Posted by
boxo
17 yrs ago
everyone is aware that the service charge in bars and restaurants does'nt go to the staff who serve you, does everyone know that? now if you think about it, some of these larger groups who have 20 to 50 outlets in hk are scamming between $200,000 to $500,000, UP TO MORE THAN $1 MILLION per month, all depending on how much they take per month and believe me some OF THEIR OUTLETS ARE are taking more than $IMILLION PER MONTH. THATS $100,000 SERVICE CHARGE FROM ONE OUTLET ALONE from you the customer, and they have a cheek to pay their staff mostly filipino and napalese $8000 per month, which iF you just take time again to think about it, means that YOU the customer are paying the staff wages for these larger food and beverage company's. well i just think that is very greedy and amounts to nothing but a big SCAM. YOU THE PAYING CUSTOMER SHOULD REFUSE TO PAY THE SERVICE CHARGE IN THESE BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND IF YOU LIKE SHOULD JUST GIVE A CASH TIP TO THE VERY GOOD SERVICE STAFF. after all a service charge is for service,NOT FOR THE COMPANY BANK ACCOUNTS.
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boxo
17 yrs ago
you are wrong about what you say about entering into a contract with the vendor, the service charge is for service and if you dont recieve good service you can refuse to pay the service charge.you can have the service charge removed from your bill,then you can leave a cash tip if you wish,i just want the 10% service charge removed from the till and to go to the service staff. as that is what it is for, 'the service'. not the company bank accounts. atleast dick turpin wore a mask when he robbed. these people are openly ripping you off. for $millions of dollars every year. think about it. and refuse to pay and have the service charge removed from your bill.
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Absolutely correct, the staff don't see a cent of the 'service charge'.
The restaurant I managed here even took a cut of staff cash tips for 'administration', which I was absolutely disgusted by. This is a company that owns about 15 venues (all mostly different) and pay their staff very low set wages for VERY long hours. You are definitely paying the wage bill, not leaving a tip, when you pay the service charge.
Apparently there are some decent operators out there that actually pass on the service charge to their staff - Aussie owned and run.
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boxo
17 yrs ago
i'm sure you would mr wong, but what i say is true. people, dont pay the service charge and it will be removed. it is for the service and if you dont have good service you can refuse to pay it. if enough customers do it then this down right dirty scam will get noticed more by everyone in hong kong and we can get to court and change it. DONT PAY THE SERVICE CHARGE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS FOR YOURSELF AT THESE CHEATING BARS/RESTAURANTS.
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Yeah, it's a bit misleading. Factor the cost of the wages into the cost of the food. I wager not all of that service charge actually goes to the service staff though, particularly in family-owned restaurants. Does this practice exist anywhere else?
Generally speaking, if I'm happy with the service I'll tip 5% on the pre-service charge total.
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My point is that NONE of the service charge goes to the staff, it goes directly to the business.
On top of that, the place I was involved with took a cut of CASH TIPS as well (for 'admin'). I am so glad I have nothing to do with the industry in HK now. It was the most uninspiring experience of my career.
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boxo
17 yrs ago
a bit misleading. its down right thiefing none and i mean none of the service charge goes to the staff,it all goes to the company bank accounts.the only tips that go to staff are the credit card and the cash tips and they are not much because people dont leave c.c and cash tips because they are mislead by the service charge because all around the world the service charge is for the service staff. stop the thiefing scam and REFUSE TO PAY THE SERVICE CHARGE. they are stealing $$$millions of $$$$$$$ every year from you the customer with this service charge scam. service staff all around the world survive on the service charge tips and in honk kong even more as the salary is so low. and these large companys are so gredy and YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING. you gredy thiefing fu. so and so's. people we need to let everyone who eats out in h.k know what is happening with the service charge. DONT PAY IT.
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Do you really think Boxo that everyone else is ignorant to this and your the only enlightened one? i think you might need to find a hobby that will take up a bit more of your time .You can't force people into doing what you want, if you want to fight it on your bill go for your life but frankly if the service charge was done away with the owners would only put the price up for the products so what's the difference. We tip the staff separately for good service but feel no obligation to tip for poor or average service. There are some things worth fighting for this isn't one of them for me.
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With soaring oil prices i prefer to give my 10% to taxi drivers who've been allowed a meagre HK$1 per TRIP increase in the past 3 years or so. These injustices in hk drive me crazy and i do my part, what is well within my ability, to set things right.
