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?

WTF are you on about LipstickHandbagCoffee?

Good evening to you limited, have you popped by to have a swear,tell me my shortcomings?
How very helpful..You're a good egg

Oh this is good, just like the old days.
are you scottish by any chance lipstick?

I’m simply v flawed and clearly I need to be told.by limited

Being Scottish isn't necessarily a flaw, I'm sure limited would agree on that at least.

I eagerly await limited’s reflective musing on any topic she chooses

Fucking hell

I've been a waitress, it was a thankless job in the main.
So no, I wouldn't think you were being rude MazDazzle.

Having been a waitress I tip well and acknowledge good service
It can be thankless and that’s not linked to the reputation or cost of the restaurant
I worked high end ££££+++ and pubs doing food,no relationship between cost and customer behaviour

Limited,are you addressing me?thank you for again telling me my shortcomings
Even if you have got my name wrong.

Maybe the likes of Wetherspoon and the chains have the right idea, pay before delivery on ordering. Everyone can pay for their own then

Wahaca you get a code you use on the app to pay your individual bill

I don't see the problem here - the faff should just be on the group not the poor waitress.

I've bern in groups of up to ten where everyone wanted to pay separately. We got one bill and just passed it around so everyone could calculate what they owed plus tip. Yes it took ages but it wasn't any bother to the waitress as she was just called over when we'd finally worked it out.

Surely if individuals choose to share starters or deserts it's up to them to sort out payment for it.
Once went to a girlie gathering were we all divied up the total cost of our own meals and passed it to the bill player. Mine was about £21 so I gave £30. Then it was suggested that we all contribute another £2 for the tip....er...nope

Mary54
I’ve been in career for over 20 and so have the knowledge of what are good tips. Tips have halved over the past few years. I think I’d know better than someone who’s only been in it for a short while. Tips have shrunk but customers are twice as demanding.

We always say at the beginning that we want separate bills and then just pay at the end

ZOMBIE THREAD

it's from 2019!

This is just so unfair on waiting staff. I feel furious for you OP.

I think it's horrendous to give the entire bill and expect them to work it out especially when there is software that can assign orders to a seat and then split the bill that way

Exactly what I thought. There is software that can assign things to seats making it easier to split bills but some restaurants are too cheap to do that

Depends on the restaurant, sometimes we work it out ourselves but nowadays most restaurants seem to have a computer that lets them just select the items from the bill and pay. Maybe your manager needs to look into a better POS system.

It’s a Zombie!

Hope the bistro survived covid 🤞

I think that would be fine, the customer is still getting the same 'end result' (only paying for themselves) - the only difference is they have to add it up themselves, which with a calculator (although most people will have one on their phones anyway) isn't expecting too much. I've often gone out with a big group and paid separately by going up to the till but we work out what we individually owe first and then go up, I thought this was the norm, having done it in lots of different places.

I suppose the only disadvantage is you're taking it on trust people will do it correctly/honestly - if there's not enough paid at the end it's hard to work out who paid the wrong amount whereas at least your way you can say 'there's the steak and one diet coke that hasn't been paid for'

Ask people before they order if they want separate bills. If they do, you assign them different table numbers on your system ie 23a, 23b, 23c etc. Tell each person which letter they are and to quote it when ordering whatever they want on their tab. Separate bills from the outset is the way to go.