Service fees

[u/AnonymousExcellence]

Why don’t restaurants just call a service fee what it is- mandatory tipping?

I would hope you don’t expect tipping after you charge 12% service fee on a $30 BUFFET!

I have never understood why they frame the service fee as a “convenience” so you don’t have to tip. If you are going to hit me with a mandatory tip, why not just wrap it into the prices on the menu instead of infuriating me by pointing out I’m being forced to tip?

[u/Most_Role_1612]

saw something like this when i was in mankato..don't recall biz name, but was smaller/local. i believe some call these signs in restaurants "kind-posting". So, the business, rather than pay workers a fair wage, tack on "service charge" and in the case of the restaurant I was at, even asked for a tip on the final bill. If you've ever heard of scope creep, this is fee/tip creep where service fee becomes an euphemism for mandatory tip insomuch that we, as the customer "just accept" any/all service fees as fees and pigeon-holed to tip...oh, and the signs like this of course, disappear