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No, Moppet, we are all aware of the scam and, no doubt it annoys the hell out of most people, but just doing nothing about it will achieve nothing. When I am feeling particularly cantankerous about it, I often ask whether the service charge is compulsory and, if (as is usual) am told that it is, ask if the money will go to the staff (knowing full well that it won't). And when they say it doesn't, I simply tell them that they should be honest about their prices and that I will go elsewhere. Just my little protest which might achieve nothing, but, if more people do it, restaurants just might get the message. And, sure, they will probably put their prices up, but then we will all see the true cost of the meal and there will be more of incentive to tip the staff. Of course they might not and then promote themselves as "a no service-charge restaurant/bar". Whilst I am being grumpy about HK restaurants and bars, how come none has reduced the price of wine following the abolition of duty? And why are the measures so small? I refuse the glass if it is an "HK" measure and insist on a "London" measure. And it usually works. Incidentally, "Maya" in Wanchai does good food but there is no service charge. Let's here from others of other bars etc which have the same policy.
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boxo
17 yrs ago
hey MUPPET you keep doing what your doing and i will do what im doing, if you are happy being robbed. thank you foxmulder i just want to make sure that as many thousands of expats know what is happening to their service charge, considering in most of the world service charge goes to staff full stop. and if enough people know then maybe something can be done, dick turpin wore a mask. hence the point of a forum, get the picture MUPPET. murphys and deleaneys in kowloon and central both dont have service charge. its not about 15% of the bill its about where the 15% goes and thats not to the staff where it should go, but to the gredy company who have the brass neck to pay peanuts to the staff and steal the service charge.
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OXO (i got a caps button too) Take another sip of whatever your drinking and breath, ok that should help.
My point is OXO, Foxmulder just because it bothers you so much doesn't mean it bothers others in the same way. In my humble opinion there are far more important Injustices in the world than the issue of service charges.
If people are aware of it as you say foxmulder and don't bother to complain it suggests that it's because they don't care doesn't it not.
I'm more than happy to make a stand for something i believe in but the issue of service charges is not high on that list i'm afraid.
Have a great weekend guys and stay safe
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boxo
17 yrs ago
dont pay the service charge
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in reading this ... I've started a thread for SERVICE CHARGE FREE RESTAURANTS including those that do charge the 10% but pass it onto the staff. Thought it might be a little more positive... :-)
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boxo
17 yrs ago
welldone bakergirl keep up the good work, dont let these dick turpins scam the hard working staff out of money that is rightfully theirs, dont pay the service charge to these gredy bars and restaurants.
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I am in support of tipping only when service is decent and staff are responsive. Delaney's at Wan Chai doesn't charge service fees, and great food/wine atmosphere.
I worked as a waitress before in SG, and yes I have received a share of the 10% collected as service fee. It may not be practiced everywhere, and suspect majority of F&B places do not pay this to the employees. I wouldn't be surprised if many staff do not collect it here. Only in the US can the staff actually pull off a successful lawsuit to regain their tips money, re March '08 Starbucks made to return total of US$100m including interest to their baristas from tips paid to shift supervisors, and this is just in California only.
Talking about cab drivers, there are those who deserve the tip, and those who deserve to be stripped of their licence - Just 2 days ago, I got into a cab with my fiance one late night and the fella took us for a RIDE, claiming he took wrong turns and stuff like that to increase the metered fare. Charming.
Just my two-cents.
Cheers, J
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boxo
17 yrs ago
tell everyone about this con, dont pay it to the gredy owners
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i support the removal of the 10% but i can guarantee that the prices will just increase by 10% the next time the print the new menu. Just like the removal of the tax on wine a few months ago. I've not seen many restaurants cut their wine prices. Also if you want to tip then tip but leave notes in the folder.
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true but i think we have to remember that this is not the US and people do not work for tips.
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boxo
17 yrs ago
the guys are paid peanuts, so they do rely on the tips, which is why the gredy owners should give it to the staff instead of stealing it from the hard workers.
DONT PAY THE SERVICE CHARGE
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shop workers, street cleaners etc etc etc are also paid peanuts but they don't get tips.... If you concern is this then just tip them as well and problem solved. As stated before the prices will rise if they change it so you'd still pay the same. I don't think a few postings on an expat forum is going to change anything.
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boxo
17 yrs ago
hey muppet my only concern is the service staff ie nobbie the service charge. dont pay the service charge you are being robbed.
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Muppet has missed the point.. When you get the invoice in a shop, it doesn't contain an item called "service charge". Street cleaners are paid by their employer - they do not provide and individual and direct service to customers. The So-called service charge is a lie. It is simply a device by restaurateurs to increase their prices by hoodwinking their customers into believing that the money goes to the staff. It is simply a con. Restaurants should just raise their prices and leave it to customers whether they dine there or not, and, if so, whether they tip or not.
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boxo
17 yrs ago
exactly my point foxmulder it is a big fat con, just like the owners big fat bank accounts.
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