Customer Etiquette For Split Checks

Alright, here's a small addition to the post below.

If you absolutely must have split checks please be as understand and helpful as possible.

When I ask who is with whom tell me!

I don't need someone handing me 3 or 4 different checkbooks saying they'll take care of these ones, it screws up my system and actually makes things worse and more time consuming as I have to put all my checks together on the computer again and re-split them.

Try to sit near the ones you will be sharing a check with. Expedites the process.

It is a giant pain in the ass when after I take drink or meal orders half the table plays musical chairs. Each order on my note pad and computer with have corresponding numbers that relate to your actual chair you are sitting on. It makes it all a moot point if everyone gets up and moves seats.

It's almost impossible to drop of food and drinks, let alone give the right people the right checks.

I know what some are thinking, how hard can it be to remember who had what?

That's a line of bs when it comes to the fact twenty people had twenty entrees, forty five drinks that switched from cocktails to wine...

Not to mention salads, soups and people sharing appetizers...

You try to remember that on top of who's check goes were after they all switch places.

I'm not as bold as some of my friends, but I know of two servers that announce upon seeing people switching that they will receive one check because of that and have to work it out themselves. Hell, that's my new policy when it comes to unruly groups.

Last but certainly not least, when it comes time to pay, don't be in a hurry.

I don't care if you're in a hurry frankly and you shoving your book at me because you think you have to pay before the rest of the table is pretty annoying.

Like I said, each seat has a number and I must have the tickets in order to expedite the cash out period. If I get them all out of order in fact it will take longer, hell I might go have a cigarette before I even care enough to jumble through 20+ tickets.

Needless to say it will take me a minimum of 30 seconds for each check to be changed out and a minute each with credit cards. So if you have a group of ten it might take five minutes, twenty people, ten minutes...

Be patient, you made the request deal with the fact it will take time.

I had a group of "red hat" ladies, twenty of them. They were in such a hurry to pay for their soup and salad lunches ($6.95) and they all paid with twenty dollar bills. They followed me up to the bar as I went to get change and started throwing their check presenters at me, all out of order. They were rude and in this giant hurry.

Never mind they sat there and took as much time as possible with their dinner and hot teas...

But when it was time to go all of a sudden it was a big rush of course.

I took me nearly fifteen minutes to sort out the mess they made and several of them threatened to walk on their bills if I didn't hurry up.

I simply told them that was theft and if they did that it was a charge that would be prosecuted.

I went on to say they were the reason it was taking so long and they had to accept that.

Now I know that was an extreme case, but to recap my rules of etiquette for split checks...

1. Sit near each other.
2. Tell me who is together and mean it, no changing minds after the fact.
3. Stay in your seat.
4. Give me the checks at the same time, I will pick them up in order.
5. Stay in your seats until the change/credit cards are delivered.
6. Have patience, you weren't in a hurry to eat your meal, don't be in a hurry when I'm trying to accommodate you.