When I lived in the South, I found that most servers would ask "together or separate checks?" When I moved up North, I've found that 99% presume it's just one check. Even when in college in the Boston area, I don't remember a single occasion where the server automatically split the check for us without us having to ask. Granted, when I have explicitly asked either before or after the meal to split the bill, 99% of the time, there isn't a problem at all.

Isn't that exactly what I said in #6 above? :confused:

Indeed - or at whatever amount you'd like them split ("put $30 on his and the rest on mine")

That's not separate checks, though - if you ask the server to figure out the split for you at the end, they may or may not be able to.

do you think the people in the south are cheaper than in the north? What do you think the reason is?

Do you have any experience or data suggesting otherwise? This isn't meant to be a dissertation here. I have a fair amount of knowledge in the industry so I generally know what I'm talking about.

Most restaurants use only a handful of POS systems. Any of which are capable of splitting checks, and much more. Servers can split by who ordered what, or just evenly split the total by 2/3/4+ people. They can also combine checks if one person offers to pick up a tab. If a restaurant does use an older, more obscure system that does not provide this functionality, the original check can just be voided, and the server can re-enter the orders onto separate checks.

However, splitting a check between 8..10..15 people is time consuming. It is even more time consuming to then collect 15 credit cards, swipe each card, organize all of the receipts and deliver them to the respective guest. Still not done, the server collects all 15 signed copies (hoping they didn't forget to sign, or didn't take the signed copy with them, which often happens), and has to go back to the computer to enter each of the tips. More receipts, more work for the server, who hasn't been able to refill drinks or deliver food to their other tables and now those guests are unhappy and probably will leave a smaller tip.

Suffice it to say, when a server says the computer wont do it, this is why.



If a restaurant's client base is a lot of business lunches, birthdays, families, couples etc. I'd assume less split checks. If there are mainly younger, single customers or students then split checks are the norm. I wouldn't assume any correlation between North/South and "cheapness" without first taking into considering many other factors.

I'm fully aware that there are a few big vendors. Nothing I said was that there weren't just a few vendors. That there are a few big vendors doesn't mean that people should be walking into a restaurant saying that, "Oh I read on flyertalk that every restaurant in the universe can split checks in their system"

So is it not true or are you saying that it is true? You're contradicting yourself here. Should the first statement you made, that you personally are sure that each and every restaurant in a country of ~300 million people can do this, when why would you need to make that state of about if a restaurant uses an older system.

Please, either provide some evidence that you personally are sure that 100% of all food establishments can do this or man up and retract what you said. You 'generally' know what you're talking about and have a 'fair' amount of industry knowledge, but you are somehow omniscient when it comes to point of sale systems in every food establishment in the country.

Done.

cblaisd
Dining Buzz moderator