Cover and service charges can sometimes bring a question mark to mind. You may be surprised when more accounts come than you expect, especially in a place where you are unfamiliar and do not speak the language. Frankly, in Türkiye, sometimes Turks are also surprised when they ask for an account in restaurants.
First, let's briefly recall what they are...
Cover Charge
The cover charge is actually the price charged for other products (not services) that you have not specifically requested. Tablecloths, stylish glasses, snacks brought to the table while your order is being prepared... Cover charge is standard for person. For example, if you pay 10 TL when one person goes, you pay 30 TL when three people go.
Service Charge
The service charge can actually be thought of as reflecting the tip to the account in general. I don't know about the situation in other countries, but in Türkiye it can be an average of 10% for the service fee. If you see this when you request the account, you have already paid the tip. Unlike cover charge, service charge is standard for the table. So whether you have one or four people, the total depends on the amount consumed.
Situation in Türkiye
Cover charge is written as "Kuver" in Turkish; but sometimes you can see it as "Küver". Service charge is written as "Servis".
What usually comes to mind is this: Does the owner distribute this amount equally to all his employees? If the answer is Yes, I don't think the tip is necessary. On the other hand, if the owner takes this money for the business account or just distributes it among the waiters, not the other staff, we can say that there is an obvious problem.
In Türkiye, especially in kebab restaurants, various salads, appetizers, and mezes come in advance and are free of charge. From fast food restaurants to patisseries, neither cover nor service fee is charged. On the other hand, I have witnessed and heard from many people that both fees are sometimes taken in luxury ones. I even read in a newspaper that several businesses that offer live music add a "Music" fee to the account. The situation can be a little more serious, especially in touristic places.
Businesses have to inform the customer about these amounts. The only way is to write it in the menu. But the worst part is that they may have used much smaller fonts to reduce your chances of seeing them on the menu.
There is no complete consensus on these two expenses in Türkiye. It doesn't seem very ethical to take both from the customer. On the other hand, there are those who argue that both should be taken because of the costs.
What happened to a lawyer in Türkiye was reflected in the press. The customer, who went to the place he went to on the Bosphorus with four people, placed an order for 175 TL; however, 'Chair Cover Charge' has been added to the account. From 30 TL per person to 120 TL in total. Legal authorities who have decided to refund 80 TL to the customer who uses his legal rights. So 10 TL per person was deemed appropriate. (Year 2019)
What Can You Do Against Scam?
If you think you have encountered such a scam, you should definitely take a photo of the menu. Because after you, another menu may be shown when the authorities demand it. Of course, take a photo of the account as well. I suggest you do this as unobtrusively as possible. You can even take a quick video from the menu, if it takes time to take photos.
Then leave as if nothing happened and go to the nearest police station and explain the situation.
Possibility?
I can say that I am a person who travels a lot; but I don't prefer very luxurious places. I've encountered this situation twice so far. One was a luxury tavern (meyhane) in Izmir. Both charges were written on the account. The other one is in the style of a cafe and restaurant in Istanbul, in fact this one was looking really negative. We made the mistake of entering as we were very hungry. It had been a really bad experience. They just brought the total amount. When we asked the prices, they took out the account in detail and I was seriously shocked. I don't remember anything about charge or service charge in both menus...
Honestly, if you find a restaurant that claims both, seriously don't count on your luck again in the future. However, if you come across it, please add your experience in the comment section of this post by naming the restaurant.
Bonus: Valet Issue
In some places, if you do not want to pay more than the cover and service fee to the valet, do not go to a luxury restaurant with the car you intend to rent. Even valets don't see you coming by car. You can prefer a taxi. If the business has its own parking and you are sure that it does not have a valet, I think it is okay to go by car.
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