Last 3 restaurant’s I’ve been to have charged 18% service charges AND make a big effort to mention that this is not the tip. 1 restaurant said none of the 18% goes to the waiters, and the other 2 mention any further tip goes to a group pot.
So how much assuming service is strong do YOU end up tipping after the 18% charge? It’s tough to end up tipping basically 40% when others restaurants are not doing that at similar prices in my opinion.
I googled 
…after soliciting thoughts from diners, owners, and employees, our takeaway is this: The majority of people don’t offer a gratuity on top of a service charge, and the majority of restaurants don’t expect them to. That said, if you are inclined to add more for great food and service, then 5 to 10 percent is considered a nice gesture.
Source: Should You Tip on Top of a Restaurant Service Charge? - Washingtonian
I’m still very fond of the check boxes for tipping. If they could add that after the service charge as top off options, it will eliminate a lot of my headache Just 3 options: add the 2%, 5% or 10%. If dinners don’t want to top off, no one get hurts 
Anywhere from 0-5% and I don’t go back.
I believe a service charge already is a tip. Depending on the amount, no need to go above the norms if you do not want to. Also, you do not include the tax charge when figuring your tip…
similar here.
Jeez, if restaurants make a point of stating that the 18% doesn’t go to the servers (where DOES it go?) and that only anything beyond that goes to them, I’m sure as hell not going to patronize them. They aren’t treating their staff fairly, and extorting patrons to take up the huge slack. I’d be interested to know at which restaurants you’ve experienced this practice.
On the flip side, why would anyone choose to work at a place like that as well??
Yikes…. Who is doing that? Name names! I’m OK with set gratuity/service charges, and I typically round up so that it’s 20%, but there’s no way I’d go back to that place.
I’m not eating at any of the Jon & Vinny restaurants until they clarify what they do with the service charge. Or at any other restaurant where it seems like the business is just pocketing it.
I normally tip 20%, so with an 18% service charge, I tip 2% of the pre-tax total.
I tip 20% no matter what, of the food subtotal.
This is truly scary for servers. If, in fact, none of the service charge goes to a tip pool and people refuse to or reduce tips, their incomes are hit in a major way. In many cases, restaurants have said that much of the service charge goes to employee benefits (health insurance, for example) or to offset increasing minimum wage in places that have them. But employees personal situations differ, so that may not be a real offset. I might go so far as to ask my server what happens to it if there is a service charge.
Agreed
At this point I should be less lazy and do my duty to add in that 2% everytime! It matters. Thank you.
Wasn’t there a thread somewhere here from awhile ago that stated the same? No names named, but a server/employee/whomever said that in some/many situations, none or only a very small amt goes to the server.
If you’re up for it ask for service charge to be removed. I believe they have to comply. Then you tip what you normally would and it doesn’t go to the owner’s bottom line directly.
They don’t have to comply if the service charge is described on the menu.
I deduct the service charge from what I was going to tip. 20% tip with an 18% service charge = 2% tip.
Timely article
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