Dining out with friends: How to handle the check

ossobuco wrote:

Hmm, I guess I haven't been to larger restaurants lately. but I can imagine the electronically up to date ones doing that. Still something of a burden on the waitstaff...

I know a little about it because my niece worked in a place with this system. It's a little computer thingy. All the tables have numbers and all the diners have a number based on where they are seated. The menu is programed into the device and the whole thing is part of a wireless network.The server just has to hit the table number and the number of the chair the person is at. The server punches in the codes for the food and beverage for each person. The thingy also contains descriptions of the food in case someone has questions concerning allergies or if a dish might contain a certain ingredient.
After the server takes the order she hits "print" and the order prints out in the kitchen. The device is also capable of printing out the check as a whole or in multi-units. I think it's mostly the large chains like TGIF and Applebees that are using it. The "computer generation" seems to like it - makes for less memorizing.

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In Germany, you always will get a separate check, resp. the waitress
will ask you if separate or together, then she stands in front of you and
adds up your bill and hands it to you.

Here in the US, among good friends we all take turns in paying for
the entire bill. If it's a large crowd, and the restaurant of choice will not provide separate checks, we'll find one that will.

It is still about service to the customer, if they won't provide it,
why bother and eating there?

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Ditto here.... I've been in heaven for the food... ah, lovely, lovely food. Vancouver is known for its international cuisine and great service. If you don't perform, you're out!

I am going Moroccan tomorrow night Smile

ya hoo!

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Green Witch wrote:

ossobuco wrote:
Hmm, I guess I haven't been to larger restaurants lately. but I can imagine the electronically up to date ones doing that. Still something of a burden on the waitstaff...

I know a little about it because my niece worked in a place with this system. It's a little computer thingy. All the tables have numbers and all the diners have a number based on where they are seated. The menu is programed into the device and the whole thing is part of a wireless network.The server just has to hit the table number and the number of the chair the person is at. The server punches in the codes for the food and beverage for each person. The thingy also contains descriptions of the food in case someone has questions concerning allergies or if a dish might contain a certain ingredient.
After the server takes the order she hits "print" and the order prints out in the kitchen. The device is also capable of printing out the check as a whole or in multi-units. I think it's mostly the large chains like TGIF and Applebees that are using it. The "computer generation" seems to like it - makes for less memorizing.

Well this is an entirely new concept to me. Here (in Oz) it's between the diners, the waiter & the cash register (credit card or cash.)

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Mame wrote:

Ditto here.... I've been in heaven for the food... ah, lovely, lovely food. Vancouver is known for its international cuisine and great service. If you don't perform, you're out!

I am going Moroccan tomorrow night ya hoo!

Lucky you, Mame!

Which reminds me ... I forgot to mention the Morrocan Kitchen! :wink:

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kickycan wrote:

Here is something though that I've seen from time to time. When people pay just for their portion of the bill, sometimes they forget that they have to add the TAX and tip on their food. A lot of people will only add their total up and then what they think is the appropriate tip. They are actually light by about ten percent or so, which is also unfair.

So here's a tip for you people who find yourselves in the situation of being in a group and having to figure out your own portion of the bill.

You should add the appropriate tax to your order and then figure the tip according to THAT total. I know some say you don't tip on the tax, but nobody follows that, so that's the way you should figure it if you are going to just pay for your own share.

There you go. My tip of the day. Please remember it the next time you are in this situation. Ya cheap sonofabitch.

Ah, they add the tax on at the end of the meal in the US, Kicky?

That must make it hard for the early leavers to calculate. Unless, of course, being "cheap sonofabitches", they choose to overlook this! :wink:

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Any restaurant using a 10 year old computer system or newer can process separate checks almost as easily as one... though there's certainly plenty who aren't smart enough to train their staff to do so. It really is no big deal manually, let alone on the MICROS touch screens that dominate the industry.

I'll generally take the check and accept whatever whoever contributes if I'm with close friends or family. In more casual groups; I'll overtly over contribute with the suggestion to take good care of the waitress, and hope everyone follows suit... or at least a sufficient number to compensate for the inevitable tightwad.

Oh, and your veggie friend got screwed. If she continues to get screwed, though, it is her own damn fault. It would be a simple matter while ordering for her to point out her husband and say "him and I are on the same check", and let the balance of the group do whatever they wish.

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msolga wrote:

Green Witch wrote:
They punch the order into a little handheld device that feeds the information back to the kitchen and later spits out the necessary tickets/bill.

Wow, that sounds very flash! Never seen such a device here!

But then, my dining experiencing aren't exactly flash! :wink:

It's happening here....drives me bonkers.

Maybe it's just my experiences, but they seem to take far more time and farting around doing that than writing the damn thing down and putting in a paper order.

