Yesterday I ate at Fuji after a long time of not eating there. Who gets the 10%? Waiters?

[Gobbler]

It's been a few years since I ate dinner at Fuji. I had forgotten about the 10 percent service charge, which I don't remember being mentioned on the menu. If anyone regularly goes to Fuji, let us know if the charge is mentioned on the menu. 

 

I asked the cashier who got this money. She told me that the waitstaff receives nothing. So the company tacks on another charge you don't see until the bill arrives. I don't like this. Many people will assume that the waitstaff gets this money and, in kind, leaves no tip. 

[Dante99]

4 hours ago, Gobbler said:

So the company tacks on another charge you don't see until the bill arrives.

You are assuming that it is not mentioned in the menu which you state you do not know.

 

Well it is in the menu, at least the ones they give me.

4 hours ago, Gobbler said:

I don't like this.

Great, you do not like your incorrect information.  I agree, I do not really care for it either.  

[Gobbler]

What does the service charge pay for, exactly? 

[Ohyesuare]

17 minutes ago, Gobbler said:

What does the service charge pay for, exactly? 

 

It should be going to the staff. That's what I assume and I don't tip on top of the 10% or 17% when it's charged. If some staff don't receive it, that's their problem. 

 

If the 10% service isn't clearly displayed somewhere, you don't legally have to pay it apparently but it's not really worth causing a fuss over 90 baht.

[Regyai]

To be honest, I've never noticed

 

But now that I know about it they can of course forever more <deleted> right off

never seeing another satang from me

[CallumWK]

Isn't the 10% service + 7% VAT a fact in every respectable restaurant?

[HauptmannUK]

3 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Isn't the 10% service + 7% VAT a fact in every respectable restaurant?

No.

[liddelljohn]

Up to 2019 Fuji was superb quality and value  I used to eat at Fuji 3 times a week  for more than 20 years  , however it changed hands from a Japanese holding  and management company  in Thailand to  a wholly Thai management  company  run only by Thais. Overnight the prices rose 15%  the portions  and meat and fish quality declined  ... I have  not eaten there for last 5 years ,last month was taken to Fuji by a friend , many of my favourites were no longer on the menus  , and  what I was served up was very poor fare ...   wont be going again .

[Dante99]

7 hours ago, Gobbler said:

What does the service charge pay for, exactly? 

Exactly whatever management wants to use it for.

[mstevens]

I don't know what happens in Fuji per se, but in most restaurants the service charge is divided up equally amongst all the staff from service staff to chefs to kitchen hands to dishwashers to manager etc.

[Old Curmudgeon]

22 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

Up to 2019 Fuji was superb quality and value  ... however it changed hands from a Japanese holding  and management company  in Thailand to  a wholly Thai management  company  run only by Thais. ...  the portions  and meat and fish quality declined

 

Exactly the same for me as described above by @liddelljohn.

 

Used to be one of my favorite restaurants.

But, for whatever reasons, didn't eat there for several years.

Then recently ordered for delivery ... and "boom!!" ... like a totally different restaurant.

Much lower food quality.

Only the logo stayed the same.

 

Service charge or no service charge, I won't be going back to that Fuji place.

(Unless the Japanese come back and take it over again.)
 

[ChrisKC]

On 1/5/2025 at 12:06 AM, CallumWK said:

Isn't the 10% service + 7% VAT a fact in every respectable restaurant?

NO!

 

What do you mean by a "respectable restaurant"  - one that already charges over the top?

[Centigrade32]

On 1/4/2025 at 11:54 AM, Ohyesuare said:

 

It should be going to the staff. That's what I assume and I don't tip on top of the 10% or 17% when it's charged. If some staff don't receive it, that's their problem. 

 

If the 10% service isn't clearly displayed somewhere, you don't legally have to pay it apparently but it's not really worth causing a fuss over 90 baht.

 

Actually, if I knew that it wasn't going to the staff, I would simply have it removed from the bill and give the same in cash.

No one has to pay a Service Charge, displayed or not.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 minutes ago, Centigrade32 said:

 

Actually, if I knew that it wasn't going to the staff, I would simply have it removed from the bill and give the same in cash.

Removing it from the bill isn't an option!

[Centigrade32]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Removing it from the bill isn't an option!

 

So it was you laughing stupidly.

 

Removal from any bill IS an option: https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/2407506/restaurants-warned-over-10-service-charge

 

You should have checked before pulling the trigger and it backfiring on to you. Service charges are optional. The restauranteur can only ask for it if it is prominently displayed. But asking does not mean that you HAVE to pay it. 

[mokwit]

13 hours ago, mstevens said:

I don't know what happens in Fuji per se, but in most restaurants the service charge is divided up equally amongst all the staff from service staff to chefs to kitchen hands to dishwashers to manager etc.

I find it very hard to believe that 10% of revenues is shared between the service staff, especially in upmarket restaurants.

[mokwit]

1 minute ago, Centigrade32 said:

 

You should have checked before pulling the trigger and it backfiring on to you. Service charges are optional. The restauranteur can only ask for it if it is prominently displayed. But asking does not mean that you HAVE to pay it. 

Sure, and if they refuse to and you give them the amount less service charge and leave, as far as they are concerned you are walking out without paying your bill and that can end very badly.

[Centigrade32]

Just now, mokwit said:

Sure, and if they refuse to and you give them the amount less service charge and leave, as far as they are concerned you are walking out without paying your bill and that can end very badly.

 

They cannot refuse.

You tell them that you do not want to pay a Service Charge and they recalculate the bill. 

[steven100]

The service charge is 10% and goes to the employees at the end of each month along with their salary.

