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As a former waiter who spent over a decade in the industry, working everything from casual to high dining, this comment irks me at a personal level. These examp

As a former waiter who spent over a decade in the industry, working everything from casual to high dining, this comment irks me at a personal level. These examples are not directed at you but an explanation of how a waiter sees the situation. 1. Some Point of Sale systems have a limit on how to split a check. I physically cannot split a check more then 6 ways and the customer is asking or 7 ways, then what am I suppose to do? Be "nice" and promise the impossible? So now I pissed off a customer who's about to tip me because I cannot reprogram the POS. 2. The more likely scenario is when a table of 7, who just had pre-fix brunch is asking me to split a $70 check 7 ways which takes my time away from my couple who just dropped $70 by themselves. What customers in restaurants don't understand is that tipping might be optional but my time is money. As a customer is tipping on service, I'm also providing service comparable to the tip I receive. Waiters are really good at "guessing" how much a customer will tip and will act on that belief. Disclaimer: I worked with a ton of awful waiters who were straight up rude to good guests. No guest should ever be treated poorly. Ive also served some awful customers: Some of them tipped very, very well because they wanted to be awful. I loved those assholes and always welcomed them with open arms - money's green regardless. Some were just awful and I tried to steer clear of them. Now as an olive branch; all guests should be treated with outmost respect and all people in the service industry should be as well

hsod 11y ago
Argument #1 (the seven ways thing) seems like a red herring, since I would guess it's vanishingly rare compared to splitting 6 or fewer ways. #2 isn't very convincing on it's own. Your inconvenience is not the customer's fault and does not justify being rude to them. Splitting checks is part of the job just like refilling water is part of the job, even if it takes your time away from more profitable tables.
- bardworx 11y ago
  This is a difficult subject to discuss objectively since both (customer and server) experiences are very personal. Argument #1 happens frequently at locations that host larger parties (steak houses, for example) while almost never occurs at local pub/restaurant. I understand your point of view on #2, however, the job is to server food for the section, not a particular table. I understand its taboo to speak honestly about this - people don't want to hear it; A manager doesn't care that you had to split a check when a table walked out; A guest doesn't care if you have a 7 top when they're ordering a $300 bottle of wine. Everyone has particular feelings about this situation and as a server you're juggling all of your tables, expectations, emotions, and different cost/reward scenarios. Another caveat: when a table walks in and says, prior to ordering, "Can we please split the check 7 ways?" - freaking awesome! Now I know that my notes have to be extra neat and I'm going through steps of service being extra careful to place items. Most people ask to split the check at the end when I rushed through the entire order and my pad is a total mess and I'm trying to decipher what happened so everyone is charged correctly.
  - dagw 11y ago
    my pad is a total mess and I'm trying to decipher what happened so everyone is charged correctly. Do you have to do the splitting? Just give the table the total check, give people a few minutes work things out, and then just go around the table and ask each person what they had/how much they want to pay. That seems to be the standard procedure at most places I've been to.
    - bardworx 11y ago
      I've been out of the industry so that may be the norm now - when I worked, we were expected to present the checkbook already split for the guest. If that's the case, I doubt most waiters would have issues with check splitting.
  - tnorthcutt 11y ago
    Most people ask to split the check at the end when I rushed through the entire order and my pad is a total mess and I'm trying to decipher what happened so everyone is charged correctly. Maybe after it happens a couple of times... you might learn to predict when a party will ask to split the check, and ask when you take the orders? That seems reasonable if you can predict how much someone will tip.
    - bardworx 11y ago
      No argument there - that's actually what you try to do with larger tables to "ease" the pain. If you have a 7 top, you do your best to keep yourself as organized as possible to save as much time in the end. After a while, most waiter who've worked a bit are trying to cover all their bases all the time. Interestingly enough, the analogy of a good waiter is a good error checking strategy: expect everything to work but check every exception anyway.
purplelobster 11y ago
Now, I know this is something that waiters might not have the power to change, but how about not putting whole tables on the same tab to begin with? How is this practice even OK? It should be obvious that each person pays for him or herself. When you go shopping with some friends it's not like you have to split a tab just because you are hanging out together. I pay for what I consume, putting us all on the same tab is just being lazy.
- bardworx 11y ago
  I'm not sure where you're coming from with this comment. Most tables are couples and families...So should you separate a check for husband and wife/brother and sister? How do I know if two guys are together or "together"? Should I ask? I can "guess" if you'll tip 18% or not and if I'm wrong...I'm wrong. If I assume your relationship to another person you're dining with - I might get fired...
  - dennisgorelik 11y ago
    You mentioned that your POS allows to split the check 6 ways. So, if you see more than 6 people at the table, then you may ask them how they are going to pay: separately or by one check.
    - bardworx 11y ago
      Makes sense - what would happen if they have 6 and then a 7th joins them afterwards? Should we refuse service? Hypotheticals are everywhere. Usually its easier when tables ask to split a check in the beginning, then the logistics can be figured out and you don't have a situation that OP mentioned. Bit off topic: I had a table, I don't remember how many people but it was large (7-10). One guest joins late and quickly orders her food. Since the rest of the table is already on appetizers, I rush to place the order and get her salad as soon as possible. Once the salad arrives, I check back and, after the guest is satisfied, go to take care of a different table. Maybe two minutes later, the table franticly calls me over and asks if there are mushrooms in the salad, to which I reply "Yes". Calmly, the gentleman to the right of the lady with the salad reaches into his bag, grabs an EpiPen and stabs her. My manager and I look at each other and are mortified - how did this happen? I quickly start to apologize but I had no idea that she was allergic to Mushrooms. While we're freaking out, the table is as cool as the other side of the pillow - everyone just continues eating and the lady is all smiles. Turns out that the entire table are doctors and the lady routinely forgets to mention her allergies. The gentleman, her husband, explains the situation while the lady apologizes for creating a fuss (at this point my manager is as white as a sheet). Even though everything turned out "ok" it was certainly a scary moment. It also relates to your comment - shouldn't I ask each person that comes in about their allergies or is it their responsibility to inform me of their dietary restrictions?
tome 11y ago
> Waiters are really good at "guessing" how much a customer will tip and will act on that belief. Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy :)
- bardworx 11y ago
  Perhaps. After a while, there are certain tendencies that are exhibited by guests which can be profiled. Just like a good electrician can tell if the lines in your house are "home runs" or daisy chained based on the gauge of wire and material, a server can "guesstimate" their tip based on the customer. I'm not saying you KNOW this is going to happen but you know if you're getting 15% or 18%+.
HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago
Waiters are really good at "guessing" how much a customer will tip and will act on that belief. Now there's a self-fulfilling prophecy if ever there was one.
- bardworx 11y ago
  Have you ever been to a job interview and thought about how much you're "worth"? What about looking at the menu and approximating how much something "should cost"? What about seeing an product on the store shelves (like a sweater) and thinking being surprised by its cost? The practice is flawed...so are humans - Sorry, I guess.
ambrice 11y ago
I think you're making the OPs point about the parallels. You've come up with these technical arguments about POS system limitations and management expectations for why the waiter is "right" to be annoyed at being asked to split the customer's check. The end result is that the customer is only going to remember that the waiter was rude when he was asked to split the check.
- bardworx 11y ago
  Very valid point. I was trying to provide the opposite point of view. The whole, there are two sides to every story and somewhere in the middle is the truth, bit. OP/Guest has every right to be annoyed at the service, its their prerogative.

