Splitting the bill - from a waitress’s POV.

[MazDazzle]

If you’re out for a meal in a large group and you want to pay individually, how do you go about it?

I’m a waitress in a smallish bistro. It’s a nice place and we do our best to accommodate our customers. We had a table of 23 last night: starters, mains, pudding and some sides, plus cocktails and coffee. Instead of asking for the total bill, each person came up to the til one at a time and asked to pay for what they had.

I had to listen patiently while each person tried to remember what they had. It’s a long process; I had to log in/out multiple times for each customer, shut down screens, open new ones, trawl through the very long bill trying to find each item, create a new table for each customer, cut and paste it to a new bill... this is before we get to the cash/card payment. 23 times!

It took a good 3 mins per customer, so for over an hour the restaurant floor was one person short. It happens all the time and both the restaurant owners and staff are sick of it.

WIBU to say ‘Sorry, we’re unable to make up individual bills, but I’m happy to print out multiple copies of the total bill and provide a calculator. Each person can pay by cash/card, whichever is easiest.’

Would you think it was rude if a waitress said this to you?

StripyHorse, that's what I also meant. Saves the time and hussle.

God how annoying. Surely most reasonable adults sort out between themselves when the waitress arrives we give cards and say how much to go on each card having ensured beforehand amount we all pay covers whole cost and tip

Set menus for large groups with option to buy drinks as they go at bar

They should have just split the bill by 23.

I’m also fairly sure the waiting staff also get better tips as everyone says what they are being given (in the sense of if e.g. the bill is €15 and the customer hands over a €20 note, they will say take €17=€2 tip) and no-one wants to be seen to give less than the standard 10%
In about 90% of cases the server would get a smaller/no tip. What usually happens is the first few people round up the amount, paying say £21 instead of £20 and so on. By the time the 23rd person has paid, their share has pretty much been paid for by others' extra money meant for the server, and they pay the now very small remainder, thinking they have got off lightly. This happens in the vast majority of parties who split, particularly Christmas works parties.

This has definitely become worse as people carry less cash and rely on their cards. Even a £50 bill split equally between two is tricky if they each only have £20 cash - they will each want to pay £25 by card.

Well 23 lots of 3 courses and. Cocktails will have been a good earner for you boss, being 30% of the total capacity.

Christmas works parties.

Don't think I've ever been to a Christmas do where you didn't have to book and pay in advance (usually from a set menu,) so usually, other than drinks, it's all sorted anyway.

Sign on the menu to say no split bills (restaurants in Australia say this).

When a booking is taken for more than 6 make it clear at the time of booking that bills will not be split - suggest large parties of individuals bring cash to avoid multiple cards for payment.

Suggest a bill sharing app where one person pays the bill and everyone pays them - yes I appreciate this is not always practical as someone needs a large enough credit limit to cover the bill but for some customers it would be absolutely fine.

Look into software which allows customers to tell you what they have had and pay individually as is normal in Germany (and somewhere else we have travelled but can’t remember where). This would at least be an efficient way to deal with the issue if the owners really don’t want to have to say no to customers.

In northern Europe upon requesting the bill for waiter to ask "together or separate?" Usually non families pay separately. This is so convinient and I find this whole bill dance in the UK very frustrating.

In about 90% of cases the server would get a smaller/no tip. What usually happens is the first few people round up the amount, paying say £21 instead of £20 and so on. By the time the 23rd person has paid, their share has pretty much been paid for by others' extra money meant for the server, and they pay the now very small remainder, thinking they have got off lightly. This happens in the vast majority of parties who split, particularly Christmas works parties.

Sorry, I guess I didn’t explain clearly enough. The round up is not to the next full euro but large enough to give a 10-15% tip on that person’s individual bill. It has no influence on the next person’s bill and everyone knows they are expected to add the tip. As this is done at the table with the rest of the group hearing the figures, it would be obvious if someone was being stingy and met with disapproval

If you did have to do this again, print out one receipt, highlight each line and add it up as you go through each person and still charge as one table with seperate payment transarions. Much quicker!

In North America it's completely standard to be asked at the start of the meal if you want separate bills, if you are out with a group. It is never an issue. There's really no reason why this couldn't be done in the UK too.

Totally agree with the poster:
Usually non families pay separately. This is so convinient and I find this whole bill dance in the UK very frustrating.

