The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has warned about the service charge levied in restaurants. It was said by the ministry that it is at the discretion of the customer to pay the service charge. A restaurant cannot forcibly charge a service charge from a customer.
The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has convened a meeting with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) on June 2 regarding the service charge levied by the restaurant. This decision has been taken after taking cognizance of several media reports after receiving several complaints on the National Consumer Helpline.
Regarding the service charge, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Rohit Kumar Singh has written a letter to the Chief of NRAI, in which it has been clearly warned that it is at the discretion of the customer to pay the service charge in the restaurant. Not many restaurants can forcibly recover it from the customers.
It is worth noting that the government had received many such complaints regarding levying service charge, in which it was said that restaurants charge service charge by telling them to be legal or by giving wrong information to the customer. This time when the customers refuse to give it, then the restaurant also insults the customers.
Guidelines were made by the government in 2017 regarding service charge in restaurants, which said that if any restaurant cannot collect service charge from the customer by including it in any other charge and on the basis of service charge A customer cannot even stop a restaurant from entering, but the situation on the ground is different, due to which the government was constantly receiving complaints against the restaurant.
On behalf of the ministry, the official said that in the upcoming meeting, if the restaurants do not agree to abolish the service charge, then the government can take strict action against them, although no information has been given about what kind of action will be taken.