error on bill (your favor)--do you say something?
There have been at least ten occasions where we've been slightly undercharged on a restaurant tab, usually on items like soft drinks or an extra glass of wine. My husband, being a scrupulously honest soul, will tell the server, who will then amend the bill. Not once has anyone ever said "oh, thanks for telling us, it's on the house." Not exactly an incentive to keep being honest other than husband's conscience.
What's your experience?
Servers, any thoughts or input?
rudysmom
Aug 05, 2007 04:26AM
Conscience is a pretty important thing so jfood would not downplay it.
Soft drinks and wine. Jfood 95% of the time never sees a second charge for soft drinks. For some reason he actually gets a little annoyed if there is a charge, but jfoods no not eat in chains so the mom and pops hardly ever charge for subsequent rounds.
Wines another story. If the waiter did not say something it is probably an oversight and telling the waiter is theproper thing to do if the meal was good.
OTOH, jfood may take some heat for this but if the meal was less than satisfactory, on the jfood scale <6 and the waiter was less than pleasant, jfood may just say the heck with it.
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Whenever undercharged, I also bring it to their attention. More often than not, they'll tell me it's on the house...esp if it's a glass of wine or dessert.
And like Jfood, if the experience was unsat, then mum's the word.
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Interesting. So, if the service is excellent and by some fluke you're overcharged, do you say something?
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jfood has a range of "oh screw it" when the check is incorrect. Nowadays, jfood just counts to see that the server has the right number of apps, entrees desserts and beverages on the bill. If the steak charge is $32 and the menu stated $31 or $34, no biggie, probably an IT error. Win some loose some. jfood not playing hall monitor.
If the service is excellent and there is a small mistake on the bill in the resto favor, jfood overlooks it, and it has happened. Ifthere's an extra entree then jfood does mention it, but does not ding the server at all. Mistakes happen.
And as stated above, if the service, et. al. is so bad, and the bill is under, likewise puts that in the "screw it" category. not there to try to boil the ocean, so to speak.
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I recently got a "low bill" at an establishment (which shall remain nameless). I knew that I'd been mischarged for something, but couldn't instantly figure out what it was--If I srutinized the check too much, they'd have sussed something was up. But being a regular, I thought maybe the server was being kind or trying to hook TT up, so I sheepishly paid the stated amount and didn't mention it.
TT
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Agree with jfood - many restaurants don't charge for a refill of soda. A freebie glass of wine, however, would be rarer, and conscience would usually prompt me to either tell the waiter so they could correct the bill, or leave a slightly larger tip to compensate.
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Interesting question. I almost always say something and I was out one time at a dinner with my immediate family where my dessert had been left off of what was going to be a group bill I guess you could say. I called over the server and brought it to her attention so she added it which horrified my brother. He asked me why I would be so stupid (bottles of wine had been consumed) as to bring something like that to their attention if they had forgotten to add it to the bill. Umm, I guess because it feels like the right thing to do??? Suppose this dessert cost $7.00 which it might have at this restaurant. If they had short changed me by $7.00, I would have demanded that back so, why shouldn't it work both ways?
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I agree with you Hooda. If I get over charged I am going to squawk about it, so why would I not bring and under charge tot their attention. At the end of the night, when they reconcile the bills, they will see that the server messed up and take it out of their pay, so . . .
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There's also the incentive of simply being honest. Presuming you ordered all of the items, received them, consumed them to the level you chose, then you should pay for them.
I think, generally, many of us are far too eager to get freebies or have things comped for a whole host of reasons in restaurants where we'd never consider the notion in a different service/retail setting. If you were leaving the Gap and realized that you hadn't been charged for a pair of socks, I don't think there'd be any expectation that the sales clerk tell you not to worry about it.
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Another vote for the simple importance of conscience. At a celebratory dinner out earlier this year, BarmyFotheringayPhipps and I were undercharged by $30 - a $33 bottle of wine showed up on the bill at $3. Total bill (with the correct price) was about $130. I just wasn't willing to take that steep a discount on a special dinner - it would have spoiled my memory of it completely. (The waiter was DEEPLY grateful when I pointed out the error, too.)
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Yet another vote for telling here. I would feel like I was stealing if I didn't, it costs the restaurant money every time people take advantage of errors like that which in turns drives prices up for the rest of us. The incentive is being able to walk out of the restaurant knowing you did the right thing.
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I've been in this situation a few times, and as recent as 2 weeks ago. We did not get charged for our cosmo's and pointed the error out to the waiter. He was so appreciative and immediately brought over a desert for us as a thank you. What goes around, comes around I say.
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I'll will always bring it to the waiter's attention because I know some bosses will take the mistake out of their pay. Besides, I figure if I ordered it I can pay for it and trying to get away with something like that no matter how much the value of the undercharge is, is just tacky and obnoxious.
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Yes of course! If I see it I'll always say something. Character is the one thing that should never be compromised, and I want to sleep at night. And there is that person that will say "Thank you for letting me know" just wait.
