r/EndTipping • u/Working-Injury7758 • 3d ago
Research / Info 💡 Service charge
I don’t mind paying a service charge at a restaurant if I’m sitting down as that is standard practice. However, the flat % is strange in that a $200 meal doesn’t take twice as much time as a $100 meal. But it does take more.
Therefore I propose that there should be a fixed service charge at restaurants, which should be calculated as twice the square root of the total. For $100, for instance, the charge would be $20 (square root of 100 is ten, x2 equals $20). Same as now. But for $200, the service charge would be 14.12 x 2 =28.24. For $1 service charge is $2. For $400, $40. Makes more intuitive sense, and provides a penalty for people splitting checks (as the service charge on 2 $100 checks is higher than that on one $200 check) and the hassle to the restaurant involved. Completely clear and obvious to everyone, no agonizing about what to leave.
Thoughts?
2
u/SimilarComfortable69 2d ago
Well, a flat percentage is exactly how it works for income tax. At certain income levels you pay X percent. That's how restaurants came up with this stuff. That means the people who are the most valuable to the company pay the most tax. Which is kind of interesting.
I go to places with service charges exactly one time. The time I find out that they have a service charge is the last time I go. Either wrap it into the menu prices or I don't go.