At last someone that understands

Are you from the U.K.? As no one would feel stingy not leaving a tip. 15% 😂😂😂😂😂 your luck to get 5% but usually nothing. They pay separately to get out of paying a tip. Over the last twenty years tips have less than halved but customers are more demanding than ever.

Are you from the U.K.? As no one would feel stingy not leaving a tip. 15% 😂😂😂😂😂 your luck to get 5% but usually nothing. They pay separately to get out of paying a tip. Over the last twenty years tips have less than halved but customers are more demanding than ever.

I used to work in restaurants and this was the most annoying thing, what I’d do especially on a Friday and Saturday night is say of course, what I’ll do lovely is print use of the bill and if use all wanna stick your initials next to what you had will make it easier for me when use come to pay. They never minded and it would sort out the bit when someone’s forgot they had five drinks not three as they’d be able to see not all the items had initials and sort it out between themselves before they called me back over.

I’ve spent a good few of my years waiting on and the way that I’d approach this would be next time you’re asked to split the bill, say that you’re really sorry but the way that your till it set up, the last time you split a bill, it meant that you were stuck at the till for over an hour and when there are so many other customers to serve and jobs to do.... What you can do though is print out an itemised bill and bring over a pen and a calculator if they’d be happy to work out between themselves and you can come back in a few minutes to take payment?

threatmatrix

Yes, I’m from the UK but have been living in Germany since 2000. Therefore I have experienced both systems in action and really prefer system here. It’s easier for the customer and my daughter who waitresses a bit before university, has confirmed that the tips are very good.

Over the last twenty years tips have less than halved but customers are more demanding than ever.

The staff is paid waves by their employer.

In Switzerland staff is paid more but you also pay more for the food. It's better than underpaying the staff and then complaining about stingy customers. What if I don't have enough money for tipping here and there?

With our little group, usually one person whips out their debit card and pays for the lot. We do our best at mental arithmetic and dig out the cash from our purses to reimburse the card payer. That way we're only wasting our own time, not the waitress's.

If we pay as we order we generally pay for ourselves.

How are customers 'more demanding'? What is it that they're asking you to do that isn't part of the job? I'm baffled by that.

Hasn't it always been - seat the customer/go to where they've seated themselves - take their order(s) - give that to the kitchen - deliver the food and any drinks to the table - collect the bill and issue a receipt - clear the table.

What else is there that there hasn't always been?

Over the last twenty years tips have less than halved but customers are more demanding than ever.

Tips shouldn't have anything to do with it. Tips are not a given, they're a thank you for good service in the UK at least. Though tbf I'd rather have someone treat me with a bit of respect and get a heartfelt thank you than be treated like shit and get a big tip. Don't get me wrong, tips make a difference to me, they pay for a day out we wouldn't otherwise have or similar and I'm very grateful for that!

I agree though that the job is more demanding. The knowledge needed for allergens and intolerances etc makes a big difference now. People also order 'off menu' a lot more than they used to, and some complain bitterly if it can't be met. There's also more expectations for everything to be fast, but perfect.

Hasn't it always been - seat the customer/go to where they've seated themselves - take their order(s) - give that to the kitchen - deliver the food and any drinks to the table - collect the bill and issue a receipt - clear the table.

Most places now use computerised systems like the OP does, and they have their own limitations and issues. Usually you take an order from the table, and take it to the person on the till, they then process the order and it prints out in the kitchen, they cook it and there's a method for kitchen (a bell, a phone etc) to alert waiting staff that the food is ready. Food is cleared and the person at the till then is asked to issue the bill and take payment.
We all know that technology can and will let you down when you need it most, I've had orders not print in the kitchen, leading to a twenty minutes wait before we ask where it is, then have to reissue the check and then cooking time on top, I've had a whole system crash that has wiped all the info on the till leading to rifling through bins for the checks and having to add them up manually (bear in mind that there could be 4/5 orders for one table for different courses and drinks/coffee etc)
Different systems work in different ways, for instance our system won't allow me to split a bill between a room and a payment. An utter pain in the arse when some are staying and some not. In usual circumstances things being computerised make it simple, if it all works properly, but in situations where the customer wants something a bit different, it can be a case of computer says no, and then you've got to work out a way round it or say you can't oblige. It's frustrating and I long for the days of handing the check personally to the chef sometimes!