Can we chat about paying the check.

This one comes up way more than you’d think.The Jones’ have reservation for a party of 8. Mr. and Mrs. Smith come in first. They check in and let the host know they want to pay the check. They hand the host a credit card and that should be it.

Right?

Six minutes later the Johnson’s check in for the same reservation and they let the host know, that THEY want to pay the check and try to hand them a credit card.

The same thing happens two more times.

At this point we have four credit cards and four requests to pay the bill.

What do we do?

My rule as a server and NOW as a MANAGER has always been whomever asks first gets to pay.

It’s a steadfast rule. No grey area. The rule is the rule.

However, it’s never that cut and dry.

I’ve seen guests almost come to blows over this.

I’ve also seen server’s verbally abused because they followed my rule.

And I don’t bend. You give your card first. You pay. You want to fight about it. Fight with your friends–not my staff.

And do you know who is the worst about all of this?

People who don’t need the money. People who have more money in the their pocket than most of my staff will ever see in their life. It’s always the rich folks. And I want to smack them and say give the 800 bucks you are trying to spend to someone who really needs it, and stop being a child.

Meanwhile, if you do this, stop it!

The easiest, always the easiest thing to do is to split the check equally among everyone. Four couples, split by four. Easy. Peasy.

But for the love of god don’t be mean to the staff because they told someone before you that they could pay first.

Welcome to my Ted talk