I was recently at Captain Ollie's for their Saturday night buffet. The food was plentiful and very good. Upon receiving the bill, we noticed there was a 15% service fee added on. What is this for? We asked our waiter if this was the tip being added to the bill and he replied that he wouldn't see any of that money and he relied upon what people left above and beyond the service fee. Any clarification out there? TIA

The way I understand it, the Service Charge is added by restaurants. It's suppose, in part, to go towards benefits for workers. Whether it actually does is another big, unanswered question. "Service Charge" carries the connotation for Americans that this is a tip added. I have yet to find a waiter say that he gets any of the service charge. I always try to add 5% or more(in cash) for a tip for the waiter. The French side is not suppose to have this charge. It's a Dutch side gimmick, but there are definitely exceptions on both sides.
Maybe someone else can explain it better or has a different explanation.

Every restaurant (and every waiter within that restaurant) has their own interpretation of the "service charge". I don't care what anyone says is the standard....what we think and what every restaurant thinks are usually 2 different things.


As an example, while on the island, I once asked a French waiter in a Grand Case restaurant if, in fact the service charge was their tip and he explicitly stated that the tip should be left in cash after paying the bill. On the other hand, a waitress on the Dutch side at a small restaurant insisted that this was their tip and not to worry about leaving anything additional as she swore that she would be getting the 15% tip. For her honesty, we did leave something additional anyway.

In the US, the place where I work charges a 20% service charge and none of this goes toward the tips for the waitstaff. According to management's explanation, this covers the higher than normal salary that the waitstaff gets paid so that they don't need to get tips. Of course, that explanation is ludicrous as a waiter can get so much more in tips than working for a couple of dollars more per hour, especially when they cut the workers hours during bad economic times. Then they get nothing....

If you want to actually get a straightforward answer, then ask yourself the question because only you know what you can afford and because every situation warrants a different answer. A basic guideline could be this:

If the bill is reasonable and the service charge is included on the check, then if the service is good, maybe you can leave an additional 5%. If the food was somewhat overpriced and the service charge is included, then it depends on your finances whether you want to leave anything additional, depending on how the service was.

But if the S/C is included and you had a truly bad service, then it's up to you whether you would leave anything at all. A service charge is supposed to be based on the quality of service you received and the waiter knows this. They also should understand that a tip is not a requirement but a reward.

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Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

Governor, I am the manager of "Captain Ollie", so it will be easy for me to answer your question regarding my restaurant's policy... On the other hand, I would appreciate if you can email me further detail about the waiter who gave you this answer... (if you know or remember his name, what he look like, if he has a "caribbean spanish" accent and which area of the room you were sitting) for the only reason it is not the first time I heard a customer saying he get this type of answer but was never able to determine in my staff who's the culprid....

The 15% added to your Bill IS the 15% service charge, and it goes 100% to the wait staff. If the customer want to leave more on the table, it is his choice, it is not mandatory and CANNOT be requested by the staff of my restaurant!
The 15% service charge is used to pay the monthly fix salaries of the waiters... If the total amount 15% service charge cumulated in the month is superior of all the fix salary added together, what is left on the 15% is being redistributated to the wait staff based on "points"... those points are calculated and based on seniority in the establishment... not one penny of this service charge is being used to pay anything else, it is fully accounted in the book and the establishment even pay the 3% turn over Tax on it to the governement.

So please, my email is in my profile but I don't know if as unregistered you have access to it so I am putting it here : captain.olivers@hotmail.com
send me as many information you can about this waiter because I really want this type of answer to stop ! at te end result it is tainting the reputation of the establishment, the rest of the staff and the management...

To finish, if you paid by Credit card and left the tip on the credit card, provide me with all information, I will be more than happy to apply a refund of the tips to your CC and take it back from the concerned waiter... maybe it would be the only way for him to learn the good maneers and "the way it is"...

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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Philippe, I was so hoping you would respond to this post! I think it is very important that diners realize that the answers they may be getting from the waitstaff at restaurants where the service is either included or added onto the check are not always accurate. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous people in this world, who will prey on the sensibilities of tourists, particularly Americans who are accustomed to tipping to a much greater extent than is customary in the European culture. Because of this, my husband and I don't even ask the question any more; we look for the notation either on the menu or on the check, and tip accordingly. A good waiter or waitress will get 20% from us, either directly as a tip, or with an additional 5% in the case of a "service compris" or a 15% service charge added to the check. It's really quite simple once you know the system!

Yes Georgia, and me I am hoping and keeping fingers crossed that the original poster will email me with the informations !!!

