APP STORE commercial woes.

[Gogar]

"Wanna figure out your part of the bill at a table for 5? There's an app for that."

I love my iPhone, but damn that's pretty sad.

[CJFusco]

I put myself through grad school waiting tables, and you wouldn't believe how many people need separate checks because they don't know how to calculate what they owe; this is usually the case with teenage girls and elderly people. I'm guessing that the iPhone app commercial is directed toward the teenage girl demographic.

Another amazing trend: you wouldn't believe how many people need a calculator to calculate a tip. People don't realize how easy it is. All you have to do is move the decimal place one spot to the left and multiply by two (more-or-less; good service should ALWAYS get at least 20%). $20 bill? $4 tip. $120 bill? $24 tip. How people fail to figure this out is beyond me.

[masraum]

people are idiots on a monumental scale.

[widgeon13]

This clearly reflects why this country is in the predicament that it is in today. The general populace is gullible, lazy, fat and stupid.

[legion]

I request a separate check because I rarely have cash on me.

I do find most of the "apps" somewhat insulting to my intelligence, but then again I don't have an iPhone. I b****ed and moaned when I had to get a phone with a color screen and a camera--because you can't not get those features anymore. There are three features I look for in a cell phone: that it stands up to abuse, that it has a long battery life, and that it has decent ergonomics. Almost all newer cell phones fail on all three counts. I could give two s***s if it can tell me stuff I should be able to figure out on my own.

[therotman]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

I'm guessing that the iPhone app commercial is directed toward the teenage girl demographic.

Just like 95% of all music and television!

[CJFusco]

Originally Posted by legion

I request a separate check because I rarely have cash on me.
.

This is another misconception of 99% of the dining public - if you have a credit card but everybody else has cash, it's just as easy for you and the waiter to just have everything on one check. What you do is give the waiter the cash and your card, and just tell him, "take the cash off first; everything else goes on the card." Assuming everybody paid their share and included tip, you will automatically end up paying exactly what you owe (plus tip).

Oftentimes, in many restaurants, the waiter needs to track down a manager if they want to split a check, because you need a manager card to do so. If you don't bother to split the check, you save that extra step and don't have to wait as long to get the check back (try convincing a manager to follow you to a computer in the middle of a dinner rush when the kitchen is backed up and people are yelling about how long they've been waiting for a table!).

[gprsh924]

What about when you eat with your 8 friends and none of them have cash?

[legion]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

This is another misconception of 99% of the dining public - if you have a credit card but everybody else has cash, it's just as easy for you and the waiter to just have everything on one check. What you do is give the waiter the cash and your card, and just tell him, "take the cash off first; everything else goes on the card." Assuming everybody paid their share and included tip, you will automatically end up paying exactly what you owe (plus tip).

Oftentimes, in many restaurants, the waiter needs to track down a manager if they want to split a check, because you need a manager card to do so. If you don't bother to split the check, you save that extra step and don't have to wait as long to get the check back (try convincing a manager to follow you to a computer in the middle of a dinner rush when the kitchen is backed up and people are yelling about how long they've been waiting for a table!).

That's not the case here in Bloomington. Splitting checks is the accepted practice. If a restaurant refuses to do it or makes it difficult, they will see their lunch and dinner crowd disappear.

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by legion

i request a separate check because i rarely have cash on me.

i do find most of the "apps" somewhat insulting to my intelligence, but then again i don't have an iphone. I b****ed and moaned when i had to get a phone with a color screen and a camera--because you can't not get those features anymore. There are three features i look for in a cell phone: That it stands up to abuse, that it has a long battery life, and that it has decent ergonomics. Almost all newer cell phones fail on all three counts. I could give two s***s if it can tell me stuff i should be able to figure out on my own.

+1

[CJFusco]

If there are 8 people with credit cards, splitting would probably be the best way to go

Originally Posted by legion

That's not the case here in Bloomington. Splitting checks is the accepted practice. If a restaurant refuses to do it or makes it difficult, they will see their lunch and dinner crowd disappear.

Hmm. That is definitely the case up here in New England - it is an odd thing to have requests for separate checks, except, perhaps in diners. Restaurants don't make it difficult or frowned-upon or anything... it's just fairly rare to see, so much so that most servers that I know roll their eyes when otherwise intelligent adults ask for it to be done.

[gprsh924]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

If there are 8 people with credit cards, splitting would probably be the best way to go



Hmm. That is definitely the case up here in New England - it is an odd thing to have requests for separate checks, except, perhaps in diners. Restaurants don't make it difficult or frowned-upon or anything... it's just fairly rare to see, so much so that most servers that I know roll their eyes when otherwise intelligent adults ask for it to be done.

It is becoming more and more common with the younger generation which relies heavily on plastic. I know I am the only one of my friends who ever has cash on them (which is annoying since we so ofter have group purchases of alcohol). Typically though, we ask to split the check up front, which I think makes things a tab bit smoother for the server.

[billwagnon]

Does eye-rolling do much for tips?

[legion]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

If there are 8 people with credit cards, splitting would probably be the best way to go



Hmm. That is definitely the case up here in New England - it is an odd thing to have requests for separate checks, except, perhaps in diners. Restaurants don't make it difficult or frowned-upon or anything... it's just fairly rare to see, so much so that most servers that I know roll their eyes when otherwise intelligent adults ask for it to be done.

It must be a local cultural thing.

Last I remember, Bloomington/Normal was second in the nation behind New York City in eating-out per capita. We have close to 300 restaurants for about 150,000 people. Many of those meals out are either coworkers going out together for lunch/dinner or business meals. The largest employer in town has a strict policy against accepting gifts from vendors, including meals. I think this makes for a place where a lot of people eat out and separate checks are expected. Nearly every meal out that isn't just my wife and I, our server asks us how to divide the checks. I went out for lunch today with a group of 14 coworkers, and we got 14 separate checks.

Around here, a few new restaurants open up every month and a few go out of business every month. One's that have a reputation for being "difficult" are avoided by the lunch crowd...and usually end up failing.

When I was younger, I remember going out to lunch with coworkers in the Chicago area, and getting a lot of run-around when we asked to divide checks.

[CJFusco]

Originally Posted by billwagnon

Does eye-rolling do much for tips?

The eye-rolling is done in the back with the co-workers. In front of the guests is lights, camera, action!

[porsche4life]

Umm around here waiters/waitresses ask groups how the bill needs split up. Never given much thought to it just tell them when they ask and then they bring the right checks.

[Mr.Puff]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

I put myself through grad school waiting tables, and you wouldn't believe how many people need separate checks because they don't know how to calculate what they owe; this is usually the case with teenage girls and elderly people. I'm guessing that the iPhone app commercial is directed toward the teenage girl demographic.

Another amazing trend: you wouldn't believe how many people need a calculator to calculate a tip. People don't realize how easy it is. All you have to do is move the decimal place one spot to the left and multiply by two (more-or-less; good service should ALWAYS get at least 20%). $20 bill? $4 tip. $120 bill? $24 tip. How people fail to figure this out is beyond me.

A lot of people pay with plastic now. Splitting the tip is easier, for the lazy customer, than going to the ATM after.

[CJFusco]

I'd say that 80% of customers around here pay with plastic. Instances where more than one person is paying, I see a lot of "put $40 on this card and the rest on this one."

[MBAtarga]

Another easy method - if your local sales tax rate is around 7 or 8%, just double the amount of tax shown for a 15% tip.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

Another easy method - if your local sales tax rate is around 7 or 8%, just double the amount of tax shown for a 15% tip.

Heck around here that would yield about a 19% tip. I had never thought of doing that but it is a very good idea. thanks.