hsod 11y ago

Argument #1 (the seven ways thing) seems like a red herring, since I would guess it's vanishingly rare compared to splitting 6 or fewer ways. #2 isn't very convincing on it's own. Your inconvenience is not the customer's fault and does not justify being rude to them. Splitting checks is part of the job just like refilling water is part of the job, even if it takes your time away from more profitable tables.

bardworx 11y ago
This is a difficult subject to discuss objectively since both (customer and server) experiences are very personal. Argument #1 happens frequently at locations that host larger parties (steak houses, for example) while almost never occurs at local pub/restaurant. I understand your point of view on #2, however, the job is to server food for the section, not a particular table. I understand its taboo to speak honestly about this - people don't want to hear it; A manager doesn't care that you had to split a check when a table walked out; A guest doesn't care if you have a 7 top when they're ordering a $300 bottle of wine. Everyone has particular feelings about this situation and as a server you're juggling all of your tables, expectations, emotions, and different cost/reward scenarios. Another caveat: when a table walks in and says, prior to ordering, "Can we please split the check 7 ways?" - freaking awesome! Now I know that my notes have to be extra neat and I'm going through steps of service being extra careful to place items. Most people ask to split the check at the end when I rushed through the entire order and my pad is a total mess and I'm trying to decipher what happened so everyone is charged correctly.
- dagw 11y ago
  my pad is a total mess and I'm trying to decipher what happened so everyone is charged correctly. Do you have to do the splitting? Just give the table the total check, give people a few minutes work things out, and then just go around the table and ask each person what they had/how much they want to pay. That seems to be the standard procedure at most places I've been to.
  - bardworx 11y ago
    I've been out of the industry so that may be the norm now - when I worked, we were expected to present the checkbook already split for the guest. If that's the case, I doubt most waiters would have issues with check splitting.
- tnorthcutt 11y ago
  Most people ask to split the check at the end when I rushed through the entire order and my pad is a total mess and I'm trying to decipher what happened so everyone is charged correctly. Maybe after it happens a couple of times... you might learn to predict when a party will ask to split the check, and ask when you take the orders? That seems reasonable if you can predict how much someone will tip.
  - bardworx 11y ago
    No argument there - that's actually what you try to do with larger tables to "ease" the pain. If you have a 7 top, you do your best to keep yourself as organized as possible to save as much time in the end. After a while, most waiter who've worked a bit are trying to cover all their bases all the time. Interestingly enough, the analogy of a good waiter is a good error checking strategy: expect everything to work but check every exception anyway.

