CHENNAI: For levying a service charge of Rs 176, a consumer forum has directed Buhari hotel to pay Rs 15,176 to a customer.
M Mohana Sundaram submitted that on May 25, 2014, that he and his family had dinner at the hotel on Anna Salai for Rs 3,946. Besides value-added tax and service tax, a service charge of Rs 176 was levied. He raised this before the hotel authorities, but the management said it was a tip for the staff.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum observed that a Deputy labour commissioner (DLC) report submitted at the forum said the charge was collected suo motu by the hotel of which 80 per cent was spent for workers. The remaining was spent on ‘maintenance of roadblock’. However, the management had not produced any register in this regard, the DLC had said in the report.