A new fee in cafes raises an annoyance: Why do I have to pay?

After visiting a cafe in Klaipeda, Klaipeda, who first encountered such a situation, said.

« The service fee was two euros. This is the first time I encountered it. And although the amount is quite small, why should I pay for something that was not even stated in advance? » The woman asked rhetorically.

Klaipeda considered that it may be similar to pre -included the money for the waiter for service, but why is it recommended to leave them for extra tips?

Evgeny Sokolov, a member of the Klaipėda Hotel and Restaurant Association, emphasized that the service fee is usually applied to larger groups of customer – especially when there are quite a few orders and the service requires more work.

Evgeny Sokolov. / Photo by Personal Archive

« There is no permanent tax, which are usually applied to larger companies. In such cases, customers are included in a 5-10 % service fee, which in any case always goes to the waiters, » Sokolov said.

According to him, this practice in Klaipeda is not yet widespread, but little by little it is in some catering establishments.

So far, these are individual cases, but such taxes are widespread in many developed countries – perhaps it will become commonplace.

« So far, these are individual cases, but such taxes are widespread in many developed countries – perhaps it will become commonplace, » he said.

However, the reality is not always so clear – often customers only know about the service fee only after reviewing the account.

« I only learned about the extra charge when I and my girlfriend brought an account, no one has previously informed us and explained what our money will be spent, » said the Klaipėda resident.

If the restaurant has a service fee, waiters should always inform customers before ordering food so that there is no problem afterwards.

Such ambiguity raises more and more questions, because for some it looks like the correct thanks to the waiter for good service, others feel cheated.

As long as there are no clear provisions that this service tax practice is applied across the country, customers only have to read carefully the menu and do not hesitate to ask the waiters what they will actually have to pay for.