Went to a restaurant in LA today and when I got the check I noticed that it was a bit higher than it should be. Then I noticed this 18% service charge. So… We, as customers, need to help pay for their servers instead of the owners paying their servers a living wage. And on top of that they have suggested tip. I called bs on this. I will bet you that the servers do not see a dime of this 18% service charge. [deleted a word so it wasn’t a grammatical horror to read]
Its a bit of bullshittery (again, assuming all that money goes to the staff here), but ultimately its the same thing as raising the menu prices 18%. My hunch is that people would scoff at the prices if they listed them on the menu and wouldnt go there, so they do this as a way to offset that.