There’s been a serious gastronomic boom with openings aplenty and we’ve noticed that increasingly, a small handful of we say brave, others might say foolish, restaurants have opted to ditch the 10 percent service charge. An attempt to encourage better service standards and the tipping culture here perhaps? After all, it’s no secret that the level of service in Singapore is widely lamented. But is doing away with service charge the solution?
Culture Shock
It seems the general consensus is there’s a real lack of awareness when it comes to tipping, and people simply don’t think about it because it’s not the norm. “There really is no tipping culture in Singapore as it’s never been a part of our culture to 
tip,” says Betty Wong (right), Group General Manager of Lo & Behold. In spite of that, the F&B group decided not to implement a service charge at their latest outlet, Extra Virgin Pizza, which launched at Asia Square late last year. Popular tapas bar Esquina by Michelin-starred Brit chef Jason Atherton and hotelier Loh Lik Peng which opened at about the same time is another such example, as is two-month-old Vietnamese joint Pho Stop.
Steve Hansen, proprietor of Duxton stalwart Aussie establishment Broth, one of the earliest spots to drop the service charge, feels, “we’re way behind where we should be. Most businesses think of it as losing 10 percent but it really increases productivity. I removed it about six years ago and I believe it’s encouraged my staff to be more disciplined and perform better. Customers were happier and that was reflected in the tips we received. Plus, it has a direct impact on their pay as my employees (both front and back of house) take home more and it’s done wonders for staff morale. A win-win situation.” How much more you might ask? Hansen shared that on average, his staff earn 20 to 25 percent more of their salary as a result of tips.
The Reality
Unfortunately, that’s simply not the case for every restaurant. Down the hill from 
Broth is nine-month-old modern Singaporean bistro Wok & Barrel whose chef and owner Shen Tan (right) decided just last month that a change was needed. “I think I suffered from rose-tinted glasses when I first opened. I wanted to make a difference and for my staff to be more conscious of the level of service they’re offering. But people just weren’t tipping, even though it was printed on every page of our menu that we didn’t charge service charge. I thought long and hard about this but I finally decided I didn’t want my staff to be shortchanged anymore. It just wasn’t fair, so I started charging service charge for dinner and brunch service.”
Another restaurant that also chose not to tack on service charge when it first started out is The Garden of Eden which opened in August 2011. It, too, has since revised its policy in February this year. Chef-owner Tim Ross-Watson says, “I do believe in a tipping culture, so I chose not to charge it. But that really backfired. It was shocking how little we got in tips.”
Pay peanuts, get monkeys?
If you’re still on the fence about whether to tip or not to tip, chew on this thought from Ross-Watson: “For a food-obsessed country, Singapore’s not very service-oriented at all, which is sad. We need to raise awareness. Remember, the people who serve you earn less than you. So why not tip?”
Before you’re tempted to think we’re advocating that you leave a tip when service isn’t up to scratch (we’re not), there’s certainly a case to be made for showing your appreciation when it is. The calibre of wait staff is another issue to consider. Tan says, “It’s a real problem that no one thinks about the service industry as a viable career. How are we going to get people to do a thankless job? We have to do something about it, we’ve got to make it worth their while to stay.”
As much as we’d like to see a real change in the way things are done here, we’re inclined to agree with realists like Wong: “We’d like to see this become part of the culture but it’s still a long road ahead before Singaporeans become accustomed to tipping. A handful of restaurants adopting a tipping policy won’t be able to change the overall mindset.”
While it’s heartening to see that new restaurant owners are trying to make a difference, it’s equally disappointing that both Wok & Barrel and The Garden of Eden have since had to amend their no service charge stance. Others, like Extra Virgin Pizza and Esquina, seem to be holding strong (hopefully not just for now). Then again, they also have significant financial backing But small, independent eateries can’t afford the same luxury. As it stands, it looks like eateries that choose not to impose service charge will continue to be a minority, and we can only hope that more determined souls do their bit to cultivate the culture of tipping here.
