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unscrupulous?
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now many of you would have worked part-time before while still in school for that little extra moolah. and chances are, you'd be someone dodging tables while carrying trays laden with food in a restaurant for a rather meagre pay.

i have spent almost three years of my student life waitressing, though it was rough at first as i'm quite the spoilt child, i did enjoy those stints.

now to view matters from the other side of the story. as paying customers, i'm sure all of you know about the service charge implemented in most restaurants. a hefty 10% of the entire bill.

but how many of you know WHAT exactly is the service charge about?

well i didn't. i've always thought that it was an incentive given to the wait staff, like the 10% wholly BELONGS to us. and not absorbed by the fucking restaurants.

i didn't give much thought to it while i was still waitressing but i chanced upon this at a local forum..

"For those of you unfamiliar with the service charge, this is how it works: the 10% levy is payable in almost every restaurant where you are served by a member of the restaurant staff who seats you, takes your order, brings you the food, collects payment, clears the table and of course tends to any whim or fancy you may have. The exceptions are fast food restaurants, self-service restaurants, some buffet places and cafes. At the end of your meal, 10% of your bill is calculated as the service charge and worked into the bill. You pay up, the staff splits the service charge collected at the end of the month, there's no tipping involved, no confusion. Right? Wrong."

the staff splits the service charge?!!!!!! NO WAY!!

it has NEVER happened before to me. i get paid probably around $5 and that is exactly what i get. i have never heard of getting any share of the service charges, which will be quite a tidy sum if i do.

so that brings me to.. THAT MEANS MY EX COMPANY HAS BEEN KEEPING WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE THE LONG SUFFERING SERVICE STAFF'S MONEY!

WTF!?!

as far as i'm concerned i am pretty sure that companies have no right to take it as we're the ones providing the service and not them.

can anyone enlighten me on this? i am feeling very outraged and exploited.