YOBT - Big Boy review

[margaretcarnes]

Don't worry Big Boy - I understand your points, and agree with your wife on the service charge issue. It won't put me off a visit, but then again I'll be visiting next time on more of a tourist than expat budget.
Looking at other replies I think we are back again to the old chestnut of 'while the boss is away', which we've gone over before. I'm sure that Bill has enough experience and sense to know that this happens, and does what he can to prevent it. The fact is, that in LOS it just isn't possible, however well trained the staff are. Fortunately for farang owners the tourists often don't realise what goes on behind the scenes, and accept it as rather quaint.
Expats meanwhile sometimes forget the really c....y levels of service and food they got back home. Last week I was at one of our regular Indians in Hull with a group of friends. Nice staff, good service. Very small portion of curry with a few prawns. Small mound of rice. Half the plate covered with meaningless green bits. 10 quid.
Will we go back? Probably. Why? Because its the company that counts, and better the devil you know!

[niggle]

I refuse to return to anywhere or enter anywhere (if I spot it first) that charges customers for service.
If service is good I tip, if its bad or mediocre I dont.
ANywhere that has a service charge obviously is not confident that it can attract returning customers

[Francois]

I refuse to return to anywhere or enter anywhere (if I spot it first) that charges customers for service.
If service is good I tip, if its bad or mediocre I dont.

I've never been at YOBT and don't know Bill.

Apparently, it seems Bill is away and the restaurant is run by someone else. I'd like to be sure that it is not an idea of the cashier who will put money in his pocket whilst Bill is away...

[Big Boy]

The service charge is definitely not something that was dreamt up by the cashier - Bill has defended it personally on another thread.

[Francois]

The service charge is definitely not something that was dreamt up by the cashier - Bill has defended it personally on another thread.

Wasn't aware, sorry. In such a case he has to seriously think about his commercial strategy...

[hhfarang]

I to do not like service charges added to the bill. I know from personal knowledge that some owners take a percentage of this percentage and consider it part of their profit margin. I believe that a tip is a tip "To Insure Promptness" and should go to the person or people serving the food or at least put into a collection where it is divided up and given to the servers and the cooks, bartenders, etc., in other words, the people who actually do the work and make your dining experience enjoyable. That gives the patron the power to leave a large tip if well served and if they enjoyed the food and experience and to leave a small tip or nothing at all if they are unhappy about the experience. Owners make their money from menu prices and should not make any from service charges, in my humble opinion. The practice of service charging causes me a dilemma; If I think the service charge is not going to the service person(s) then I am forced to leave an additional tip when I feel the service was very good to make sure some compensation goes where it is deserved; but not knowing if the billed service charge goes to the staff or in the owner's pocket is unacceptable to me as if it does go to the staff, then I am tipping double! At least if a service charge is billed, the establishment should state up front on the menu who gets that money.

[caller]

I have to say that wherever I go - LOS, UK, anywhere, if there is a service charge added to the bill, I don't leave a tip.

[barrys]

This thing about service charges annoys the shite out of me!

Hotels and restaurants are service sector businesses by definition.
Without the service, there is no product!!

Or are we supposed to think that without the service charge we have to help in the kitchen and then collect the meal ourselves??!!

How can you possibly justify an extra charge for doing precisely what the business is set up to do??!!

[nevets]

If i see service charge on the bill i get up and go straight away ,I'm not paying 10 or 15 % on a usually large bill do to not skimping on the order . As BIG BOYS wife said nearly 200 baht is a big tip.

[richard]

Sure Bill needs a quiet word on his return. I'll try

Too much to lose in the low season

[crazy88]

I don't really care either way as long as it is clear on the menu .I don't demand my food weighed in front of me when it says 300g on the menu either .Good food,good service,reasonable price and I will be back over & over again .

I feel that any fixed tip/service charge should go on a sliding scale from excellent to obnoxious for both the staff and the customer .If the staff appear like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn when you need them and can't be noticed when you don't, then give them extra on top .If the customer is jumping up and down like rumplestitskin because his poached egg hasn't been stolen from the woods in the dead of night,charge him extra .And vice versa .



Crazy 88

[Don East Stand]

Now I am really peed off on two fronts!

Firstly, we were in YOBT the other night and I didn't notice there was a 10% service charge, and I left a tip as well!! As a true Scotsman this is hard to take.

Now that I know there is a service charge, we will not return, I'll decide if the service warrants a tip or not!

It was the same with an Indian restaurant recently, they poured us a nice glass of water that we had NOT ordered then charged us for it, and charged a 10 % service charge which was also rounded up! We wont be back there either, even though it was very good.

My second iisue concerns Big Boy!! It was Thursday night when we were in YOBT and we did notice a rather big lad in there with his family! Mind you it wasn't that busy so he was easy to spot. The problem is that it was only today when reading through the forum that I realised that it must have been Big Boy. To make matters worse we ate in the same restaurant as Big Boy on Saturday night!

I'm only sorry that I hadn't known beforehand as it would have been good to introduce ourselves ( and meet Richard as well), and discuss "Luggy" Never mind maybe next time

[margaretcarnes]

Thanks Richard - only fair that Bill should know. I haven't noticed him posting for a while so he must, as someone said, be away.
I agree with the anti service charge brigade, in particular the doubts about where that income goes. But at end of day I suppose it will be down to the percentage expat to tourist trade. If - as I suspect - its largely tourist, the comments on here might not have an effect.
Would be good though if Bill would at least agree to show where the charges end up. And BTW what do the other touristy restaurants do? (Lostival, Papa John etc.)

[Governor]

I have to admit to being very strongly a member of the anti service charge brigade, a service charge effectively means that the more you spend on the product the more you spend on the service charge.

Bill is not alone in adding this charge, Hua Hin is not alone, and it is unfortunately a worldwide practice. Unfortunately there is always an expectation that a tip will also be left; I do hate it when staff leave the bill on the table, then just stand there when you are trying to check it.

I suppose Bill is in a quandary, does he do away with the charge and increase his charges, which will make him more expensive, or does he hope that customers will appreciate and reward the service. I really don't know what I would do in his position, and I suppose I should read his thread defending the charge.

Will I return to Bills establishment - probably yes, will the charge spoil my meal - probably not, will the charge p**s me off - absolutely.

[Wanderlust]

To be fair to Bill, even though I, too, dislike the service charge concept, he does state on a previous thread (I think it is http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/bu ... t7775.html) that all the money goes to his staff. I think the general reasoning behind it is to ensure that all the staff get a fair share, whereas tips left on tables can just be swiped by the waiter/waitress without anyone knowing, even if they have some sort of tip sharing system. A better solution for me is what Sizzler have, which is a cashier at the entrance/exit who you take your bill to, and they have a tip box there if you want to leave one; having said that I need to check if they have a service charge next time I go there! This system also avoids the frustrating scenario of trying to attract the attention of a waiter/waitress for your bill, as it is updated on the spot as you order and left at your table for the entire meal.