Who gets the tip/service charge?
Intlxpatr had an interesting blog post in response to Sarmad Qazi's article in the Gulf Times on ‘Hidden charges’ at restaurants.
She wrote:
When I was new to Qatar, and thrilled to find my hometown Starbucks going great guns here, I asked “Where is the tip jar?”
Every Starbucks has a tip jar. Everywhere. Baristas don’t get paid that much; you always tip. Often they are young people stretching to pay the rent while they go to school, or trying to raise a child as a single parent. A tip is a way to allow God to redistribute income in the world; you let it go freely and He sends it where it should go.
The barista reached down and pulled out a jar, but did not look encouraging.
“Why is it down there?” I asked, naively.
“We don’t get these monies,” the barista said. “The Management takes everything.”
So I started asking at every Starbucks, and the answer was always the same. The workers don’t get the tips. Management takes everything....
When I visited another Doha restaurant (an international chain) which charged a 10% automatic service charge, I asked the waiter if the money went to him. He replied saying "some of it...but the store keeps most of it".
Worse than that though, was our breakfast at a waffle/pancake/chocolate shop in Landmark. We found a long piece of hair in our crepe! The waitress took it away and gave us a new dish. Now in most places, they'd give you the meal for free after that. Do you know what they did? They kept an automatic service charge (15% I think) on the bill! Can you imagine? Serving food with hair in it and then having the audacity to make us pay for "service". When I asked the waitress she said "well, we brought you a new one". I was shocked so called the manager. He said "it's our policy to have a service charge". After telling him that a service charge was for service and he should actually be ashamed of his service he agreed to remove the service charge.
That really isn't cool! Not only are the waiters being short changed, but any incentive to provide great service is being squeezed out of them. If they received tips, surely they'd work on providing better service.
What has your experience been?
Lets make it clear once and for all that if they charge a service charge that it goes to the company! COMPLAIN NOW if that is happening! Let them see that we give a tip when we appreciate the staff who serve us whether a petrol filler or a 5 star hotel waiter, this is our appreciation for that persons service not for breakages, overheads etc. Now lets stop this for once and all, query every service charge and ask staff if they receive the tips themselves, if not COMPLAIN LOUDLY! Only here would this be accepted. There is a tradition here of people accepting that this is the way it is, this is changing gradually but lets help it along!
Update on TGI Fridays: I just returned from there and personally spoke to several staff members. The added 8% service charge that they recently added does NOT go to the waitstaff. They receive NONE of this money. It all goes to the establishment to defray costs of business. They were told that the management was directed by the home office in the U.S. to do this (which is totally untrue). Their tips are now practically nothing, since people think the tip is now included in the bill.
I always tip at the gass station and supermarket bager, I wonder if they get to keep the money. I think I need to ask them next time before I hand them the tip.
Hey people, it's not Europe or US here)) Get used to oriental culture ))) And try to benefit ))))
I can't believe you guys didn't know that service charges go into the pocket of the management, it happens everywhere.
**** Aal Izz Well****
"I'm back, simple as that"
CSR sounds hollow when you don't even take care of your own employees.
Boycott these places until they change their policy. That, I think, is a better social responsibility.
Starbucks customer service is excellent in my observation, hence customers are satisfied and want to give them the tip but which the staff are not allowed and goes to the account of Owner later which is distributed in the name of corporate social responsiblites. In one sense its not bad but in other hand its the amount paid by the customers to the staff for their excellence of service not for the CSR. Any way if we raise the voice and put the comments regarding this in customer complaint box which may force to change its policy but required a long span of time.
and when management takes it, that makes it atrocious. Yes it's not a regular thing, maybe in these parts, but the regular thing is the wait staff should get at least a percentage of it on moral grounds, that is, if there is no law for this. Is there? =)
and workers in the restaurant or to any business of same nature. It is not to be demanded or even expected. Do not feel bad for the them if they don't get it, the best thing is don't tip the next time or as somebody suggested, make it discreetly!
"I'm back, simple as that"
The service staff at both Sushi Minto and Biella were very pleasant and attentive. That is what is so sad about it all. the staff still puts the customer first even though they don't get any of the service charge.
We always tip approx 10% above the service charge to the waitress when we hear that they don't get a share of the service charge.
If you liked the service, why not tip the waiter/waitress discretely on your way out?
