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Most of the time we pay for our own but sometimes one couple will pay for all of us and the next time we get together someone else will pay for all of us. It depends on many factors at the time we are together.
Eating lunch out, especially with 6 or 7 co-workers, and it ends up all on one tab, YES, I pay my part -- I'm not paying for someone's pricey entree when I had soup, sorry. We do the math and tally it up.
Out to nice dinner with close friends, we split it. Out with not-as-close friends who tend to order very, very expensive wine while I'm happy with my $11 cocktail -- ask for sperate checks up front.
That's a good system. Plus in the case of soup vs. entree, the person who ordered the entree should be offering to pay for it, since there would be a significant difference in price. I would do that and so would most of the people I know if we ordered an entree and someone else ordered soup. IMO, splitting the check works best when the tab is even or pretty close to it and/or will even out over time. Usually in the beginning stages of a friendship, we'll discuss how we prefer to pay the check, by item or splitting.
At work, we usually go to places with lunch specials, so it's pretty much the same price, we all order from the lunch special.
I think that's the way it should be. Getting separate checks seems childish. You really can't figure it out in three minutes just sitting there at the table? Most of the time--for work lunches and whatnot--it's expected that it will be split evenly. That's how grownups handle a check. Occasionally, with one group I have lunch with, one guy and me want a glass of wine and the rest of them are drinking soda. Then we both throw in extra. That's just common courtesy.
I'm a grown up and we have ALWAYS done separate checks. There's nothing childish about it.
Our friends tend to drink more than we do and sorry I'm not willing to pay for someone else's drinks. They also tend to order more expensive entrees than we do.
Like another poster, I can't remember the last time I wasn't asked if we wanted separate checks. It shouldn't anger the server and if it does they have other problems.
With good friends, we trade off who picks up the tab - we have one set of very close friends who are quite wealthy and take us to places that , even if we could afford them, we likely wouldn't even be able to get a table at, LOL. We pick up the tab when we pickt the restaurant (something alittle closer to our budget)
I have a couple of friends that make the trip to where I live because I've got a little one, so I like to pick up the tab when we lunch together since they've driven to see us (my daughter and I)
Work and "not close" people - I make it a point to have cash and make a mental note of how much our items came out to be so we can just give cash to the "kitty" and leave the tip in cash on the table.
Because we don't use "registers" anymore we use POS systems. POS systems designed for server use are designed so that tables are tabs. Not like a bartender's POS where it is designed to start a tab per name or bar stool. In addition, to prevent theft and so that items are accounted for, a lot of times to split checks requires a manager's authorization/swipe. This isn't a big deal if it isn't busy, but it can be a disaster if it is. Not only that, someone will often come to me from a large party and ask, "Can I have the check for what I paid for?" You mean I have to get a manager, sort through dozens of items, figure out what you got and neglect the rest of my patrons for 20 minutes? What if everyone in your party decided to do that? All my other tables would stiff me.
I dine out myself, probably more often than you do. It doesn't kill me to do the math. I accept that as part of going out.
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Originally Posted by exscapegoat
Well, since it's an ongoing issue, perhaps the restaurants should ask the vendors if it's possible to design software to account for split tabs, etc. more efficiently
exscapegoat's right. We're approaching the year 2013 now. We have so many other technological advances in numerous fields that are too many to name here, yet some restaurant POS systems can't split a bill and/or need a mgr?! Outrageous!!!
I eat out frequently with my coworkers, and we try to get separate checks if we remember. Otherwise we typically we just split the check down the middle/3 ways/whatever.
Sometimes we ask for separate checks and sometimes we just divide it up evenly. If you chose a more expensive dinner you just added more to the kitty as a tip
What do POS systems have to do with turning tables? Also, the whole point of a POS is to standardize transactions, keep track of product, collect tax, record waste, etc.
Aloha and Micros are the two biggest POS systems in the game. They are popularly used because they are efficient and work well.
I personally have no problem with the way modern POS systems work.
If you had no problem, from the waitress aspect of it, you wouldn't have posted this thread to begin with. From your OP:
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If I have to worry about things like that when I'm dining with someone or if they have to worry about things like that when dining with me they're not my friend.
