Parisian waiters are renowned for being a touch grumpy and it now seems they may be dishonest about the cost of food depending on where the customer is from. A shocking undercover investigation has revealed that tourists are being charged as much as 50% more than French customers.
Le Parisien, the city’s leading newspaper, found several disgruntled holidaymakers visiting France’s capital had complained about being overcharged. To test out the theory they dressed one of its reporters as a typical tourist to a cafe on the Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower. Spotting a baseball cap, trainers, dark sunglasses and an American accent the reporter looked every inch like a typical tourist.
The paper also sent out one bona fide Parisian.
They both seated themselves at the unnamed diner and ordered the same dish – lasagna, a Coke and water. All the while secretly filming themselves.
Differences in their service were evident from the start,The clearly ‘French’ customer was served a can of Coke for €6.50 (£5.63) and offered a carafe of water along with his dish.
However, the ‘American’ was not offered a small can, only a ‘medium or large Coke’.
When the Coke arrived, it was half a litre and cost a staggering €9.50 (£8.23). The ‘American’ also received no offer for a carafe, which is free, but was instead made to fork out a further €6 (£5.20) for a small bottle of Vittel.
The waiter also offered the ‘American’ a side of garlic bread without making it clear that it was an additional cost. They were later charged a further €6 (£5.20).
The pair then walked to another nearby cafe-restaurant to test its policy on tipping.
When it was time to pay, the French customer received the bill, which includes an obligatory 10% service charge. However, the ‘American’ client was asked if he wished to tip because “service isn’t included”.
The American tourists agreeded to pay a 10% tip, however, underhandingly the waiter shielded the amount and discreetly upped this to 15%.
This isn’t the first time eateries in France have been caught out as last month, Paris cafes were caught cheating unsuspecting customers by replacing high-end wines with cheap alternatives but charging quality rates.
The investigation found that wines such as premium chablis, which sell for around €9 (over £10) per glass, have been swapped with wines like sauvignon which cost around €5 (under £6) per glass.
Wine merchant Marina Giuberti said: “It’s a pity for the customer and for the image of the wine appellation, for the winemaker and for the restaurant owners who do a good job.”
French customer, Marc Mazière, an economist who runs a blog called Radin Malin (shrewd miser) which helps people make savings in their everyday spending, called the tactics an “abuse of weakness”.
He said: “It’s daylight robbery. It’s almost abuse of weakness. They know you’re a tourist, you’re probably tired and don’t understand much etc.”
“They exploit this to charge exorbitant prices.”
Franck Trouet of the hotel and restaurant umbrella group GHR said: “It’s a disgrace to the profession. You can’t even call these people waiters.”