Which then makes me wonder if it's right to adjust the tip down on the new balance of the bill....now that isn't right at all.
Karma is scarey stuff!
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Never has really happened to me, but I would certainly say something...
I certainly alert a cashier if they give me change for a twenty if I only gave a ten...
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Being able to rip off a restaurant is just not worth dirtying yourself up over, imo.
Do the right thing, without expecting a restaurant to give you a reward for it. Their job is to feed you, yours is to pay the stated price. A mistake on a bill is accidental. Deciding to take advantage of it isn't. :)
And as long as I'm doing my angel act, I can't resist saying that applying the good old Golden Rule easily provides answers to questions like these for us. Corny, maybe. True, none the less.
jmo.
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Of course I do. Two occasions come to mind. One time a waiter gave us way more change than even the original bill. I immediately pointed out the mistake to him. Another time we left without paying, and was on the freeway before we realized it. We went back to pay and the waiter hadn't even realized it.
There is no need to think about it in those situations. The thinking was done while I was growing up and confirmed by the time I was in high school. Once your standard is set. It makes decision making very easy.
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I would say something, but I am a firm beleiver in karma. Not worth the risk imho.
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Of course you should. Did you know the price of the items you ordered and consumed? Were you willing to pay for them when they were served to you? How is it then in any way acceptable to fail to pay for them? A diner enters into a social contract to pay for goods and services rendered by the restaurant. Ordering and consuming the food and drink served requires that the diner fulfill his/her part of the contract by fully paying for what was served.
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I really don't pay much attention to small things such as sodas or sides, so if they forgot one or added an extra I prob. wouldn't notice. But I would definitly bring up a large ticket item if it was missing from the bill.
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Interesting responses. Wasn't suggesting we wouldn't point out the error in the bill. More, it's an observation on human nature.
Wouldn't a "comp" go a long way towards good will, though?
The majority of people are honest (we hope). But for those that aren't, they "profit" from their dishonesty, while us honorable folk......
Yes, I understand the idea of Karma
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I hear you on being annoyed that those who are more willing to cheat save more money... but think how often you'd have to behave in a less than stand-up manner before it started to add up... I think a sense of integrity probably does much more for a person's happiness than the money would. (Martin Seligman's Positive Psychology is a very interesting scientific look at how exercising good character makes a person happy... has given me scientific reason to take the high road!)
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Of course I point it out. I don't know if I could sleep otherwise
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I love all these honest Hounds. So refreshing!
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I kind of wonder if the really honest hounds are the ones who admit that they have been guilty at times of not pointing out the mistake!
A few months ago, we treated another couple to dinner at a new restaurant. When the tab came it was around $130, which seemed a little low, but I wasn't familiar with the prices. On the way home, I looked at the itemized tab- they had forgotten to charge us for two entrees- around $50. Did we drive back and make good on the bill? Nope- but I justified it by knowing that had it worked the other way and they had overcharged us by $50, I wouldn't have bothered going back either- and I really wouldn't have, we were already 20 miles away...
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If I were 20 miles away I woud call the restaurant the next day and try to resolve it by phone.
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Well, I didn't. And I still feel guilty about it, so who knows?
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I hate to tell you this but there's a strong possibility that your server was either charged for those entrees or fired for the mistake. That's how it works in the business.
Your choice was not a good one. And it was dishonest.
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Last month, Mr OCAnn & I took my parents out to sushi dinner (www.chowhound.com/topics/419304 ). It cost four of us, eating well, $85; unbelievable. I asked them to check the bill; they did & replied that there was no error. I left w/a clear conscience.
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And your conscience should be clear- mine is a little muddier. Throughout the meal our waitperson (who I think was also an owner) kept apologizing for everything- the food (which was actually pretty good), the service (which was a little slow but not really bad for a Friday night), the noise level (which actually was kind of bad- the bar adjoined the dining area, and there were some really loud drunk people there- but nothing we would have ever complained about), etc...
Part of justifying my action to myself was based on all of this.
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i've had waiters who keep apologizing- that can be even more agrivating than what they're apologising for. i usually feel sorry for them- like they're just trying too hard.
anyways, i hope the poor thing didn't end up having to pay for your meals. i made a mistake once- i rang in wine on the wrong table. and of course the table that was missing the wine on the bill didn't say anything, but the ones who were accidentally charged sure did. so the manager refused to void it and it came out of my tips.
i love how people justify why they should "get" but never think what the consequence to the other person might be. nothing is ever free. if you don't pay for it- someone else has to.
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justafy shmustafy.
Guilty hounds? I am laughing, it sounds as though you know what needs to be done...
If it were me I would call and take care of the oversight to the very nice business owner who in all good faith apologized to you for the other people, and waited on you and your guests.
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Yeah, actually I think that I am going to do just that. This thing has been bugging me since it happened...
I still wonder though when it comes to things like this, if more people talk a good game than actually play a good game.
