10 Percent Service Charge When You Least Expect It!

[Jingthing]

It's been at least over a year since I ate a regular restaurant where the service was so bad I was ready to leave no tip.

Now I'm not a great tipper in Thailand, I tip more Thai style, but I do always tip unless there is a very good reason not to.

This time the service was shockingly bad. Plenty of staff but nobody would look in my direction for half an hour. I ended up waving the menu like a madman, and did complain, and my complaint totally ignored. Soon I learned why they don't care.

So I was ready to leave nothing or 1 baht, and then ... 10 percent service charge. Got me!

The place was Fuji. Hadn't been for years and didn't realize they have a service charge. The food was OK but it pissed me off to have to pay anything for service so bad.

For a big chain like that, to make sure their staff doesn't slack, I think there should be a way you can decline to pay the service charge if you supply a formal reason why it isn't deserved.

Cheers.

Edited October 12, 2011 by Jingthing

[MEGALITHIC]

Yep, Fuji, MK, S&P, Sizzler and all f those franchise type retaurants/eating establishments have a 10% service charge. That's why I never leave a tip there. The service charge is for who? Supposedly some of it should go to the staff but you can gaurantee that it probably doesn't. Tipping is not compulsory and if retaurant staff are deserving of a tip it will be because they've provided excellent service and not for, as you mention, ignoring the patrons.

[smokie36]

Service is just as bad at the branch in Samui, especially at lunchtime. I simply shout at them and it seems to get their attention.

I love their crispy salmon with dill and sauce....

When it comes time to pay I walk up to the till and bark at them too....otherwise its a two hour nightmare.

You have my sympathy on this one for sure.

[IanForbes]

That's just another reason to eat at those places just ONCE. I believe you live in Pattaya, Jingthing, and there are LOTS of restaurants in that city. It's easy enough to tell where you get value for your money. Just walk and check out the number of customers in each place. When I visit Pattaya once a year to see my friends we eat in either one or two places. They are always busy and the food is good at a reasonable price. I don't mind tipping there. One cafe is on Soi Ba kow and the other is on #2 road. Most of the other places over charge for what you get.

[poanoi]

When you said they didn't look your way for 1/2 hour i thought you meant Kiss at 2nd Rd-Soi Diana :jap:

[Boater]

Service is just as bad at the branch in Samui, especially at lunchtime. I simply shout at them and it seems to get their attention.

I love their crispy salmon with dill and sauce....

When it comes time to pay I walk up to the till and bark at them too....otherwise its a two hour nightmare.

You have my sympathy on this one for sure.

i have never ever had a problem at fuji ... even get a wink and the best table when i arrive, always served within 2 mins of sitting down, drinks brought over straight away, and my steak set always cooked perfectly and arives within 10 mins, sometimes quicker

again, same with fuji in phuket and pattaya, never an issue and i have ate there hundreds of times, mainly as there quilty of food is excellent, they are fast and there price cnnot be matched.

never really noticed sizzler, as i am always munching on the salad bar to notice how long it takes for the food arrive...

[Jingthing]

I certainly don't doubt people have had good experiences at Fuji but please don't doubt my experience. I'm not going to mention the specific branch location as the topic was intended to be more general than that, paying service charge when the service wasn't there. I'll likely try Fuji again, but never again at that branch.

Edited October 13, 2011 by Jingthing

[angiud]

I love Fuji (Samui and BKK), food is good and almost cheap, nothing to say about staff, just order my food and go pay the check to the entrance counter. That's it

I love the beef teppanyaki, the potato croquettes, the mushrooms, the salmon, the sashimi not so bad, good tempura, etc etc etc

YUMMI

[Boater]

I certainly don't doubt people have had good experiences at Fuji but please don't doubt my experience. I'm not going to mention the specific branch location as the topic was intended to be more general than that, paying service charge when the service wasn't there. I'll likely try Fuji again, but never again at that branch.

if you look at it a different way, would you always be happy if you where working 10 hour days for 8,000 THB a month? , but i will agree, if the service isnt there , it shouldnt be paid, but then in thailand, more or less all hotels and most food chains, excluding fast food, have this service charge for the staff, and if they do well, i will tip a little a bit

[maccaroni man]

i too am a fan of fuji and i am a regular sometimes as many as 4x per week but i must admit that i have had the odd occassion where i did not get my fruit the bill was painfully slow in coming and the food came after everyone else had finished eating this is when i hate the 10% service charge other then that i remain a big fan of fuji and sizzler. Oh and i don't tip on top of the SC

[gabthai]

Anyway when you go in this restaurant or when you look the menu is writted on the 10% charge....but i find in this kind of place that the service still always good,coz workers get many tips then they want keep the work long time.

usually its already expansive place who charge you this 10% so when you go there,you know that you will spend money.

[poanoi]

There should be a law enforcement that inform on 'service' charge clearly written outside the resturant,

or fall under hidden charge crime

[Tanaka]

If there is no mentioning of a service charge anywhere before it surfaces on the bill, I refuse to pay it. I did not order it, I was not informed about it and I won't pay. Yell, threaten with cops or whatever, I don't care, I won't pay. Simple. And I won't come back.

[GreenSnapper]

If there is no mentioning of a service charge anywhere before it surfaces on the bill, I refuse to pay it. I did not order it, I was not informed about it and I won't pay. Yell, threaten with cops or whatever, I don't care, I won't pay. Simple. And I won't come back.

Normally you can find it in the smallprint of the menu.

Fuji is famous with Thais and I often eat there. Never had problems with the service, but I hate the charge too. Esp. The beer is really expensive there with the charge. The food is good and reasonable priced, though.