Certain eating places in tourist-heavy areas of Paris have been charging greater costs or making use of additional expenses to American vacationers, an investigation by a French newspaper has proven.
From taxi scams to pickpockets at Metro stations, tales of vacationers (notably Americans) in Paris being taken benefit of usually are not new, however what about being charged a unique quantity for dinner?
The French each day Le Parisien did an experiment over the summer time to see if eating places in tourist-heavy areas would cost ‘American’ clients greater than French folks.
After seeing a lot of American vacationers had left poor opinions and complained on complained on Reddit and different social media about being overcharged at French eating places, journalists at Le Parisien determined to analyze.
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READ MORE: Explained: Restaurant invoice etiquette in France
Reporter Mathieu Hennequin disguised himself as an American, donning a T-shirt with the Eiffel Tower, a baseball cap, sun shades, and the very best he might muster of an American English accent.
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He enlisted the assistance of his pal, Marc Mazière, who runs the web site radinmalinblog.com, which helps clients discover good offers.
Marc posed because the management group, a typical French individual, inconspicuously sitting a number of tables away from Mathieu, whereas Mathieu pretended to be an American.
Together, they visited a number of eating places in tourist-heavy elements of Paris, notably the realm surrounding the Eiffel Tower.
Immediately, Mathieu seen that when he requested for water on the first restaurant, he was given a bottle of water, whereas his pal was served a carafe (faucet water). When he tried to order Coca-Cola, Mathieu was solely given the selection between medium and enormous (no small).
When the Coca-Cola was served, Mathieu was visibly shocked. “C’est une pinte de coca!” (It’s a pint of coca-cola), he exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Marc was given a smaller can of soda. Later, Mathieu jokingly commented that Americans won’t assume twice about such a big serving dimension of Coca-Cola.
At one other restaurant, the server went as far as to inform Mathieu that service is just not included and advisable he depart a tip.Â
After their misadventures testing out eating places, the duo tallied up their payments, discovering that Mathieu paid €9.50 extra on the first restaurant than Marc. At the second restaurant, he paid €10 greater than Marc, after being coerced into including a tip, in addition to as soon as once more receiving bottled water as an alternative of faucet.
The French journalist then sought out opinions from Americans visiting France, and he spoke with a number of who didn’t realise water was free, with one couple saying they’d the identical expertise of constantly being given bottled water.
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Realising that Americans had been being charged extra, Mathieu introduced the story to Franck Trouet, a consultant of the restaurant and lodge skilled organisation, the Groupement des Hôtelleries et Restaurations.
Franck was instantly shocked after watching Mathieu’s video of the server requesting a tip, calling it ‘insufferable’ and a ‘disgrace on the career’.
“In France, service, faucet water, and bread are free. Tips are supposed to be a thanks for the service since you had been very glad. It is just not compulsory; we’re not within the United States,” the consultant instructed Le Parisien.
“It can be distinctive for a French consumer to go away a 15 or 20 % tip,” he added. While French clients may spherical up a few euros after a satisfying meal, this isn’t anticipated.
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Useful to know
In France faucet water is free and all eating places, bars and cafés are legally obliged to supply it.
However when you simply ask for ‘d’eau‘ (water) you’re more likely to be introduced mineral water – this may be costly, with a big bottle simply costing greater than a glass of wine.
To get faucet water, specify that you desire to une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît or un pichet d’eau, s’il vous plaît
Service is included on the invoice in all French eating places, and needs to be itemised individually on the invoice itself.
The tip is due to this fact an elective additional – it is meant to point that you just had been particularly happy with the meal, the service or each. Many French folks do not tip in any respect, whereas others merely spherical up their invoice to the closest €5 or €10 quantity.
If you resolve you wish to tip, 10 % is satisfactory – do not forget that servers are being paid no less than the French minimal wage and don’t depend on tricks to make up their wage, as they do within the US.
What do you assume? Have you heard of Americans or different vacationers being charged additional at French eating places? Let us know within the feedback beneath.
