Good food, terrible service

I dined at SALT on Christmas day, during their dinner sitting. There were eight in my party, and barring a few plate mix-ups and slightly slow service through the meal, there were no initial issues. The food was fantastic, and great value at 218 for three courses.

The issue came with the bill. On both SALT's website and the menu, it clearly specified "Groups of more than 8 people 10% service charge at your discretion." We were a party of eight, and the bill came with a mandatory 10% service charge tacked on the end. Putting aside the question of whether or how much we would tip, the restaurant specified that more than 8, i.e. 9+ would incur a charge. We were not 9+. What happened to "more than 8"?

I called a waitress, who called a "manager" (she was dressed like a regular waitress). I asked why there was a charge, and she said that 8+ always incurred a charge. I pointed to the menu, and put forth my interpretation of "more than eight." At some point, I mentioned that "eight is not nine". This was met with the completely confusing "two is not one!". She then got incredibly defensive, repeating "well you don't have to pay, you don't have to pay!" Here, I stopped trying to explain why I was querying.

OK, so, no manual adjustment to the cheque. I pay in cash and give it to the first waitress. She comes back telling me it's not enough. I tell her I'm not paying the service charge (at this point, a 200kuai tip for "two is not one!" is a bit ridiculous), and she tells me I need to, that they charge for 8+. What happened to "discretionary"?. I tell her to talk to her manager.

Ten minutes later, I get change. The change is short, and there is no receipt/record of spend, which I would have appreciated as there was a previous issue. I ask for the same manager, who does not actually take the money and folder but leaves it. Ten minutes later, she exchanges it for another, with a curt "we mixed it up with another customer's. 不好意思." No apology, no nothing.

We have dined before at SALT, quite successfully, but that was four people. Again, the food is fantastic and great value. However, their service was incredibly uninformed, rude and generally substandard on this one occasion when they were not even at full capacity. I do not have issues with mandatory service charges, as long as it is SPECIFIED UP FRONT, and they STAY TRUE to that specification. I will not be going back to SALT for a long, long time.