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Do I have to pay a service charge if the service is poor?
If you go out for a meal and receive poor service, you don’t have to pay the service charge. Read on to find out what rights you have in this situation.
Do I have to pay service charge?
Some restaurants add a compulsory service charge to your bill, and others leave it to your discretion.
In most cases, if you are clearly made aware of a compulsory service charge when ordering your food and the information provided is sufficient enough to calculate the total price of your order, you must pay it.
If you're unhappy with the quality of food you receive, you're entitled to a price reduction under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which could include not paying the compulsory service charge.
If the restaurant fails to make the compulsory charge clear to you, then you can argue that the charge does not form part of your contract.
Expectations should be reasonable
Bear in mind that the quality of service should match the type of establishment you are in.
So you shouldn't expect the same quality of service from a fast food outlet as you would from a restaurant in a five-star hotel.
Can I claim compensation?
If there has been a particular problem with the service, for example, the waiter tipped spaghetti bolognese on you and your clothing, you can claim the cost of having your clothes cleaned.