http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/thread/3117/33137/RE-Licensees-urged-to-be-fair-on-tips.aspx?#Posting33137


It's a good bit of shameless self promotion this - what happens to service charges, gratuities and cash tips left willingly by punters for good service has always been open to severe abuse by unscrupulous employers.

An employer I know, whose company has "Investment In People" status and has won many awards for good Corporate Social Responsibility proactices, environmental awareness; adopting recycling inititiatives and so on, told me, in all seriousness, something close to this:

"These staff receive what they are worth, they are rewarded according to their skills and experience. This company invests heavily in their training and development, the service charge is a reflection of the need for that investment and the company retains the charge to help pay for that. The rest of the investment the company makes, in the surroundings, the consumables, the knapkins, knives and forks and so on, all this has to be paid for so the company retains 40% of the cash tips left by customers as a token contribution to the continuing need of the company to keep investing in order that the staff can contimue to keep their jobs with the company."

Honestly it was something very close to that. It was so well rehearsed I found it hard to concentrate because my head was spinning at the realisation that he really meant what he said, with an evangelical zeal.

I think they are currently closed for 'major refurbishment'. Brain transplant needed.