 

Some hotels obviously get more service charge monthly because of more guests, and the same goes with restaurants.   That why Thais also consider the salary + service charge average when looking for jobs.  

[steven100]

The service charge of 10% went to the staff at the end of the month (along with their pay), minus "unexplained shortages". It's split amongst the service, kitchen and bar staff, calculated based on hours worked that month.  

[Gobbler]

2 hours ago, Centigrade32 said:

 

So it was you laughing stupidly.

 

Removal from any bill IS an option: https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/2407506/restaurants-warned-over-10-service-charge

 

You should have checked before pulling the trigger and it backfiring on to you. Service charges are optional. The restauranteur can only ask for it if it is prominently displayed. But asking does not mean that you HAVE to pay it. 

Thank you for that article. It is that article that made this post. 

 

Well done.

[Gobbler]

After reading the Bangkok Post article, I just called Fuji +66(0) 2026 6514. 

 

They are refunding me. 

 

90 baht. Yeah, nothing right.  Think about how much money I can keep from the corporate pickpockets in the future. It adds up. 

 

It's a form of questionable legal/non-legal pickpocketing where you voluntarily let them put their hands in your pocket to extract more money. 

 

Never again.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/2407506/restaurants-warned-over-10-service-charge

[Gobbler]

My next question is whether the 90 baht service charge (for nothing) is also taxed. Let's do some math.

[BusyB]

On 1/4/2025 at 10:04 PM, liddelljohn said:

Up to 2019 Fuji was superb quality and value  I used to eat at Fuji 3 times a week  for more than 20 years  , however it changed hands from a Japanese holding  and management company  in Thailand to  a wholly Thai management  company  run only by Thais. Overnight the prices rose 15%  the portions  and meat and fish quality declined  ... I have  not eaten there for last 5 years ,last month was taken to Fuji by a friend , many of my favourites were no longer on the menus  , and  what I was served up was very poor fare ...   wont be going again .

 

Fuji quality has disappointed greatly while prices went the other way since I returned to LOS post-lockdown. Used to eat there far more pre-pandemic. My former favourite. I wondered if they'd sold off/changed management/called in the bean counters. Now I know thanks.

 

Sad.

 

I usually tip on top anywhere if it's an agreeable experience because I know waiting wages are abysmal and I also want to say thanks directly.

 

It usually requires legislation like in the UK or Europe to ensure the outlet/restaurant doesn't claim the service charge for itself. That kind of legislation is unlikely in Thailand with its feudal structures.

 

I know one mid-sized Thai hotel where the 2 owners take 66% of the service charge for  themselves, and the remaining 33% goes between the ten staff. Those staff have NEVER had a bad trip report, and almost all glowing.

 

And for those who don't care, don't be surprised if you find the staff mood you encounter is not as warm as you'd like - if you don't care about them, why should they care about you? There's your grub. Eat it and clear off.

 

[Gobbler]

I just got a call from the restaurant manager to apologize for the service charge, saying she can't make it not print on the bill. 

 

They returned my money.

[newnative]

     Spouse and I eat at Fuji maybe 2 or 3 times a month, usually at lunch because you get a free drink and a little fruit cup dessert thing.  We almost always order the teriyaki chicken and one of two different appetizers we like.  I don't think either of us has noticed any change in the portions of the dishes we order---no change in the size of the dishes, soup bowls, rice bowls, etc.  Perhaps other menu items we don't order have changed.  We are still happy with the food quality of what we order or we would no longer dine there.

[Gobbler]

5 minutes ago, newnative said:

     Spouse and I eat at Fuji maybe 2 or 3 times a month, usually at lunch because you get a free drink and a little fruit cup dessert thing.  We almost always order the teriyaki chicken and one of two different appetizers we like.  I don't think either of us has noticed any change in the portions of the dishes we order---no change in the size of the dishes, soup bowls, rice bowls, etc.  Perhaps other menu items we don't order have changed.  We are still happy with the food quality of what we order or we would no longer dine there.

Wonderful.  Do you pay the service charge? That is what this thread is about.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

IMHO, there should be a local law enacted here that any "service charges" like the typical 10% rate added by many restaurants must be given to restaurant staff as their share of tip income.

 

Other than that, if restaurants don't think they're garnering enough revenue from their regular posted menu prices, then they should change their posted menu prices.

 

At least for Westerners, I believe, most of us who see the 10% service charge on restaurant bills ASSUME that money is going to a pooled tips fund for employees. Unfortunately, sometimes that's true, and sometimes it isn't. And you'll never really know unless you specifically ask -- which the customer shouldn't have to do.

 

[Gobbler]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

IMHO, there should be a local law enacted here that any "service charges" like the typical 10% rate added by many restaurants must be given to restaurant staff as their share of tip income.

 

Other than that, if restaurants don't think they're garnering enough revenue from their regular posted menu prices, then they should change their posted menu prices.

 

At least for Westerners, I believe, most of us who see the 10% service charge on restaurant bills ASSUME that money is going to a pooled tips fund for employees. Unfortunately, sometimes that's true, and sometimes it isn't. And you'll never really know unless you specifically ask -- which the customer shouldn't have to do.

 

I asked. I got many apologies.  I explained to the store manager that Westerners see the service charge as a tip. 

 

They don't know and do not tip the waitresses, who get nothing from the semi-legal pickpocketing by the restaurant chain.

 

Waitresses pay for it in labor, and the restaurant garners more profit, which they do not share. 

 

STOP corporate pickpocketing!

[newnative]

20 minutes ago, Gobbler said:

Wonderful.  Do you pay the service charge? That is what this thread is about.

It started out being about the service charge but several post have been about the food quality and quantity, which I responded to.   Yes, we pay the service charge, and don't give it another thought.