TAKING THE TIP

I've just stumbled upon a scandal that seems to be taking place every meal team, in every town, in every village in the land: restaurants, when they add "service charge" to your bill don't always hand over the aforementioned charge (usually 10% to 12.5%), to the person that has just rendered you the service: i.e. the waiter/waitress.

I learned this on Sunday night. I don't know why, but when I received the bill from Met Su Yan in Golders Green, I asked the waitress if the 12.5% service charge was her tip.
"No," she said.

I asked to speak to the manager. A fish-breathed, bearded man came over and told me the kitchen staff got some, the waitress got some, and "the house" kept the rest.

"That doesn't seem very fair," I said.

He replied that it was partly to protect the waitress, as sometimes people left no tip at all.

"But it's a voluntary service charge, right?"
"Yes."
"In that case, I'd like it removed from the bill, please. I'll give my tip to the waitress. Thanks."

I received a new bill, and my friends and I left the tip - about £15 - to the waitress.

I thought that would be it. But no. The next day, I ate at The Diner in Shoreditch. The spicy beanburger was tasteless, but the waitress was friendly, offered us water when our glasses ran dry, and was generally fully-deserving of her tip.

The bill came, complete with 10% service charged added on.
"Is the service charge for you?" I asked her.
She hesitated and smiled awkwardly: "No," she said.
"Who gets it?"
"They use it to ensure they're paying us to ensure we get paid minimum wage."
"But if no-one paid it, they'd still have to pay you minimum wage, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Can you please remove the service charge and I'll give you the tip in cash."
She smiled, less awkwardly. "Sure."

I thought that would be it. But today I ate at Ping Pong in Liverpool Street (I don't normally eat out this much!). Same again: divvied up between waitress, bar staff and "management". Management! What on earth has "management" done to deserve a tip from me! Did they welcome me to the restaurant? Did they hang up my jacket? Were they even there?

So I on my way home, I asked myself this very simple question: does every restaurant in the land do this? Is this legal? And if so, is it moral or ethical that some of our most popular - and far from inexpensive - restaurants charge for service that's been rendered by somebody else?

I don't think so. So henceforth, using this website, I shall be naming and shaming restaurants that take the tip.

So, whether you're a disgusted diner or a downtrodden waiter/waitress, please send me details - and a weblink - for any restaurant committing such culinary crimes.

Thanks for reading.

DC