Indians don’t have a reputation as good tippers in eateries. Broadly speaking, we are bill minimizers who keep a keen eye for points on menu cards. Economic theory states that the tip is not generosity but an incentive for service attention. It is rare in the West, but India’s abundance of labor has spoiled us so much that we take it for granted. Still, money is waiting to be spent, and restaurants slap us with service charges for our tight purses. Can we refuse to pay them? Not after dinner, according to the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), which argued as much in a meeting with the consumer affairs department.
NRAI is absolutely right; As long as the service levy is stated on the menu, placing an order is a consent to the terms of the restaurant. However, what should be bothering us is why such a small issue should be stopped in government time. Maybe we just want a taste of eating out without waiting for people. But then again, that’s what we experience at fast-food outlets like McDonald’s. So perhaps we should value time more—others than ours. And one day, the meaning of “doh (two) minutes” will cease to vary from “now” to eternity.