Skip to main content

Check Fight


I always love the part in any mob movie when the head guy is out to eat or having drinks with his crew, and he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of cash, counts the bills towards him from the roll, and then tosses it towards the server like a drop in the bucket.  Nobody in his crew had any doubt about who was paying bill, nor would they try to embarrass themselves or the boss by trying to pay the tab themselves.



Then why do so many people insist on fighting over the check when I bring it to the table?  It's always the same thing.

"Don't let anybody else at the table pay the bill but me!"

"Give me the check!  Nobody else!"

Either that or it's a fencing dual with credit cards when I bring the check to the table.  With couples arguing about who is hosting whom, with elbows, head-butts, and "Gambit-style" card throwing.  And for what?  To make somebody feel bad for wanting to pay?  I've seen dog fights end with more diplomacy.

Then there's the person who gives me their credit card at the beginning of the meal while they make their way to the bathroom.  Great!  Now I'm busy running around doing my job and now I have to be your wallet!  Does it look like your server has room to be able to hang on to your credit card for two hours while you dine, and not worry about losing it the entire time?

I've actually had customers grab my arm to take their friends credit card away from me just so they can give me their card.  And even after I already ran the card through the computer, I've had people ask me to switch the payment just so they can pay and not their friend.

It's gotten to the point where I just set the check down in the middle of the table, step back and watch as couples tear each others arms off, just so they can be the baller, and pay the check.  Just let that person pay for the check already, they obviously don't mind fighting in public.  My only advice is if those are the people that you find yourself dining with, I suggest dining alone.  Less fighting.  

Until next time... Server's don't pay their rent with compliments.

"Bitter.  Party of 1?  Your table is ready."

The Bitter Bistro

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER CLICK HERE

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You Got Yelp!!!

What better way to get through the work week than to pick on the people who's parents truly should have considered contraceptives before having sex, the people who write negative reviews on Yelp.com. As always, I have found someone who embodies the spirit of "douchebaggery."  Who alone, stands to make a mark on the world because he is THAT important.  (And by mark, I mean skid mark.) Scott B., from Beverly Hills, CA makes the list.  His review is short, direct, and abrupt, because he's "got places to go people!"  Here's what Scott had to say about one restaurant in Los Angeles: "If you have an unlimited amount of time and an equally unlimited amount of patience, than this place might be worth it."  It's nice to see that Scott was stepping out of his box to test himself on this theory. "If I ever indeed got serviced within the time frame I had to eat, I might chance the food again!"   Since Scott is obviously an alien, h

Empty Restaurant Syndrome

When Charles Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," he must have worked in a restaurant that used to be booming, but had come crashing to a halt.  Time cannot be crueler, than time standing still in an empty restaurant. I've noticed that restaurants have busy and slow seasons.  Yes, there are some restaurants that are busy 365 days a year.  Spago in Beverly Hills is one of those places.  But for the rest of us peons who couldn't get hired at one of the cash-cows, we work at places that suffer from great highs, and extreme lows.  When it gets close to tax time, my restaurant is slow.  When the holidays roll around, business picks up with parties and bosses acting like they care by paying for the company to have a 3-course meal. Right now I am in the midst of the slow season.  School just started.  Families are adjusting to their fall schedules.  Whatever!  This in turn has given me ample time to reflect on my life and how long I hav

10 Ways To Get Better Service At A Restaurant

I have noticed that there are many variables that can lead to a bad dining experience, and for the customer to say that they received "poor service" has become cliche, and just the "go to" for when all things go bad in a restaurant.  Here is a Top 10 list to help customers have a positive experience the next time they dine out. 10.  SIT AT THE FIRST TABLE THE HOST GIVES YOU "This table's too round.  This table's too brown.  This table's just right."  You are not buying real estate.  So for you to pass on the first, then the second, and even the third table option the host gives you is beyond ridiculous.  The tables are all made the same, have four legs, four chairs, (if applicable,) and are strong enough to hold food, drinks, and purses.  And if you pass on a table, now you've messed up the floor plan that the host has prepared at the beginning of their shift, and everybody in the restaurant takes notice as you are aimlessly walking a