Readers have again asked about the 15 per cent service charge most restaurants currently add to the bill. Some preferred “the old days” when they could determine the tip based on the experience, although in general 10 per cent has always been considered decent.
The problem with that was that certain people gave very little, which is particularly hurtful when it regards large groups, so a minimum charge for bigger tables was first introduced but gradually applied across the board. One of the advantages is that a widespread distribution could be better guaranteed this way.
There seems to be bit of a misconception that just waiters actually serving the food and/or beverages provide the service, when it of course depends on every employee, from the cook to the cleaner to the busboy and bartender. A fixed charge that is equally divided among staff caters to that reality.
But this is also where the discomfort among especially visitors lies. Many often doubt whether the 15 per cent is really going to the workers and may feel obliged to leave something extra on top of the charge.
Others fear that even if they add such an extra tip to the credit card that too might go to the company owners instead. If such practices are indeed common, they need to stop
The local hospitality industry professionals are key to the island’s tourism economy. Not granting them their fair share is not only wrong but counterproductive in the end for both the individual business and the overall product this destination represents.
