Do you have to pay a service charge for large groups at restaurants?

If a restaurant has said on the menu beforehand that a service charge of 10% will automatically be added to the bill if you are a group of 6 or more, but the service was awful and rude, do you then have the discretion to refuse to pay it, or is it a compulsory payment?|||If it says on the bill that the service charge is added for large groups and you try to walk out without paying the tip, the restaurant can call the police and you will be arrested. The charges most likely won't stick, but it's still an inconvenience--to say the least.





Your best bet would be to (very kindly) speak to the manager about the service, and they will usually help you.





In my experience, you can usually tell within the first 10 minutes of sitting down how the service is. I've walked out of many restaurants, even with a very large party, because the service was terrible. The trick is to leave before ordering your food. You'll have a much better experience elsewhere.





But at the end of the day, it might just be easier to simply pay and never go back to that restaurant again.|||Yes, as an ex-waitress, 10% is a minimal tip for the hassle of taking care of a large group. Sorry, but, that's the price of going out to eat. If the service, was good, you should leave AT LEAST 15% or 20% for decent service. No one understands how difficult it is to wait tables on a regular basis.


But for the record, no, it it is not mandatory.|||I think it depends on the restaurant but if the service was awful then I think you have the "power" to say "we haven't tipped as we weren't impressed with the service" or something and I think the staff have to take this into account because the customer is always right as they say.|||Idk