Table Charge Is The Right Of Business Owners
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- Published on Wednesday, 15 January 2014 12:49
RM1 table charge will be imposed on customers not ordering a drink at this hawker center. Photo courtesy: Sin Chew DailyPETALING JAYA: Some of the restaurants have made it a rule that customers not ordering drinks will have to pay a surcharge, and some of the F&B operators feel that this policy is meant to relieve their escalating costs. However, some feel that it is unbecoming to force the customers to pay and from the perspectives of consumers, they should be given the freedom to choose and spend wisely.
President of Federation of Hawkers and Small Traders Association president Datuk Lee Teong Chwee admitted that he himself disapproves of such a policy because the operators should not force the customers to spend as this will jeopardize the good relationship between the F&B operators and consumers and such table charges will not effectively resolve their problems of escalating operating costs.
"It is unreasonable and bad. I am afraid this will spread nationwide. As hawkers and petty traders, we should always maintain good relationship with our customers and should not offend them just for because of minority of customers who do not order drinks.
"How much extra can we make even if we impose 50 sen of table charge? This money is not enough to make up for the rising costs."
He told Sin Chew Daily that some of the operators might have their reasons to do so, but he hoped they would review their policy as this would only cause confrontation between the operators and the consumers.
"If people don't order drinks from that shop, that it could be the problem of the business owner. Perhaps the drinks are too high that some of the customers refuse to order drinks.
"The consumers should not be blamed for not ordering drinks."
'Not against the law'
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) deputy president Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah pointed out that it is a kind of commercial strategy of F&B operators imposing table charge on customers and the consumers have the right to choose whether they want to patronize the shop.
He added that the objective of a shop is to do business, and the consumers need to respect the operational strategy of the business owner.
"If a customer comes into a shop and occupies the table for the whole day without ordering a drink, this will deny other customers from using the table and is very unfair to the business owner."
Some of the restaurants or eateries provide WiFi service and this has become a reason for many consumers to spend plenty of time there.
He stressed that such a policy is meant to prevent customers from occupying the seats for too long without ordering anything.
"Consumers can choose to visit other eateries without such a rule and what the business owners do is not against the law."
He said it is reasonable for them to impose 30 sen to RM1 of surcharge to customers not ordering drinks.
"Whether it is right or wrong is something very subjective. If the customers feel that it is reasonable, they will keep patronizing the shop. If they think it is unreasonable, they can always go somewhere else. Although the interest of customers is very important, the rights of the F&B operators must also be respected."
Heavy burden
The Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association president Ho Su Mong said the association is hot against the strategy of some Penang coffee shop owners to impose table charges. However, he emphasized that many F&B operators are subjected to tremendous economic pressure given the rising goods prices. They could be penalized by the domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry if they increase the prices of their food. They could have resorted to table charge out of no choice.
He said coffee shop owners have to bear the cost of rental and other expenses and if customers bring in their own drinks, the business owners will suffer a loss.
Other than rising goods prices, business owners in some areas also need to pay higher property assessment rates and rentals. By increasing the rental of the hawker stalls will not solve the problem and business owners may have to think of other ways to relieve the burden of rising operating costs.
Sin Chew Daily visited two coffee shops imposing table charges in Penang and found that most of the customers were agreeable to the strategy.
Mr Loh, a jewel trader, said the hawker center is a "private property" of the business owner and a consumer needs to pay to use the facilities.
Ms Wong, an insurance agent, said the coffee shop needs to make money and if all the customers only order food, then the coffee shop owner will be out of business.
Factory operator Mr Lee also agreed that such a policy is fair to the business owners, adding that customers must not reject the table charge just because of inflation.
Housewife Madam Liew said the policy would not affect her so much because normally she would order drinks at the coffee shop, so the table charge issue is not a problem to her.
Factory worker Ms Koay felt that it is acceptable if the F&B outlet makes it a rule that at least one of the customers at a table orders a drink, but is unacceptable if every customer at the same table must each order a drink.
