Legal subjectivity:

Is it legal for restaurants to charge service fees? 1. Is it legal for restaurants to charge service fees? At present, there is no clear regulation that it cannot be accepted, because catering enterprises belong to the category of market-regulated prices, and enterprises have independent pricing power. However, according to Article 8 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests, consumers have the right to know the real situation of the goods they buy or use or the services they receive; Article 9 stipulates that consumers have the right to choose their own goods or services. If a restaurant wants to charge a service fee, it must inform customers in advance. Otherwise, consumers' "right to know" and "right to choose" are violated, and customers can refuse to pay. Here, Xiao Bian reminds you that if your restaurant charges a service fee, you must inform the customers in advance, or give an obvious text prompt in the restaurant. If the merchant does not inform in advance and charges a service fee when checking out, the consumer can refuse to pay; If the merchant disagrees, you can call 12315 to complain. Second, is it reasonable for the restaurant to charge such a service fee? 1. Is there a service charge? According to industry insiders, the service fee of the catering industry originated from the "tip" in Hong Kong. However, there is no habit of tipping in mainland China, and some restaurants turn this voluntary tip into a service fee that must be paid with a clear price tag. Although it does not constitute the overlord clause in law, it still makes many people unaccustomed, especially when customers do not experience the service of "value for money", they have a bad impression on the restaurant. 2. The charge reminder is too inconspicuous. We mentioned that the service charge must be informed in advance, either in writing or orally. However, some businesses are "insidious" and deliberately write the tips for charging service fees so small that they are presented on the front page of desks or electronic menus that customers will hardly notice them. When the customer questioned at the checkout, the restaurant said, "Anyway, I reminded you, but I didn't see that it was your responsibility!" Although it is not illegal, such "sinister intentions" will surely attract bad reviews from customers. 3. The restaurant said "untimely" was to tell the customer to charge for the service, but it didn't say it until the customer queued for a long time and finally got the order. Customers have been waiting for more than 1 hours from taking the number to queuing. At this time, it is inevitable that some consumers will feel in a dilemma. Customers can make a decision early if they are informed of the service charge when they queue up. Otherwise, it will make some customers feel uncomfortable. For the restaurant, it is profitable this time, and people may not come next time. Therefore, Xiao Bian suggested that if restaurants really want to charge this service fee, they should provide equivalent services to make customers feel the value of this fee. Moreover, we should be generous and inform consumers as soon as possible, and don't covet the temporary cheap and lose our long-term reputation. After all, customer experience and word of mouth are related to the restaurant's "money way". 3. Restaurants should be cautious in collecting these fees. Relevant laws and regulations clearly stipulate that "no bringing your own drinks" and "minimum consumption in private rooms" are overlord clauses. In this case, consumers can complain immediately. The above is the arrangement of Xiaobian's answers to this question. If you have any questions, please come and consult.