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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Thank you so much Philippe for a thorough and complete answer to this question. I have come to learn that there are different customs on the island and other places than back here in the USA. I want to be sure that we do as customary on your island and in your restaurant. We had the opportunity to eat at Captain Olivers this last year on our visit and really enjoyed the evening. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and assortment of food you had on the buffet and that service and atmosphere were wonderful. We danced that evening to a very nice band and had an absolutely wonderful time. I do appreciate you taking the time to explain a normal custom on here for us Americans that may not be aware of differences. You run a fine establishment and I would highly recommend it to anyone that visits the island.

Thank you, Philippe!!!!!

Phillipe,

I am the original poster and will email you when I have a chance. I just quickly checked to see if anyone responded to my post. Thanks.

Please , please, do so ! I am eager to learn more about who did that...

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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Philippe,

I was with the Governor on the night in question. It was March 21. There were three of us, at a table near the back, along the water. Last year I was critical of the server who handled the lobsters, I am sure you remember. This year it was much different. The service was great and the food excellent. I had an allergy to most of the desserts, so the female server brought me a dish of ice cream. However, the server we asked about the service charge was a male. I did not get his name.

Perhaps you may remember us waving goodbye as you sat at the bar having a conversation with someone.

Perhaps if you listed the 15% as a service charge instead of tax, it might eliminate confusion.

Thanks for your response and concern.

Lizz

I must say that I was shocked and appalled when I ready Phillipe's answer to the question about service charge. In my 60 years of living, I have never heard of a restaurant using the term "service charge" to pay their staff. I can understand service charge to help cover the taxes if if is not stated, to cover breakage, and then pay the server a percentage of that charge. To actually admit,though, that the only way a server sees the money that is left by the patron, is to get it in their paycheck as their wage, is nothing but being cheap and self-serving. I know most servers work hard to make sure that patrons are well taken care of and are always appreciative of a gratuity. I applaude this server of letting people know that the staff sees nothing of the service charge as a gratuity. Good Fella's used this practice years ago and it was their downfall.

I have been to Cap't Olivers in the past, but I can guarantee until things change and he digs in his own pocket, like any other business person to pay wages, I won't be going back.

It's not America.

SXM??? Wendell

Linda,
with all my respect I can assume you do not know much about restaurant business and economic rules then , and also about the Law of St Maarten... Or maybe you are confusing "service charge" with "TIPS"? I am actually the one being amazed and appaled by your comment? The service charge being used for breakage or even better TAXES?????? It would be even worse if, like I said, you are confusing SC with the TIPS, because it would mean that, it would be ok to use them for that: breakage and taxes!!! Sorry but I must laught...

Anywhere in the world including in America, in any type of industry including restaurant business, the cost of labor is incorporated one way or the other in the price of the product being sold! The day a businessman, a restaurantor has to dig in HIS OWN POCKET to pay his staff, his business is on the way to bankrupty! It is basic economic!

I am, as many of other restaurantor, following the laws of the country where the establishment is located. The law allows us two thing... pay the staff with a fix salary and nothing else, most of time at minimum wages, and/or add a 15% service charge to the bill of the customer and pay the staff with a part or the totality of that service charge.So please foward your concern if you have any, to the governement of Netherland Antlilles and learn the facts before judging, and make such harsh and ridiculous statements.

The minimum wage in St Maarten if NAF 7.96 gross per hour (NAF means Netherland Antilles Florin, our local currency) NAF 7.96 equal $4.42... this is GROSS.. from that you have to take out about 30% in taxes and social security, retirement, etc.. which brings down the hourly rate at $3.09 NET... 8 hours per day at $3.09 per hour net is equal at $24.75 a day... 26 working days in the month, equal a net monthly salary of approximatly $643 !!!! And you want to be "appaled" because I am paying my staff according to the law, using the 15% service charge? I should ask some appologies Madame!..

By paying my staff according to what the law authorised me to do, I means paying them with and redistributing 100% ofthe 15% service charge instead of applying the legal minimum wage, I can tell you they are doing MUCH better salaries... Pretty much aroud $2200 monthly which is for the island a very good salary! this may explain why most of them work for the company since more than 18 years!!!

I was going to email you Madame, regarding this issue and to explain it deeply, but realised it wasn't worth it at that point...
Respectfully,

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2009 07:39AM by Tabba Khady.

"I must say that I was shocked and appalled when I ready Phillipe's answer to the question about service charge."

I must say I applaud Phileppe's response.. a straight forward answer from the manager of the establishment.. and an attempt to make things right. I can assure you that I will be going to Capt. Oliver's on several occasions on my next trip.

Service fee = fee for Service, seems fairly straight foreword to me.

Thanks again Phileppe!!!