Bloody cheeks surcharges - Waitangi day

[Tank]

Went out for dinner with the missus last night before the movies.

Went to a place we go to a bit and they had a sign out the front advising that they had a 20% surcharge for Waitangi day.

Fair 'nuff, but I personally thing 20% is too much, so we went to the place next door (paper moon cafe) which had no surcharge advertised out front with its menu board, or with the menus we were delivered, or by staff as they took our order. We were seated outside.

When I asked for the bill I commend to the waitress that I had watched 6 couples move from the place with the surcharge to paper moon after seeing the sign. "Good idea not having one - seems to have got you a lot more business". "oh we do" she said - "there is a sign inside beside the cash register - thats how our owners like to do it"

Fairs, fair - but that I thought was a deliberate attempt to mislead customers on the cost of eating there.

Its not so much the money (it was about $17) but the principle that they hid the charges until you went to pay.

/rant

[Tink]

Surcharges yes fair enough, but that has to be misleading the public, but I guess they had a sign, just not a big enough bloody one... I would rant too... better start asking in future, or have a picnic lol.

[crazyhorse]

Alot of places here in HB no longer do the surcharge thing. I guess people stopped going out on those days and it ended up costing businesses as they charged extra. So therefore, they now don't charge it. You probably still get the odd one that does.

But heck, in the old days when penal rates always applied for weekend work, businesses never charged extra. Boy we are getting soft as the time goes by......

[ynot slow]

Sorry folks surcharge doesn't need to happen,most firms allow for sta holidays in their wage costings and annual leave,why are cafes etc different?And don't need that crap about staff requirements,you either have 2,5,100 staff,whether they're full time,casual etc.They're still budgeted for the year cost wise.Same as why the servos,lotto and other premises have no surcharge,hell some have sales to encourouge our favorite activity shopping.If the costs are so high on stat days don't open.