Hell…just go to the ‘locals’ places in Tainan.
Taiwan Green bottle - 600ml - @ NT$60 and “service charge?”…you’ve got to be kidding.
The laoban is probably setting at your table drinking & eating with you… 
Gents,
An interesting discussion on service charges can be found here:
forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … ce+charges
And it involves operators giving their views. My strongly held views are contained within that thread.
Cheers + 10%
Bob
Thanks for the link Bob. Looks like this one has been dealt with then- well as far as some other proprietors were prepared to take it anyway. At least Michel had the guts to explain his ‘accounting’ activities, but many others remained in cowardly silence.
I like what you wrote; decent. I’ve always been happy to tip your staff; they work hard for it, and with a smile. I always feel guilty for not tipping the staff elsewhere - but then the owners have already taken the ‘service’ money that I had earmarked for the service people, the ones that truly deserve it. 10% just makes me angry and I lose focus on the work that has been put into making me feel comfortable and welcome. While I don’t know anything about how the various establishments compare in terms of pay, I feel the ones that miss out on a tip simply deserve better. The overall quality of service in Taiwan is absolutely fantastic (compared the the UK) and I wish their skills, effort and diligence was rewarded with the good old fashioned “Thanks for a great time, here you are… put it in your pocket, the boss doesn’t need to know.”
Regarding Taiwan and the legal status of service charges, is one within their rights to ask for the service charge to be deducted from their bill? To be honest, I probably wouldn’t try my luck as I’d surely find myself barred from “99%” of most establishments overnight. On the bright side, I’d then spend all money in Carnegies…!
Well, if you find an establishment foolish enough to do this then great. The Taipei City government recently employed some foreigners in addition to the local squad to single out establishments that do not issue GUI to customes, hence are not paying the VAT to the government. Know they are on the hunt in Kaohsiung as well in recent weeks, assume other areas not affected.
For those of us from the US, expecting to pay more than the stated price is an automatic reflex, what with sales taxes not included in posted prices (except for gasoline, groceries and a few other items).
In restaurants, we’re obliged to pay tips on top of that (especially if we ever want to show our faces in the same restaurant again).
So a meal that’s printed on a restaurant menu as $7.99 will end up costing you $9.83, assuming 8% tax and 15% tip.
I prefer paying what I see printed.
Tavern Captain, if I refused to pay the service charge % in your restaurant/s, would I be breaking the law? Please answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Well, thought this is about a Beer tax not about a service charge. To answer your question, in our restaurants we do have a 10% service charge on food and should you eat in one of our places and refuse to pay the service charge, the duty manager would first talk to you and if no success and since the service charge is part of our price structure, we would ask you to leave, blacklist you and send out your picture along with other details we know about you to other foreign managed pubs in Taipei. Hope this answers your question.
Thanks for your reply Tavern Captain.
I won’t be trying that then!
Well, if you find an establishment foolish enough to do this then great. The Taipei City government recently employed some foreigners in addition to the local squad to single out establishments that do not issue GUI to customes, hence are not paying the VAT to the government. Know they are on the hunt in Kaohsiung as well in recent weeks, assume other areas not affected.[/quote]
Everytime i have been to the Tavern, which is not often i will admit, i have never received the GUI. I just assume that it has actually been issued.
Traveller, be assured we issue a GUI for every consumption. Now, I remember there was this verz attractive, young girl looking for a bunch of middle aged guys, drinking Coronas and I asked the question why and was given to understand that she wanted to invite those guys for a ride in her new BMW convertible that she bought after she won a few millions in the GUI lottery from a GUI she found uncollected on a Tavern-Premier middle Bar on a fine late afternoon.
10% service charge sucks… it is merely an extra money maker for the owner… 10% service charge should go to the crew who actually give the service… but it never does… …and what if the service is not good? You still have to pay Xtra for bad service… better have no service charge and leave it up to the customers to tip when pleased… and the tip goes to the crew… … you expect to pay ie 180 and are charged 198 and the 10% on the menu is printed really small…
When I took over Chocolate&Love I immediately dropped the service charge… and now in BLISS there is also none… and you know what ? The tips come in to satisfaction to the crew and they give you good service for it… even if you don’t tip…
How would you send out photos to other pubs if your camera had been shoved up your ass? :s
How would you send out photos to other pubs if your camera had been shoved up your ass? :s[/quote]
:bravo:
GPS!
How would you send out photos to other pubs if your camera had been shoved up your ass? :s[/quote]
:bravo:[/quote]
It would not fit as CircleBack filled it already with ‘Western’ spicy chicken pasta by all accounts!
I won’t enquire as to whether TC has an internal or external antenna. I note that the topic of beer tax has degenerated into a discussion on the elastic and communication properties of Taverncaptain’s sphincter… 
Oh dear.
Bob
25 degrees 01’42.66" N
121 degrees 32’59.08" W
Well Well… this is certainly not about Service Charge (Beer Tax) anymore… if it is now about shoving things up asses, how about putting the SC (BT) there next time they charge you…? It would save a few pennies and might feel good…) …
Young man, are you on drugs or just bored today?
Like the bit where you call me ‘young’…
I was in a place tonight (to say goodbye to a dear friend) where I was charged 10% tax on top of ridiculous prices… HNK 200, Jameson/Coke 300, Tequila 280… + 10%… they had live music, yes… but still… …