I eat out two or three times a week. Over the last year or so there’s been an upturn in the number of restaurants who don’t include tax in their menu prices. To add to this a lot of them also add a 10% service charge automatically. In my opinion customer service in Thai restaurants is poorer for this procedure.
The ++, written in small print at the bottom of the menu makes me feel a little negative at the start of my dining experience.
Firstly, not including tax in your menu prices is a little sneaky and underhanded. This normally happens at restaurants which are more expensive than average so they shouldn’t worry that customers cant afford the extra 7% tax, just put it on the menu prices. I know this policy of not including tax on item prices is common in certain countries such as America but the same applies in shops there, not just restaurants. In Thailand, I’ve only experienced the “it doesn’t include tax” policy in restaurants.
Secondly, regardless of home much of the service charge goes to the waiting staff, I notice that the standard of service isn’t great in general in these places which automatically add on service charge. I’d guess that the staff don’t get the full 10% of the service charge but they also know that they’re unlikely to get anything else from customers so don’t seem to try as hard as waiting staff in other restaurants.
General Service Levels
I’m not eating at the top restaurants in Thailand but mostly this ++ policy applies to restaurants in shopping malls and some trendy independent places. It’s only fair to mention service levels in other restaurants.
I’ll agree that service can be hit or miss in many restaurants in Thailand (or worldwide) regardless of their service charge policy. However I tend to find that in places where there isn’t an automatic service charge that I get more attentive staff, especially if those restaurants are of a similar standard to those mid level places which insist on ++.
My Last Three Experiences With ++
Just to give a taster of my experiences with ++ I’ll go through my experiences at the last three places I ate at with this policy. I’m not going to name and shame these places as they’re certainly not the only ones to offer abysmal service.
The most recent was at a famous British pub in Bangkok. It’s quite a trendy place with a mix of expats and local Thai people. I was there on a Tuesday night and upon arrival was left waiting for a place to sit as the service staff were busy with other customers, no big problem. After they found us a table we had to wait quite a while for the waiters to come and take our order. To be honest the opposite normally happens with a waiter hanging over our shoulders until we order so again not a problem.
The issues started happening during service. Firstly the staff brought over the wrong drinks and weren’t able to explain what beers they had on tap. This was followed by not being able to get their attention for a few minutes as they were all hanging out watching the tennis on the big screen.
Finally, after getting the bill we had another long wait whilst the staff chatted and played on their phones. The only staff member who was slightly attentive was a lady in the Heineken dress but she told us she couldn’t process our payment as it was for the waiters to do. Did she go and get one for us? No she didn’t.
The second example of a ++ restaurant is actually one of my favorite places to eat at. It sells fancy chicken and is usually found in shopping malls. It can be incredibly busy so I tend to go during the day when there’s only a handful of customers. The problem in this place is the staff can’t seem to be bothered to serve customers.
At the front of each branch of this chicken place they have a service counter where staff seem to hangout and do anything but help customers. I’ve waited there ten minutes to get service before. Usually I actually have to walk up to them to request the bill and pay. It’s not good enough and doesn’t warrant positive feedback for customer service.
Finally I went to an Indian restaurant in Thong Lo a couple of weeks ago with a few friends. We were the only table and decided to sit outside. It seemed like the staff were allergic to leaving their air-conditioned, indoor comfort.
We twice had to go inside to request more drinks. At the end the bill was incorrect. They also tried the old trick of giving change in small notes to encourage us to leave more tip, needless to say we didn’t.
It’s Not About The Money
The issue I with ++ is not about money. The places I go to I can afford and I certainly don’t begrudge giving tips. I just don’t like the fact that service isn’t up to standard at many of these ++ places. I also like restaurants to be upfront, tell me what the cost is, don’t hide it in small print.
I wrote previously about tipping in Thailand and to be honest the automatic 10% service charge is slightly more than I would give in general but not a ridiculous amount. I’d be very happy to give that amount for good service, not so much for poor service.
Where Does The Money Go?
You’d like to think restaurants have included an automatic service charge to protect their waiting staff from getting poor tips. Perhaps these restaurants realize that waiting staff deserve to be paid more than 300 baht per day.
If waiting staff are getting 10% of every table directly in their back pocket then they’re onto a winner. A lot of places I go to I spend around 1,000 baht. If a waiter has six tables a day then they’re making 600 baht from tips plus a (potential) hourly rate. That’s more than a lot of graduates in office jobs if we base that on a waiter working 24 days per month.
I think it’s obvious that the service charge is going to restaurant owners who take a portion for themselves. Waiting staff must feel they can’t do anything and that customers won’t give extra tips so why should they bother?
The other way that restaurants could abuse this policy is by using this 10% service charge as a way to pay waiting staff’s basic wage. This means that staff are just working for tips but know that there is a minimum amount they will make per night if the restaurant is quiet. This happens in many Thai restaurants overseas. Once the minimum amount is reached perhaps the service charge goes to staff or maybe other employees in the restaurant.
Asking To Remove The Service Charge
I’ve only ever asked for an automatic service charge to be removed once. This happened when three people in our group found hair in their food. We then saw that the “replacement” dishes were the originals minus hair.
The waiting staff and manager tried their hardest to tell us that the service charge wasn’t negotiable. We told them that the service wasn’t up to standard and that they shouldn’t expect an automatic tip. This led to a standoff for five minutes until the restaurant backed down and agreed to take off the service charge.
I certainly wouldn’t go to a place which adds ++ and start by saying “please remove the service charge” but it is possible to get it removed if there are valid reasons. The fact that you only want to give 5% or no tip isn’t really acceptable.
Buyers Choice
In the end customers do have a choice when it comes to going to restaurants which charge ++ on top of menu prices.
I’ll continue going to the chicken place despite the bad service as it serves great food. The Indian restaurant and British pub won’t be seeing me again as I feel I didn’t get good enough service and the fact tax wasn’t included was sneaky.
Hopefully this ++ policy doesn’t keep spreading as I really feel quality of service has gone down. If by any chance any restaurant employees or managers do read this I’d be happy to hear their views on how this policy really works and why it’s beneficial for service, staff and customers.
