After the meal, it's time to digest the bill. And if service hasn't been included, most of us add a little bit extra on to the credit card bill. At this restaurant, all of the tips, both credit card and cash, shared out among the staff at the end of the week. I've worked in a place before that hasn't done that, and it's not fair to put in so much and at the end of the day, you're not getting out what you should get out. But it seems in many restaurants, that's common practice. Nearly ten years ago, four waiters at this restaurant took action against the managers, claiming the non-cash tips they felt they were owed were being used to top up their basic salary. The owner fought them in the High Court, Appeal Court, House of Lords and now the European Court of Human Rights. All ruled in his favour. He denies any tips will used to pay their weekly wages. Whether it was credit card or cheque, they got the lot, less tax and insurance. Not so, say the waiters, who claim they only received a fraction of the tips the customers added to their bills. On the credit card, after one month checking at the two restaurants, we realised that he was paying us a third of what actually was on the credit card, in tips. But now the waiters have found all their legal avenues end in a cul-de-sac. Some now fear it'll set a precedent about who gets what when the credit card tips are carved up. So if you want your waiter or waitress to get the extra in their pockets, then it's best showing your appreciation in hard cash. Robert Nisbet, BBC News.


ROBERT NISBET: 就餐之后就该埋单了。如果服务费没算进去的话，我们大多会在信用卡账单上加付一点。在这家餐馆，所有小费，不论是刷卡还是现金支付，都在每周末让所有员工平摊。 JASMINE LAURE: 我之前工作的地方不这么做，服务员付出那么多但一天结束了却得不到该得的，这不公平。 ROBERT NISBET: 但在许多餐馆这点似乎是惯例。大约十年前，这家餐馆的四名服务员抗议经理，声称他们觉得本该付给他们的非现金小费被用来补偿他们的基本工资。餐馆老板在高院、上诉法庭、上议院和现在的人权欧洲法院与他们周旋。一切都对老板有利。老板否认任何小费被用来支付周工资。 LAURO MORTALI: 无论是信用卡还是现金，他们受益丰厚，税少，保险少。 ROBERT NISBET: 并非如此。服务员们说他们只得到客人加在账单上的小费中的一小部分。 SANDRO NERVA: 刷卡的话，在两家餐馆结账后一个月，我们才发觉付给我们的是实际账单上给的小费的三分之一。 ROBERT NISBET: 但现在服务员们发觉他们所有的合法收入都陷入僵局了。有的担心这会给如何分配信用卡小费定下先例。所以如果你想要服务员有点外快，那么最好是体谅地给现金。英国广播公司Robert Nisbet的报道。