I can easily work out bills in my head (years of waitressing) and I am usually waiting patiently for them to work it out, or correcting them, and then waiting AGAIN while they fool around with the machine.

I have mainly seen the touch screen things.

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Who are these Ling-lings? To me it's clear as a day that splitting equally is most unfair in many cases. And I belong to people who usually pay more - I do drink and when I go out to eat (very rarely), I want to enjoy it - I'll get something real good. But I know it and I pay my share. How hard is it to come either with cash or to ask to have this much put on a credit card? I've never had a problem with either.

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dagmaraka wrote:

Who are these Ling-lings? How hard is it to come either with cash or to ask to have this much put on a credit card? I've never had a problem with either.

That's not the issue, though... it's who pays what, as you addressed in the first part...

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A few years back we were at a birthday celebration -much wine-mucho margaritas- great food.... big check.
The group asked me to figure out how much for each person..
...I had had about a half a bottle of wine and tee martoonis sooo sure---

I got out my Palm and poked it all out and then told each what they owed....
I remember thinking they looked a little surprised but everyone forked over the cash.
I had a lot of cash.
I paid the bill with it.
The waiter seemed very happy.

Later, sober and in the confines of a quiet room, I refigured the bill and found that I had overcharged everyone about twenty bucks.

I sent everyone a little apology note and included a sawbuck.
They haven't asked me to figure out a bill since then
which makes me happy

but not as happy as the waiter was that night.

Joe(about a 35% tip)Nation

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msolga wrote:

Ah, they add the tax on at the end of the meal in the US, Kicky?

Yup. Is the tax already included in the price on the menu in Oz? That's a better idea.

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I typically give a tip of about 20%. Unless the waitress is incedibly hot and flirty, or some other such extenuating circumstance, in which it could go as high as 30%. I'm stupid like that.

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so, what's your overall impression of ling ling kicky?

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If everyone seems to have had a similar-type meal and booze is around the same, split the check equally among everyone.

If I see someone order a salad and water, then I'll tell them their share and then divvy up the balance among everyone else.

It depends. I understand those people who have less money than others and who eat much cheaper dishes and/or do not drink pricey drinks. It's not fair to expect them to pay for my cocktails and steak!

I've been in situations where people wanted it to the penny and did not share in tax or tip. I have no compunction going back to them and telling them to pay a share of the tax and tip too.

Generally I am probably a bit more generous than my compadres. My pals tend to have me figure out the bill (Miss Organizer). I know who is hurting for money and who will get pissy over a check and if they are just being a shitebag and it's not a case of money issues or a fair share of the bill, then I'll tell them to stop being a whingeing ass.

Besides, people generally agree with me because I am bossy/loud/scarey and they wouldn't be coming to a dinner/night out that included me if they didn't know what to expect.

That Ling Ling sounds like a shitebag and I'd smack with her five bucks!

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Chai wrote:

so, what's your overall impression of ling ling kicky?

Well, since Boing-Boing is married to one of my best friends, and I love both of them, I'm kind of biased. I have been out with both couples before, and I never really noticed anything much that bothered me about Ling-Ling, but I have noticed that she does seem to have a slight air of superiority. I have nothing personally against her, but since I'm such good friends with the Boing-Boings, screw Ling-Ling!

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kickycan wrote:

msolga wrote:
Ah, they add the tax on at the end of the meal in the US, Kicky?

Yup. Is the tax already included in the price on the menu in Oz? That's a better idea.

Yes....and tipping is not mandatory. It is given, if one wishes, for good service. Waiting folk get decent wages here.

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dlowan wrote:

kickycan wrote:
msolga wrote:
Ah, they add the tax on at the end of the meal in the US, Kicky?

Yup. Is the tax already included in the price on the menu in Oz? That's a better idea.

Yes....and tipping is not mandatory. It is given, if one wishes, for good service. Waiting folk get decent wages here.

Unfortunately they don't get decent wages here in the U.S. They depend on the tips.

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Heeven wrote:

dlowan wrote:
kickycan wrote:
msolga wrote:
Ah, they add the tax on at the end of the meal in the US, Kicky?

Yup. Is the tax already included in the price on the menu in Oz? That's a better idea.

Yes....and tipping is not mandatory. It is given, if one wishes, for good service. Waiting folk get decent wages here.

Unfortunately they don't get decent wages here in the U.S. They depend on the tips.

I know. Seems shocking to us.

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And probably to a lot of other people too. I remember when I went to Italy, they told us that if we wanted to tip, just to give a dollar or two as a kind of extra thank you, but tipping wasn't mandatory there either.

Here, we tip for EVERYTHING. Do you guys tip cab drivers, baggage handlers, delivery guys, movers, and sometimes even the guy behind the counter at the local hole-in-the-wall pizza place?

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Dining out with friends: How to handle the check

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