Public holiday surcharge

[jpk]

This has been happening in WA for years now. It's not popular at all, but what are you gonna do if you want to go out...

 

[Cynicor]

It's not the surcharging that is now legal, it is the notice of the surcharge, rather than the requirement to provide a separate menu. If the surcharge is clear enough, then I feel that is reasonable.

 

[eric2011]

I always thought it was the norm...not the exception.

Wont matter soon when current government stops penalty rates for hospitality workers

 

[Hvr]

...and you're credentials for running an F+B business is exactly what? The rules on the surcharges for restaurants were relaxed to help reduce some of the red tape associated with running a business. I hope there is more red tape reduction going on.

I personally haven't run a business but I do have close family who have successfully run small businesses for many years.

 

[albatross710]

I respect operators rights to charge surcharge. I usually just walk into the adjacent store that doesn't have a surcharge. That really annoys Mrs Albatross more so that a franchised cafe worker quietly sitting there getting my 15% of his $0 while the owner operator next store gets my business.

I admit to not really thinking this policy through in great detail.

 

[JohnK]

And that is just for weekends. Public holidays are more again. If the extra cost for your meal is equal to the extra wages (plus the regulatory add on's) is another matter

I am never that hungry on public holidays....

 

[blackcat20]

I am never that hungry on public holidays....

Too many other people out on public holidays, better taking a day off to enjoy a favourite cafe/restaurant in peace.

 

[erkpod]

There's many examples where prices are higher or lower depending on the time of day or the day of the week.

 

[UP4014]

I always thought it was the norm...not the exception.

Wont matter soon when current government stops penalty rates for hospitality workers

Yes I look forward to cheaper coffee on Sundays. But I bet small business owners don't reduce their price.

 

[Muzfly]

Noosa prices have put Noosa on its knees. Nothing to do with Public Holiday Surcharges.....

 

[Rox]

Noosa prices have put Noosa on its knees. Nothing to do with Public Holiday Surcharges.....

I remember when Hastings street was full of surf shops icecream shops and veggie/burger bars
I shudder when I see it now

 

[a330j]

And when these businesses can't make money paying penalty rates what will they cut next? All of them have commenced business since penalty rates were introduced so either they didn't learn about the business they were entering or they are incompetent managers, or more likely both.

There is more to the profitability of a business than the cost of penalty rates. Variability of revenue, ie the number of customers and what they spend, having far more impact on profitability. So yes they would have known about penalty rates but not the global financial crisis resulting in customers and their revenue$ staying away.

 

[amaroo]

Interesting to see how things turn out Restaurants will try again to curb penalty rates - Business - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) The audio via the link is worth a listen.

I don't mind paying a surcharge.......I treat it as a "user pays" kinda thing.

 

[mono88]

Many businesses have a "surcharge", and it is a perfectly normal way of doing business. It is just the opposite to a discount and there may or may not be a straight forward reason to impose it.

QF charges a fuel surcharge, taxis have airport surcharges, half and half pizza surcharges, soft drinks surcharges in corner shops compared to supermarkets, electricity/ gas surcharges in peak hours, restaurants on certain days. The list is endless and is part of the complex world of pricing.

In a competitive market you should be able to take your business elsewhere if you don't want to pay the surcharges.

 

[GC_Engineer]

The issue is when businesses charge a surcharge on a non public holiday Ie Easter Sunday - I am talking hospitality/restaurants where there are no penalty rates on Sundays. Yet they still add 10-15%...

And I think it is totally wrong when a lot of places have their employees on eba's which preclude the payment of penalty rates on public holidays, yet businesses still add a surcharge... Should be illegal.

If places want to survive, provide better service and better food - you won't go out of business...

 

[medhead]

The issue is when businesses charge a surcharge on a non public holiday Ie Easter Sunday - I am talking hospitality/restaurants where there are no penalty rates on Sundays. Yet they still add 10-15%...

I actually used to rant about this, but I looked into it and Easter Sunday is actually a gazetted public holiday. It is after all the third day, on which in rose.