and it dawned on me that this is one topic that everybody should be aware of.

Well, it’s funny that we encounter this topic regularly when we dined in restaurants and usually we simply ignore it and just pay the damn bill. It’s a simple case of “did you know that” that we can really ask or question why do we have to pay for it in the first place.

As the topic goes, I suddenly realized that we need to question this practice because I don’t know if this was really a law that all restaurants need to charge a certain percentage on the total bill for service charge. I think it is mandatory for restaurants to serve customers properly and there is no need to charge them extra just for the service because they are there to serve you actually and it is their business to serve customer the best way that they should.

Also, there are other charges on the bill aside from the service charge like VAT or Value Added Tax and local tax, so therefore, I don’t think it is really ethical to charge the customer extra just for the service that he or she should be getting in the first place. The taxes are in the law but the service charge I really doubt on that.

By the way, it is also customary for us to give tips to waiters, so why the heck do we need to pay up for the service charge if we will be giving tips anyway? This is one big question that is really bothering me long time ago before I heard this on the radio.

Could someone explain to me the logic in the service charge on restaurants and is it legal to charge customer extra for this crap? Because, sometimes, I do get good service and I didn’t bother to give additional tips aside from the additional service charge on the bill as long as the service was great, but there are times and I mean many times that the service was awful and I am still charged for that damn service charge and even if I called up the manager or supervisor, he or she can only tell me that it is a policy of the restaurant!

I like the comment of one of the DJs because he told that other people with different occupation should actually be tipped than the waiters like the nurse or some medical staffs because they really make out of their way to help people, but not like the waiters because it is in their job description already that they need to serve customers. Also, staffs from hotels should not be tipped as well, because like waiters, it is their duty to assist customers and clients on their needs so why should we give tips for the service we should be getting? It’s really weird huh?!

It really ticks me off when you know you dine in a very posh restaurant and the food was not that fantastic and the service is very bad and you will still be charged for a very ridiculously fee for the service charge. It’s bad service to start off, so why charge customers for the service that is not really excellent? Do you think it’s fair to pass the fee for paying the customers daily wage to the customers in their bills? It seems that restaurant owners are simply overcharging or escaping the responsibility in paying their staff right, correct?

Well, I think someone from the government should really take a look into this because at these times when all of the things are really pricey, it should help the people that needed to tighten their belt. But of course many of you will say, “then don’t eat at restaurants!” and I know you’re right on that, but this will not help in eliminating this bad practice in the restaurant industry.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… C: wait… SD: wait…

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