"Wow, so glad I chopped that bill onto five cards. I just made an above-average tip on that table because everyone actually tipped at least the bare minimum for the food they ordered" said no server ever.


I think mullen nailed it earlier with the relationship between split checks and ****ty tips running around 100%. Such a good indicator.

I know that people tend to associate with people like them, but my friends are intensely nitty about splitting checks (including apps, pitchers of beer, etc.), but also tip very well. I have often left $8 on a $30 tab after splitting a bill 5-10 ways when out with friends and looked around the table and seen a bunch of people leaving $10+ on similar checks. However, these same people will make sure the guy sitting next to them gives them a buck if they got the wrong burger on their bill and it cost a dollar more.

Basically, I have seen very little correlation between tips and overall cheapness or split checks. Some of my cheapest friends who are never ever ok doing anything but splitting checks and won't go out to eat a $10 meal because they "don't want to spend the money" routinely tip 30%.

Lester: are you the guy who doesn't tip poker dealers?

CDL: looking forward to some stories!

27: big difference between individual checks and splitting bill evenly onto multiple cards at the end. While I find 8 people tossing in cards to be sort of annoying on principle, at least it's something that's pretty easy for servers to do with modern POS (cash register) systems.

CDL,

That combo of bill-splitting nittery and above-average tips has to be super super rare.

You can tip 50%, but if you do this you a complete ****stick that really doesn't "get it". NEXT!

possibly, but it is what I see in the different groups I go out with. I do hang out with a lot of people who are reluctant to actually commit to ideas bc they don't want to spend money, but once they are in they fully commit.

am I missing a joke? can you explain what you mean?

I've been told by servers splitting bills is pretty easy and not much of a hassle.

Also bad tips seem to arise when people try to chop the bill themselves. I'm fairly certain that is because people forget about tax so they think paying 20 dollars for 17 dollars worth of stuff is fine.

So getting everyone their own bill lets them tip the proper amount because they actually see the total they owe.

cdl,

I meant you can tip all you want, but when you're the guy line-iteming the bill and asking the guy next to you for $1 because he got extra cheese you suck. All the overtipping in the world can't outweigh how much you suck.

Splitting bills on a few cards evenly is easy. Individual checks on huge parties is a giant pain in the ass.

well there is obviously something in between those things

A lot of people ITT seem to forget that individuals in a group of friends can have very different financial situations. While I'm not defending people like the woman in 27offsuit's story, I do understand why some people want to have separate bills. I think it is pretty inconsiderate to not consider that someone may be pushing their budget with their own meal/drinks. They may have intentionally got something cheaper on the menu because they can't afford the more expensive things. I know I definitely make more than some of my friends and I have no problem when they want to break up the bill because I just basically order what I want with minimal thought to the cost when I'm out, but I realize people in different financial situations may not do this and it isn't fair to expect them to cover my costs.

Chopping bills evenly just encourages my already borderline alcoholism.

oh, yea. It is annoying for sure, but it is annoying to the people you dine with and doesn't **** over the servers. It is a pretty weird kind of nitty especially when it comes from people who say "just put it on my tab" and don't want you to get the next round or anything when you get drinks at the bar later in the night. I think it is more of a "what is fair" type of deal than actually a worry over the money itself.

KoF,

I feel like it's pretty easy to take differing financial situations into account when picking venues, dealing with bills, etc., and most considerate people will do that regardless of the mechanics of settling the bill.

For you to suggest that I am limited to these two options must mean there's got to be some sort of misunderstanding here. For the record, any party I am personally ever in, whether I'm alone or with 10 people, will have one check. I just don't believe multiple checks are as difficult as emphasized. And however other people might tip is not going to influence the way I tip so why would I care what your other parties do.
It's funny how whenever I post in a tipping thread anything other than being fully agreeable, sympathetic, or promoting generosity, I am quickly judged and generalized as a terrible douche (or some insult is implied) by somebody who works for tips. Given your criteria, mullen, of what is a hassle, I am the complete opposite as a low maintenance, minimal time consuming, non messy diner.

I am the guy who posts in the B&M Tipping thread who defends logical and rational reasons why somebody wouldn't tip and contests irrational reasons for tipping. For this I have been generalized as a non-tipping cheapskate, though I do tip poker dealers, I just don't dummy up and tip every single pot I'm pushed.

I think it sucks that people can be oblivious to the fact that not all entrees cost the same and sucks even more when they have a problem with paying their own fair share and have the nerve to think the other guy sucks for pointing it out.

I think every point you made makes perfect sense and is logical and whether I agree or not I can see the merit so don't worry about the pleasing trolls online.



As for tipping dealers I don't tip every hand. If I'm not stuck, I tip when the dealer finishes his shift and he was good, after winning a big pot or catching a card on the river to win or my personal favorite to needle a player at the table.

Nothing pushes people on tilt faster or needles an ahole then winning a big pot from behind by hitting and then tipping the dealer saying its from me and the loser. Insult to injury sandwich served cold lol

Splitting a cheque more than three ways is always a huge hassle for the server unless the restaurant is just dead.

People love to complain that their server isn't at their table immediately when they need them, but consider that splitting up a cheque 5+ ways takes time to ensure that everyone got assigned the correct menu items, and that further taking the payment takes more time.

I don't think it's always terrible to split the cheque, but that when you do so you are generally consigning other diners to worse service, and consequently your server will likely get worse tips, so if you are a considerate person and find yourself in this situation, tip a bit extra to make up for it if you can.

Lester, expecting other people to make up for your deficiencies is probably why people choose to call you names, not because you are "defending logical and rational reasons".

Having separate bills seems like the easiest option (for the customer) to ensure everyone is comfortable with what they are spending. Also, a lot of people tend to keep their finances very private so we really don't know everyone's financial situation. I've known people who I thought were baller, but come to find out they just had massive debt and others who I thought didn't make much but were actually just very frugal.

I just think some of the hate towards "separatists" in the thread is unwarranted and it seems the biggest issue is because it is a pain in the ass for the server (which may or may not be the case).

I think that is fair.

Why did you use "insane" to describe me? You suggested that people should make up the difference for cheapskates and I disagreed (disagreed that they should as if obligated, though ultimately they do) and merely added that the same principle could work both ways. You may have misinterpreted that I expect other people to make up for my deficiencies, but that is not the case.

I said your phrasing makes you seem insane.

Yeah, but why even mention that? Because it was a way for you to take a jab at me since I don't support your views.

Talk about awkward. I mean, it's great and all that you're white knighting the server, but I'm trying to picture this in my mind without you coming off as a massive tool, and I'm not seeing it.

Also, I'm surprised you guys all dine with nits. Anytime I go out and we split checks, it's always an even chop. We don't care if someone's drink was $2 more or whatever. We tell the server to split the bill in two, then we usually tip the same amount.