That's fine for dining with friends. But sometimes you have to dine with work colleagues, either as clients, networking or travel. For example, when I travel for work, not often, we have a certain per diem for meals. I could put the money on my personal cards or pay cash and get reimbursed, but it makes more sense to put it on the corporate card. Our reimbursement system (we pay our corporate card up front for business meals and other travel expenses and then get reimbursed) allows for the number of people, per diems, etc. We also have a max tip amount, anything beyond that comes out of pocket. Every company is different though, so people may have good reasons for requesting separate checks, etc.
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I notice a lot of people from outside of NYC like to do the separate check thing. Separate checks may be fine if you ask ahead of time (because some places require manager authorization to split an existing check, and it may be impossible to grab someone if you're slammed, and additionally, you may not remember who had the more expensive beer) and you are only two people dining.
NYC gets a lot of business travel. If they have to submit individual expense reports, this may explain a lot. People who are entertaining clients are given a lot of leeway in reimbursement. Not so much for people who are just traveling on business. Though I agree 100 percent, if anyone's going to do this, they should do it before they place their order. When I've done it, that's what I've done.
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Additionally POS systems are designed so that tables are tabs. Servers don't want to give people a hard time, that's just how POS systems work. I'd rather take five cards and cash than have to split a check when I'm busy.
I remember when I worked at a swanky hotel restaurant downtown and the five older Southern ladies sat down in my section. They all had dinner and drinks and of course at the end requested separate checks. I was weeded, had to grab a manager to split off all their items (and of course they had things like a bottle of wine which they had to specifically have a long discussion about whose tab it went under). Meanwhile I'm seeing everyone else in my section glare at me because they are clearly being neglected while I figure out splitting all these items off.
Unbelievably they all paid with cash and left 15% pre-tax tip for all that trouble, with change down to the pennies. They couldn't have just tossed whatever they thought they owed into the check presenter? I had to go back to the manager to re-join all the checks since they paid in cash and we pool tips. Then I got crappy tips from the rest of my tables because they were neglected because of these drama queens.
That's when I went back to Hooters.
Obviously the way people divided up the bill was a problem for the POS. You're expecting the cutomers, who actually drive the business to adjust to the POS when it should be the POS which is adjusted to match the customers payment habits. If it's technologically possible, the POS should have to adjust, not the customers. That's basic business 101. And even though I have to use a calculator on my phone to make sure I get the tip right, I know that
And having worked briefly (a few months) as a waitress at a bar, I agree the demanding people who take all of your time and then don't tip well suck. It's time which could have been better spent with customers who tip decently. Which does affect your income and you have every right to be annoyed about that.
Last edited by exscapegoat; 10-14-2012 at 06:36 PM..
I think that's the way it should be. Getting separate checks seems childish. You really can't figure it out in three minutes just sitting there at the table? Most of the time--for work lunches and whatnot--it's expected that it will be split evenly. That's how grownups handle a check. Occasionally, with one group I have lunch with, one guy and me want a glass of wine and the rest of them are drinking soda. Then we both throw in extra. That's just common courtesy.
Well, that's the problem, not everyone throws in the extra or offers it. If they did, there would be no need for separate checks. And if it's strictly a friend/social situation, you can avoid going out for meals with the person who doesn't kick in/offer to kick in extra. But what about when it's a client/colleague/co-worker? That's where it gets tougher. So separate checks may be one way to deal with it. In NYC, there are so many places which offer lunch specials which are more or less the same price. That's another way to deal with it as long as someone doesn't order off the lunch special for a drastically different price.
And some people have different ideas about dining out. One work related friend would go to mid range restaurants and order soup to save money and tip the bare minimum. Personally, if I'm ordering just soup, I'm going to throw in a little bit extra on the tip, because I'm taking up a table which could be filled with people ordering a full lunch, which would mean more tip money for the waiter/waitress. There's often a wait for tables at prime lunch hours where I work (midtown NYC and downtown NYC for awhile). That's the friend I mentioned. We started requesting separate checks so she could order/tip what she wanted and so could I. I normally try to gear my order to what everyone else is doing. For example, if everyone else is ordering the lunch special with water or soft drinks, I do the same. Unless I really, really want something else which is more expensive, then I kick in extra.
My waiter/waitress always asks at the end of the meal if we need separate checks. It's never been an issue except when you have a party of six or more. Is it really that difficult to calculate split up tabs?
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