Just when it looked like the great tipping debate was coming to an end, there's been an unexpected development. On 1 October, the same day that new legislation governing where tips go comes into force, one major restaurant group is scrapping the controversial service charge.
D&D London, formerly known as Conran Restaurants and the owners of famed eateries like Le Pont de la Tour and Coq d'Argent, will no longer add the charge to diners' bills, instead leaving it up to them how much, if anything, they want to tip.
Ubiquitous in London and common throughout Britain, the service charge is meant to be discretionary but, given that you have to ask to have it removed from your bill, it rarely feels that way. I tend to pay the charge, grudgingly, unless service has been especially bad. Asking for it to be removed rarely seems worth the hassle; eyes are rolled, voices raised and managers called. More than once I've been lied to, told that it was physically impossible to remove the charge. No wonder one friend in particular hides in the toilet any time I say I want the charge taken off.
D&D London's rationale is that the move will lead to better service. "We want to change the mind-set of customers and staff", explains the group's chairman and chief executive, Des Gunewardena. "We're saying 'if you've had great service leave a great tip, if you haven't, then don't.'"
It's a bold move, especially considering how widespread the service charge is, with anything from 10 - 15% routinely added to everything from a cup of coffee to a round of drinks. Given that the service charge was voted the most annoying thing about eating out, it's bound to be a popular decision and will no doubt be keenly observed by other restaurants.
While it's a victory for consumers, another matter is how it will affect the restaurant staff. Will as many people give a tip as left the service charge on their bill? I'm not convinced. Would you? Will having to work for a tip improve Britain's hospitality industry? And would you be more likely to go to a restaurant that didn't have a service charge? As the questions mount, it's clear the issue of tipping just got a lot more complicated.
