Went to a restaurant in LA today and when I got the check I noticed that it was a bit higher than it should be. Then I noticed this 18% service charge. So… We, as customers, need to help pay for their servers instead of the owners paying their servers a living wage. And on top of that they have suggested tip. I called bs on this. I will bet you that the servers do not see a dime of this 18% service charge. [deleted a word so it wasn’t a grammatical horror to read]
I live in a Asia where service fees of 10% are normal with no tipping culture.
I can see why people may think 18% is too much, but honestly tipping culture should just be gone entirely. Waiters shouldn’t have to rely on customer tips, which can vary for different reasons even ones that may be outside their control, to earn a living wage.
Forgive my ignorance but what’s the difference between a service fee and tip in this context?
A tip is consensual
You must pay the service fee.
Also, usually the fee is a stated amount - with tip, you pick the amount (though you get guilt trippee into picking higher amounts).