WWYD - Pay or not for meal we did an (unintentional) runner on

[SomedayBaby]

We got back yesterday from ten days away in the UK. We spent Sunday night in a Premier Inn before driving back yesterday and went for breakfast in the adjoining pub (you know the one that's affiliated with the PI) before leaving.

Anyway, we've just been talking about the trip in general, the P Inn breakfast was mentioned and we've just realised we didn't actually pay for it. We think it was £19 (for two adults, kids eat free)...we strolled in and got shown to a table then upped and left when we were done .

In our defence, this was the third hotel we'd stayed in on that trip and with the others breakfast was included, so it just didn't seem to occur to either of us to pay. The waitress happily waved us out as we left so it obviously didn't occur to her either!

Dh think's it would be silly to call them now...this P Inn is about 350 miles from where we live so popping in to pay isn't an option and dh thinks calling them over less than £20 is stupid and we should leave it. I feel really bad though and guilty and ridiculous ...WWYD?

[SlightlyperturbedOwl]

Anchor I'm pretty sure they've tightened up on this for that very reason.

[iknowimcoming]

I can't comment on PI but my dd works for a restaurant chain, paid just above minimum wage hourly rate. At the end of each shift she has to cash up, basically her till totals up her sales for both cash and cards, she hands in all the credit card receipts and the total of that figure is then deducted leaving a balance to be made up in cash, whatever is left is her tips for the shift. This means that if customers pay a tip with a credit card she still gets the tip directly. However a lost credit card slip or other shortfall would be payable by her, making up with her own money where necessary. I think it's awful but it teaches them not to lose credit card receipts quickly. I have argued that if she has lost the credit card receipt but the customer definitely paid, the restaurant must surely be able to recover the receipt? Also if it was just lost the restaurant would make double the money (half from their own staff) which is outrageous imo. She hasn't had anyone abscond without paying so far, loves the job and usually makes £10-£30 per shift in tips so she is happy with it for now. Just wanted to clarify that actually it is possible that waiting staff would have paid for that meal

[iknowimcoming]

Oh and don't even get me started on the service charge! ........

[RestlessTraveller]

As a 16 year old doing my first summer job I was made to pay for a table of runners. Call them up and pay them.

[FriskyFrog]

As a waitress I once had to pay for a table of 4 who did a bunk. They had starters, mains, desserts, and drinks in Covent Garden. They were in their mid 30s and I was early 20s.

It was in Dome, part of the same group of companies as Cafe Rouge.

Both those diners and that organisation should be ashamed of themselves. I only earned a couple of pounds an hour and I seem to recall the bill was quite a bit over £50.

Worse, the kitchen was downstairs from the restaurant, how the hell were staff meant to monitor the patrons at the tables when we were up and down like yo-yos?

Outrageous.

[FriskyFrog]

Oh, and iknowimcoming has described exactly how it worked for us in many places in London in the mid to late 90s; interesting it still works that way in some places now.

I would agree it should be challenged and would likely be found indefensible.

[mygorgeousmilo]

I would call, wait staff (depending on the restaurant) are sometimes held responsible. A friend of mine works for a well known tv chef's restaurant chain and is always telling me about customers she thought were trying to run and that she'd have to pay if they did. Don't feel guilty though, it wasn't deliberate, just give them a call!

[FriskyFrog]

That source is a US site Bengal

I think the OP is UK based.

[Pemba]

What's F&B?

[metaphoricus]

Of course you should ring them up and pay what you owe. Sheesh!

[FasterThanASnakeAndAMongoose]

When I was a student I worked in a fancy, very expensive gastro pub. They made waitering staff pay for all walk outs. I had to pay about a fiver once, but a colleague had to pay over £150.

I'm sure it's illegal, but it happens. I'd call and pay.

[NamelessEnsign]

This is a long time ago - 2001 - but a fellow waitress and I once had to pay for a table of 17 who did a runner on Mother's Day. We were understaffed, swamped, paid £2.50 ph and it wiped out both of our wages for the entire week.

Fuckers, both the table, and my employers. The pub went bust a year or two later, though.

[Just5minswithDacre]

I feel like giving you a hard time about it because you said 'wait staff' instead of 'waiting staff'

But, trying to be more rational, I think neo is correct in any case that the staff will be charged. Same as a short till.

Pay.

[littlepeas]

F&B is food and beverage.

[littlepeas]

I worked at a fairly major chain as a student and had a walk out. Their policy was that you were allowed ONE, but afterwards you had to pay. It made me rather more vigilant! Please pay OP.

[TheRealKimmySchmidt63]

It's the right thing to do - call them to make payment.

[Rattusn]

I'm really shocked to hear waiting staff have had to pay for walk out, and glad to hear it is not legal.

Waiting staff are no more responsible for walk out than sales staff are for shoplifting. If people have criminal tendencies (because both are theft), then there is little anyone can do.

nameless your story is particularly shocking. To have booked a table of 17, surely they must have given contact details?

[whatevertrevour]

Ex premier inn/beefeater worker here. Ok there could be few possible scenarios here. Just don't be shocked if you get charged on your card for the breakfasts. We have had guests do this before thinking that we 'magically' know their room numbers. But we do have eyes and can find out what room you were in, by speaking to the premier inn receptionists, checking cameras etc. But even if they haven't done that, yes the waitress prob will not pay for your breakfasts. But I'm telling you she will be disciplined for it. And she would have been very upset. So if you want that on your conscious, don't pay. Do the right thing op and ring up and pay.