purplelobster 11y ago

Now, I know this is something that waiters might not have the power to change, but how about not putting whole tables on the same tab to begin with? How is this practice even OK? It should be obvious that each person pays for him or herself. When you go shopping with some friends it's not like you have to split a tab just because you are hanging out together. I pay for what I consume, putting us all on the same tab is just being lazy.

bardworx 11y ago
I'm not sure where you're coming from with this comment. Most tables are couples and families...So should you separate a check for husband and wife/brother and sister? How do I know if two guys are together or "together"? Should I ask? I can "guess" if you'll tip 18% or not and if I'm wrong...I'm wrong. If I assume your relationship to another person you're dining with - I might get fired...
- dennisgorelik 11y ago
  You mentioned that your POS allows to split the check 6 ways. So, if you see more than 6 people at the table, then you may ask them how they are going to pay: separately or by one check.
  - bardworx 11y ago
    Makes sense - what would happen if they have 6 and then a 7th joins them afterwards? Should we refuse service? Hypotheticals are everywhere. Usually its easier when tables ask to split a check in the beginning, then the logistics can be figured out and you don't have a situation that OP mentioned. Bit off topic: I had a table, I don't remember how many people but it was large (7-10). One guest joins late and quickly orders her food. Since the rest of the table is already on appetizers, I rush to place the order and get her salad as soon as possible. Once the salad arrives, I check back and, after the guest is satisfied, go to take care of a different table. Maybe two minutes later, the table franticly calls me over and asks if there are mushrooms in the salad, to which I reply "Yes". Calmly, the gentleman to the right of the lady with the salad reaches into his bag, grabs an EpiPen and stabs her. My manager and I look at each other and are mortified - how did this happen? I quickly start to apologize but I had no idea that she was allergic to Mushrooms. While we're freaking out, the table is as cool as the other side of the pillow - everyone just continues eating and the lady is all smiles. Turns out that the entire table are doctors and the lady routinely forgets to mention her allergies. The gentleman, her husband, explains the situation while the lady apologizes for creating a fuss (at this point my manager is as white as a sheet). Even though everything turned out "ok" it was certainly a scary moment. It also relates to your comment - shouldn't I ask each person that comes in about their allergies or is it their responsibility to inform me of their dietary restrictions?

tome 11y ago

> Waiters are really good at "guessing" how much a customer will tip and will act on that belief. Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy :)

bardworx 11y ago
Perhaps. After a while, there are certain tendencies that are exhibited by guests which can be profiled. Just like a good electrician can tell if the lines in your house are "home runs" or daisy chained based on the gauge of wire and material, a server can "guesstimate" their tip based on the customer. I'm not saying you KNOW this is going to happen but you know if you're getting 15% or 18%+.

HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago

Waiters are really good at "guessing" how much a customer will tip and will act on that belief. Now there's a self-fulfilling prophecy if ever there was one.

bardworx 11y ago
Have you ever been to a job interview and thought about how much you're "worth"? What about looking at the menu and approximating how much something "should cost"? What about seeing an product on the store shelves (like a sweater) and thinking being surprised by its cost? The practice is flawed...so are humans - Sorry, I guess.

ambrice 11y ago

I think you're making the OPs point about the parallels. You've come up with these technical arguments about POS system limitations and management expectations for why the waiter is "right" to be annoyed at being asked to split the customer's check. The end result is that the customer is only going to remember that the waiter was rude when he was asked to split the check.

bardworx 11y ago
Very valid point. I was trying to provide the opposite point of view. The whole, there are two sides to every story and somewhere in the middle is the truth, bit. OP/Guest has every right to be annoyed at the service, its their prerogative.