Surcharges are crap.
They reek of doctor’s bills. You get a bill, then weeks later you get a billing charge, then a room charge ..and so on. No transparency until its all over.
Government, in dealing with covid-19 has screwed over restaurants terribly. It costs a helluva lot more to do business, and the peak business revenues are reduced by half. Disposable safety elements are used, and efficiency is destroyed by protocol and staffing limitations.
So much so that Some restaurants are adding fees to their bills.
It’s labeled as a “Special tax” on the receipt, but one customer said she wasn’t made aware of the fee.
Customer Elaine Steffek said “Customers should always be told if something is going to be added to their bill they’re not expecting. You absolutely should be in the know.”
She said there were no warnings that the tax was going to be on her bill.
Steffek said, “Nothing in the menu, nothing posted on the wall, the server didn’t mention it at all. It was just on the bill when it got to the table and I suppose probably a lot don’t even know it’s there.”
Steffek was charged three percent Sunday but said she didn’t pay the 25 cent tax.
“I paid my bill less than 25 cents and I left. I don’t know what it’s for. I don’t know if it’s a scam. If they’re going to charge a tax they need to tell you what its for.”
Holy crow! 25 cents!
Clearly the restaurant should learn from this. Just raise your menu prices 10%. That is better than the three percent and frankly no one will give a rats ass. Folks up here (Northern Michigan) have been tipping more anyhow.
The people who want to eat out will eat out right now unless you are doubling your prices. Trust me on this. If there are a few that drop off? It won’t hurt your bottom line.
And anyhow, calling something a tax that ain’t can get you in trouble.
(10)Nuh Uh.
(0)
Tax/fee semantics aside, this is nothing new. Matter of fact, it's old news from May, in other states who are not like this Democrat Gov. Whitmer delay game hellhole.
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/missouri-restaurants-coronavirus-surcharge-causes-social-media-backlash
If you notice, Michigan is named in Grand Rapids, for something most would not think of- loss of foot traffic.
Like isn't perfect, however, I can understand where establishment who operate at full capacity maybe average an 8% profit margin would rather have adjustment flexibility with a surcharge to offset costs from these demented Democrat governors and mayors playing their political games with a flu bug, and now inciting race riots, over that of a picking a random number blanket cost increase to an entire menu.
Can only imagine how fierce the competition is right now at 50% capacity for them and, our bullshit artist virtue signaling governor now creating more stupidity about wearing mask in restaurants.
Gretch, GFY.