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I can only speak for myself. But to speculate, I do think most people are honest or we would really be in trouble. We are accountable to each other, whether we know it or accept it...
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from your waitress's perspective...
when i'm busy i sometimes forget to add on coffees to bills, and i've also made mistakes where something "bigger" is forgotten, and there have been times when i've taken things off the bill on purpose but not explained that it was intentional- and i'd have to say MOST of the time the customers don't say anything.
so are they oblivious or dishonest? now if there's something EXTRA on the bill, the hands start waving frantically in the air- oddly enough.
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Yes, that would be in keeping with what I was thinking. On the other hand, I've probably pointed out undercharges on tabs maybe 15 times in 35+ years, but I have never, ever had someone at a restaurant say "oops, we charged you too much" after they had my credit card in their hands. Maybe it is just not something that anyone looks at, but still...
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"I still wonder though when it comes to things like this, if more people talk a good game than actually play a good game."
I have on more than one occasion called a restaurant the next day if I realize that I tipped less than I meant to etc. and asked them to charge me for the additional amount. Obviously I'm trusting that it will go to the waiter, but it is better than nothing. I pretty much always point out the mistake in a bill if it is in our favor, though I do recall one recent meal w/ terrible and slow service and did not do so, in part b/c we were really ready to get out of there at that point.
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that's flat out stealing, isn't it?
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I always inform them about the mistake and am always surprised because they never seem grateful and rarely even say thank you.
Last time it happened i started out "there seems to be a mistake on the bill" and the server gave us a big eye roll thinking we were going to quibble about some charge. Once he realized that he had undercharged us by $60 he said "oh, let me get that fixed for you" as if he was doing us a huge favor. Then it took him 20 minutes to correct the bill.
Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better to just ignore to protect the server from getting in trouble (which I've seen happen) but my conscience will not allow it.
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The reward of honesty and doing the right thing comes internally. It has nothing to do with whether someone says thanks or comp you for something.
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Agreed, but you must admit it would be nice if they said a sincere thanks rather than subject us to rude treatment.
I'm not sure if you were addressing me anyway -- I didn't mention anything about wanting something comped. What would be the point of bringing up the error if I didn't want to pay for it anyway?
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i informed a waitress at the park hyatt rooftop bar of two drinks (and those are some expensive martinis) that were missing from our bill. she loved us for it- and remembers me still! that girl woulda had to pay for those drinks!
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If this was in Calif. she cannot be made to "pay" for any mistake she makes on the bill. She could be fired for it, but she could not held for the financial loss by the restaurant.
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wow, guess I helped out at the wrong restaurants, I was told I was responsible and they posted a notice for the servers....
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esp. if you've rung it in somewhere else and momentarily 'lost' it- it is the server's responsibility to collect payment.
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It may not be legal, but many restaurants do it. Most servers don't have unions and many cannot afford lawyers.
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You don't need a lawyer to lodge a complaint with the State Labor board.
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Yes, I do let them know, and almost always when they do charge me, it's one of those, "no good deed goes unpunished" events. It then takes them a long time to correct the bill... why can't they make it easy for me?! DH and I will always tell them, BUT it frustrates me when I get delayed (getting the bill, getting the credit card back is the worst part of eating out... always takes the longest). One time it was for 99 cents! Of course when you're sitting around, you don't know it's going to take forever! And yes, I always have to get them to calm down to say that I think they have UNDERCHARGED me, and then I get all stressed out because I feel like I'm being accused of something wrong and embarassing... sort of like the eye roll you received.
Once in a while, especially if it's a soda, the server will say, "that's okay."
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No incentive is needed. It is simply the right thing to do.
I've been thanked. Actually, this happened to me on Saturday evening, when a bill was presented that omitted a $5 beer that I had had while I was waiting for our table (this place does not have a separate bar - the host had asked me if I wanted anything while I was waiting). I am not sure this place is organized enough to have made the server pay for it, but she was grateful even though the correction tied up our table a bit longer.
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It depends, I have never been not charged, or undercharged for a food item, but if I was I would say something.
Another circumstance where I wont say anything is for alcohol. I do like to go out for drinks( a little too often sometimes ; ) ) , and sometimes my bar tab is a little less than I would expect(knowing how many drinks I have had vs. what the bill is). I figure I have been bought a round of drinks by the bartender. I do not say abything, and let my tip do the talking for me. The bartender will get tipped on the drinks I had, not the lesser ammount of the bill.
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this has happened to me many times, though usually for like a drink or something real small. sometimes i feel like they are just giving it to us for free, so instead of letting them know if its really small i just tip more to make up for it.
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is the bartender really buying the round? or is he pouring on the "house" so he can reap a bigger tip for his pseudo-generosity. what do chowers think of this practice?
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Most independent restaurants give the bartenders a certain amount of leeway, especially with regulars. The management is very aware of the value of repeat business. Good management is also aware when staff abuses this right (it usually comes up in inventory) and deals with it accordingly.
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