"customer service"???...it's been so long,i've actually forgotten what those words means!!...sorry,those two words don't exist in this town's dictionary...& why should it?,most service staff are South Asian/Filipino trying to make a decent living having to deal with mostly rude,impolite customers to whom it appears as if no one mentioned that slavery was abolished 200-odd years ago & a crappy management who will blame everything on them & take no responsibility when something goes wrong...if you want genuine good customer service,the people actually serving you have to be at least somewhat happy,that's just for starters,when you don't have that,you get the plastic smile/greeting that we've gotten so used to seeing around this town...so much for highest GDP in the world/tax-free income/blahblah...it all means NOTHING without happiness & that's what a lot of people,service staff & otherwise,lack in this town...look around you when you're out,how many people do you actually see smiling?...exactly...so really,in keeping with all of the above,is it any surprise that the management of most of these places pocket ALL the money?...if they actually passed on to their staff what is genuinely theirs,you & me would get better service...with a REAL smile...so until then,we all live in hope eh?...
In the US we are to top 15% My husband always tips 20%. We are in the food business and know sometimes poor service is not the waitress fault. The Resterant could be short staffed, every one came at same time. One table could be demanding and taking up her/his time. Look around and she how busy they are. If management charges 12% Then tip extra for employees.
I was at a couple restaurants this weekend:
Sushi Minto - 12% Service charge. I asked the waitress if the staff gets any of the service charge and she said NO!
Biella Italian Rest at City Centre - 12% Service charge. I again asked the waitress and she said the staff only gets 1.5% of the 12% service charge. I asked her if they can remove the service charge so I can tip her separately and she said they wouldn't.
I consider the Management of these restaurants Stealing from their staff and ripping off the customer.
Me and my friends won't be back until their policy changes!
When I worked in A M,East hotel,not in FnB I questioned the plusplus nonsense.I was told 10% municipality tax 10% service charge.So when I worked it out for myself and questioned the FnB director and suggested that the service charges actually covered a massive% of his staff costs,,,,well he just laughed . I didnt actually think he was that honest with his staff , or the guests infact.The service charge was never ever an addition to the staff salaries ,it did infact comprise the bulk of the staffs salaries. Clever, or Duplicitous,,,,,,I know what its called where I come from .That seems t be the mentality in much of the Meast,,,,,,,what I call lieing and cheating simply passes for beeeezneeez.
Assuming I like the service, I usually tip no less than 10%.
When I see service charge on the bill (around 10%), then I decrease my tip to around 5%.
If the service charge is 17 to 22%, I may very well leave without tipping or leave something "symbolic."
I usually look at the bill for service charges. If service charge is not included then I usually give 10% of the total bill (of course base on the service -- lousy service, less tip). I dont mind how they distribute their tips.
implementing a service charge and then keeping it for the owner or management.
I usually tip a little over and above that amount, because the wait staff are the ones who should get it.
Hotel are at least predictable; they all charge 17% over and above what the menu says. But with other establishments it's hit-or-miss whether they will automatically add the service charge or not.
"If you're looking for sympathy, you'll find it between sh*t and syphilis in the dictionary."
- David Sedaris
how about tipping extra over the automatic service charge?
i usually do, less amount ofcourse but i just don't like leaving without at least 5 to 10 riyals incase of service charged.
Do you guys do it? is it ok?
Yalla!
We've been told the same thing at Starbucks when trying to tip...it goes to management. I've questioned waiters at Bennigan's and their tips are shared among the staff. At TGI Fridays, the waitstaff has told me that they get to keep their own. They have recently added a service charge, so I don't know if their policy has changed.
Totally outrageous! Tipping has always been for the wait staffs only, and to some extent, to some workers who are in direct contact with the customers. Now, if management dips their dirty fingers into the tip box, what do you call that?
Glad I don't patronize those places. Poor waiters. :(
yeah marie exactlly...... i asked this question to one of the rest manager and this is what he had to say.
Out of those 12% service charge
6% goes to the tourism.
4% goes to the hotel/rest.
remainin 2% for the staff after deducting the breakeges.
Dont know how far is this true.
Aana free, jaana free,
Pakde gaye tho khana free.
i hope they don't base their quality of work with tips/service charge :(
...listen to the sound of silence....
...this comment banged my head on the wall:
A tip is a way to allow God to redistribute income in the world
Eh??
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach