Should you clean up the table after finishing your meal at a fast food outlet, or any restaurant for that matter? Although it’s common courtesy, some feel that it isn’t necessary.
Recently, a video uploaded by a TikToker named Tajudin Fitri, went viral online. The video shows him and his friend dining in at a McDonald’s restaurant. In the post, the duo appeared to question the “6% service tax” charged by the outlet, and wondered why they had to clean up the table despite paying extra for their meal.
Clearly, the argument didn’t sit too well with many people. A couple of days after Tajudin’s clip went viral, another TikTok user known as @lellullizms (who apparently works at a McDonald’s outlet), stepped forward to provide some lengthy explanation on the difference between service tax and service charge. “I just got back from work. I’m so tired, so I’m really sorry if I slipped my tongue,” said the woman, known as Aina.
“In the food and beverage industry, we have two different charges – one is service tax, while another one is service charge. When you’re dining in at a restaurant, take a look at your receipt, and check out which outlet charges for service tax or service charge. For example, if you’re dining at fast food outlets like McDonald’s or KFC, your receipt will indicate if you’re charged for service tax or service charge,” the TikTok user shared in her post.
Aina further explained, “Usually, fast food restaurants would only charge for service tax, and not service charge. That’s why you ought to throw your trash in the bin after your meal. You also have to clean up the table after you’re done. We are not paid to serve you or clean up your trash. We are only paid to prepare your food.”
“On the other hand, for restaurants that include service charge in the bill, such as the Chicken Rice Shop, K Fry, and also Kyochon, their servers are paid to clean up after you,” the TikToker added. “They’ll take your order and serve your food to your table. However at McDonald’s, we’re not paid to do that. That’s why you have to do clean up after eating.”
Aina also clarified, “Service tax is a tax paid to the government, and this includes the Sales and Services Tax (SST) and also Goods and Services Tax (GST). For restaurants that don’t impose service charge, it’s not our job to clean up the customers’ tables. But, we still have to clean up after some customers who have a tendency to leave their trash on the table.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@lellullizms/video/7191453002123726106
The video shared by the McDonald’s staff has gained over 400k views on TikTok at the time of writing (Wednesday, 25th January). Do you usually clean up after finishing your meal outside?
