GLOBAL (COMMONWEALTH UNION) – when it comes to the topic or travel and all things that come with going on holiday one will find that there are always these sneaky little charges added here and there that no one warns you about before booking your travel. Its when you get the bill that you realize what has happened.
Now people will complain about a sneak charge and that’s fair because you should be aware of what you are paying for especially if the holiday is planned on a budget. But what one should not complain about or even learn more about is service charge.
Now service charge is a specified amount of money bone pays usually at hotels restaurants and bars for a service provided by the establishment. Most other places it is called tips. But a service charge is charged to ensure that the staff providing the service also get a little something extra in case a patron decides not to tip.
Now most often than not in some countries there is a percentage of the bill that is left as service charge and in countries this is not applicable then there is a universal 10% added on to the bill. Most people complain about this stating that if they are paying for their meal or drinks then why are they being charged another separate amount for the service.
Well, this is a fair question. The thing is whilst you might think it is unfair to pay an extra 10% on the bill to the restaurant or the bar the thing is the people who work there made it a fun and pleasant experience for you. Yes, you could have made it at home for cheaper. But here someone cooked your food to your specification. Someone else made your dessert and your drinks. The table was set up and cleared for you by someone and the dishes and clean up done by another. You came with your loved ones and had a nice time.
Now since you had a nice evening don’t you think that the people who made the evening happen for you should be shown some appreciation. Even if you decide that there is no tipping that is your personal choice should they not be rewarded for the service that was provided. The answer is yes, they should and this is the reason there is a service charge.
The other thing is that people working in this industry do not have set hours as a 9 to 5 job does. They work on a shift basis. This means that they do not have the privilege of spending the weekends at home. Special holidays such as Christmas and easter and new years are missed because they had had to work a night shift. Birthdays, graduations and trips are also sometimes missed. They work so that when people come in to the establishment they are provided with the best possible service.
Apart from the above factor let’s not forget that these people also went to specific institution such as hotel school, vocational school and training school to be able to work in the hospitality industry. To be able to provide this service to you.
A commonly known factor in the hospitality industry is that whilst it seems like a fun career path most countries the staff is not paid well. The service charge is sometimes a way of compensating them for paying them minimum wage salaries.
Now that there is an understanding of what service charge is and why we have to pay it. One could say that its not something to make a big deal about. Because if these services did not exist then the industry would not exist either. Which can only mean that the life that some of us are used to of regular outings would not exist.
