Bill splitter karma

[Payforyourowndinner]

I wanted to share this as often read stories on here of people getting stung by people insisting on splitting the bill when they’ve gone all out on cocktails and steak.

I went out with work tonight, and don’t go often. I was driving so no drink but did have a starter, main, and dessert.

There is a person who works for the company but not on my team who often hears about meals out and adds himself on. No one ever stops him. He does get on with some of the men on my team so all good, but he does go for the steak, wine, sides etc and insists on splitting and folks are too scared to challenge him for some reason. Now as he’s not on my team he’s not on my team WhatsApp group so I put it out there on the chat I wouldn’t be splitting, just paying for my own. A few added that they’d much prefer to do that (and a few of the newer staff are on a lower wage). No one updated the other man (why would they?) so out we went, all ordered. Some preferred one course with water, others the same as me. Some shared wine. He ordered- (I made a note as it was crazy)
bread and oil
A starter
bottle of Rioja
main (steak and chicken)
two sides
dessert
2 pints.
Now, I’m all for going for it, fill your boots, but pay for it.
The bill came, he said “usual is it?”, I said what do you mean, he said well spilt like always. I took so much delight in telling him that we had all decided to pay for our own, times are hard and we have junior members etc. Oh the face, the face!! He said he would never have ordered what he did if he knew we weren’t splitting and I took great delight in saying “you wouldn’t have ordered what you did if you knew you’d have to pay for it all yourself? Didn’t you see some had one meal and a glass of water?”
As we paid the bill I also made sure that they took our payments before his so he couldn’t wangle. He was so red, he paid and left without saying a word.

I can’t believe the cheek of some people.
hope it will make him think twice. I understand friends splitting bills but why would he assume colleagues from other teams would want to pay for his dinner.

I wanted to share the little win. When I was a junior I wouldn’t have stood up to him either, but menopause does things to a woman.

Well you just keep a mental note of what you had, eg the starter was £6, main £15, 2 glasses of wine £18 (rounding up/down if needed, no-one's worried about the odd few pence here and there), so that's £39, call it £42/45 or whatever if you're putting in a tip.

Or if it's a pub type place like the OP went to, you can literally get them to call up the bill for the table and pay for items one at a time.

There's only a problem if people 'forget' what they had or their ability to add up a few numbers or try to steal the tip if they pay last and there's nothing left to pay.

Or you can all throw in cash and then count it up. There's probably apps to do all the work for you if people don't have cash.

I go out with a group and because we're all decent and fair grown ups, someone will just put the bill on their credit card, whats app/email round a photo of the bill and we send them the money for what we had in the next day or two. And do you know what, we all pay in full on time without any reminders.

I’ve usually worked out my share and ask the staff to pay that first Then the rest can split or pay their own accordingly.

I used to split but last few years unable to afford it. I’m v careful at what I do order. No drinks even.

Glad you stood up to him op. It’s interesting to see his original
intent. I’d suspected that it happened but could never be sure. There’s always some that go heavy on all the courses and drinks.

He is a CF ordering food wanting to be subsidised, but keep your hat on professionally. What happened on the night out with colleagues, should stay there. Don't get involved in gossip because of issues outside the company. It never ends well.

Seriously well handled OP- and suspect this will run and run within your company and you can expect to be a complete legend. I wonder how long he will stay there now he has been exposed to all as a complete tightwad that quite deliberately sponges on junior and less well paid staff.

Well I’m exhausted from the mumsnettting so flexi’d out early and I’m off tomorrow so won’t be speaking to anyone in work. If I have any updates I’ll post on Friday. Enjoy your evenings all ☺️

"He said he would never have ordered what he did if he knew we weren’t splitting"

He said that out loud?? 😱😱

What a CF! And well done for planning ahead and calling him out at the time to back it up!

When we go out there's one friend who always eats a lot less and rarely has any alcohol, so she works out her exact share of the bill from the bill and then the rest of us split the remainder equally.

It's amazing how much of this is about front/ego. Is he normally in an all-male team where they're scared of looking tight themselves if they object to subsidising him? I used to work in an atmosphere like that and shudder to think how much booze I paid for that I didn't drink in my 20s (am a small drinker in a big-drinking profession).

@Payforyourowndinner You are a legend.

I can remember on one thread when some posters were saying you should split the bill everytime.

I agree with others that it is only fair if everyone had similar. I would be very conscious if I had ordered more or something a lot more expensive and would never expect people to subsidise me.

Most of my friends can add up and round up to provide a tip so the restaurant gets a bit more.

Which is normal I presume for most posters.

Y E S bravo! The bl**dy cheek of him, and many others like him!

Well done and I wouldn’t be drawn into it further. You didn’t do anything he put himself on spot.
I’d definitely do the everyone pays own next time - just message on chat we’ll be paying our own like last time. It’s far more inclusive, why should those who don’t drink or on a low wage have to miss out.

Beer! Wine! He was too p*ssed to guard his words!

Just hear to see IF there is ever a response from the CF! 😂

I tend to just pass the bill round and say something like "does everyone want to calculate what they owe?" Then each person can pay accordingly. And make sure to include a split of the service charge if there is one. I have genuinely never been in a position where I would split the bill in this sort of situation. I only do that with very close friends and my partner and have said no when splitting the bill has been suggested before if the people I'm with have had a lot more to eat/drink.

I did have something similar recently where we went out for the first time with a couple. Me and my partner ordered off the set menu which included two courses and a glass of wine for £30, and then I had an extra lemonade and my partner had an additional glass of wine so ours came to say £35 each which we happily paid. The other couple had also ordered off the set menu but added dishes and then also ordered a bottle of very expensive organic wine, and looked most aggrieved when their bill was nearly double ours! I'm not paying for someone to drink organic wine while I'm having a lemonade!

It's bizarre and offensive to be so used to ordering way in excess of everyone else that he doesn't even remotely entertain the possibility that he might end up paying for more than he ordered if the bill was split equally.

this is gold 👏🏼 well done

Depending on restaurant either we all go up to till and pay for our own - table 2 can I pay for a lasagne and Diet Coke then they punch amount in card machine and I pay (add a tip) or waitress comes over with card reader and we say paying separately and she goes around table and I’d say what I had and pay. They’ve never minded as I suspect tip us better as we all tip.
Wagamama has a split bill option when you pay.

It's no different than asking everyone round the table to hand you £5 after they've paid for what they had (depending on what the excess was and how many people were there, but if there were 8 people, 7 ate £25 and he ate £85 then he's taking a fair bit* off each of them if the bill is split equally)

*edited because apparently even with a calculator I can't do basic maths.

Brilliant! He deserved that. What a greedy, selfish, inconsiderate idiot.

Superb tactics, excellent post and hilarious update about how the CF feels wronged! The cheekiness of some people knows no bounds! Well done OP! 🏆

Well done, I hate this kind of entitlement. I’m sure your colleagues, particularly the junior or lower paid members were relieved.

Watch out, this is the kind of story picked up by the tabloids.

the only issue/difficulty with trying to calculate your own bill is if anything is shared - ie wine or bread/olives/sides.

easiest to either avoid those altogether (hard with bottles of wine) or just be very clear WHO is part of the sharing - ie 2 fancy wine so they share.

Double win!

You are a legend OP.

anyone I know who orders a bit more wine or whatever offers to pay more. He should have done that. Twat.

cheering you on from my menopausal sofa