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.

I loved that too 🤣🤣🤣

This is bloody great😂 I particularly liked this bit, 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.

The audacity of him to actually order more food as he assumed that others would help cover it. He has no shame!

Well, yes! aka OP made him look like the tight arse he actually is!

She didn't though.

He's the one who said he wouldn't have ordered so much if he knew that he would have to pay for it all.

When Op said they wouldn't be splitting he should just have accepted it!

Omg no the audacity of this man!! Being put on the spot to do what? Pay for the food you actually ordered?? My GOD

I'm glad it's all got sorted out now and that tight wad isn't taking this further stupid man to try to try that, even in local government where sacking you is like finding the Loch Ness monster.

It is a bit silly of the colleague to make light of this and find it funny but some people deal with this with humour and awkwardness.

It is good though that your team and the wider team are aware of this behaviour though, I doubt he's the only person who does this, I still think there should be something on the intranet even if light hearted, so that others who are tempted to do as Mr Tight Wad did, don't do this. It's often the more junior members of staff who don't speak up as they don't want to risk saying things out of turn or risk their career prospects being harmed.

This thread is really something. HE won’t take it further? Take what further? I can’t believe this guy😂😂😂 pay for your own fucking food I don’t believe this nonsense

Mr Tight Wad was partly correct though, he's been allowed to get away with ordering more than his fair share of food and drink and getting other people to pay for it under the guise of 'bill splitting'. It's not really his fault if no one has brought him to task over this, overlooked it innocently, or simply let it slide so as not to cause a scene.

Mr Tight Wad is simply someone with a lot of brass neck though expecting others to pay for more than their fair share of food (in his case, his food) and more so, expecting juniors to keep schtum and kindly pay for his meal, a bit like a privilege for them to do so...

I've often found that people like this expect you to do this for them and are blissfully unaware until you call them out. But I think CF here was aware. I used to be asked to get sandwiches for one team member as she was 'too busy' and she used to take ages paying me back or say she 'didn't have enough change'. I did this a few times and then one time I got a bit stroppy with her and said 'please pay me back by the end of the day, with the correct money please and no, I'm not doing your lunch run for you again'. She paid me back with extra money as a 'tip' for going to get it for her and was apologetic!

When you've worked for the Government Legal Department like I have and next to the employment team, where civil servants put in claims for paper cuts (I'm not joking!) then you wouldn't be surprised what they can take further HR wise. We would overhear (you couldn't help but do so) some of the cases, and they sounded awful. But I think government have cracked down on this in recent years as it was getting ridiculous.

This, a million times this! Women, readers - please stop apologising so much.

We do it too often.

Realistically - what do you have to be sorry about?

Side note - I read somewhere that often when you feel like you should say sorry you should try and turn that into thanks. It's better for the speaker and the listener.

E.g. "I'm sorry I was late" versus "Thank you for your patience/waiting for me"

Can you turn any of the suggested "sorry" into a (presumably in this case sarcastic) thanks?

I've never wanted the Fail to pick up a story more

Brill.

onestepfromgrace & Payforyourowndinner

B R A V O ! B R A V O ! Take a bow! ( hope you feel better soon OP)

Bloody marvellous!

This is so awesome and inspiring - well done! The great thing is that it will definitely get round the whole office anyway and the bosses and HR will know about it! Instant karma!

I cannot believe he had the audacity to say that 😂

Same so it can open eyes of many people and give the confidence to people to actually challenge it in these situations where the glass of water and cheeseburger people don't have to subsidise the steak/lobster eaters with house bottles.

OP I think you were excellent. The only issue I have is that none of your colleagues seem to be backing you up - they seem to be having conversations about you with this CF and laughing but I don't get the impression have actually said 'Come on mate stop going on about it Payforyourowndinner is right and you shouldn't have been freeloading etc'. Very poor of them and potentially isolating for you if this dickhead keeps going on about it.

It's not really his fault if no one has brought him to task over this, overlooked it innocently, or simply let it slide so as not to cause a scene

I am not sure if you are being sarcastic in saying this - or talking complete bollocks?

when he said in his message he wont be doing that again, what did he mean? That he wont be going out with your team again or that he will insist on splitting or that he wont be paying for all of his own food?

I think splitting can be difficult in some situations, because often there are shared sides or shared wine etc, so it can be hard to allocate. But sounds like he ate both sides he ordered himself and drank a full bottle of wine, so that is not really relevant. Plus most people knew it was not being split so could have agreed to share the cost of a bottle etc

This is brilliant, well done, doubt he,l be inviting himself out on meals out with your team any time soon 😂 “greedy fecker”

'Put on the spot', 'made to look tight'
translation . . .
Exposed for what he is!! You have dared to challenge him OP, he believes himself to be superior & above any criticism!
(Might he be vindictive?)

Just caught up. This thread has made my day! Thanks for sharing, OP. (And thanks for not sharing the bill...)

Brava. You worked this one splendidly. Now he’s decided he won’t go again… I cannot imagine anyone will be crying in their cornflakes.

Love them or loathe them (and I love the ) this is where QR Code ordering is brilliant. You either order and pay for yourself, or use the bill splitting option upfront if everyone is ordering on one scan

If everybody is adding up and paying what they ordered, and you know you have tightarse CFs with you, do not, I repeat, do not allow them to pay last. What they will do is take the cash, add up all the tips as well and just pay the rest (or pocket the tips if people have been generous). Seen the attempts many times.