Popular Sydney restaurant that refuses to let customers split the bill hits back at woman who complained – and explains why it’s a huge problem
- Customer gave 3-star review of restaurant
- They loved the food and service but couldn’t split the bill
- Management replied and explained why it is a problem
A popular Sydney restaurant has responded to a customer’s online review complaining they shouldn’t split the bill by explaining why it’s such a huge problem for businesses.
‘Good food and good quantities. We were a large group and seated at a long table with well-timed service,” the customer named Sarah recently wrote in her review.
Just one problem – only two card payments allowed per table and no split bills. There was a small sign in the corner as the only warning,” she added, giving the restaurant three out of five stars.
The restaurant’s management subsequently posted a response stating that it was “great to see that you enjoyed your dinner and our service.”
‘Sorry we couldn’t split the bill so that 19 people could pay individually. I think that’s why we lost two stars tonight.’
A popular Sydney restaurant has responded to an online review from a customer complaining that they shouldn’t split the bill
The response then went further, offering a polite explanation so that the customer could see things from the manager’s point of view.
“We’ve split the bill before, but the problem is a combination of problems.”
They further explained that it is time-consuming for the staff to divide the bill first and then process each transaction individually.
Some customers may have declined cards, which can further delay the process, and most importantly, there is usually confusion and items remain unpaid at the end.
“It might only take a minute to pay, but for 19 guests that’s 19 minutes, we don’t have to worry about other customers.”
The restaurant then provided a screenplay to illustrate its point.
The photo shows an employee of the Atom Thai restaurant in Sydney
“A table splits the bill and the last man refuses to pay for drinks or side dishes he didn’t have, so he goes back to the table to ask, but most of the people have left.
“He then complains that we did a bad job splitting the bill and is angry that he has to pay the rest or refuses to pay.
“It’s rare, but it can get messy and we don’t want a hassle.”
The restaurant then said it would look into posting a larger sign to clarify its policy on splitting the bill.
While it seems that restaurants don’t like splitting the bill for you, there are apps that can help people who often eat out with friends.
Settle Up, Plates by Splitwise, Tab and Splid are just a few that can keep track of who ordered what, who paid and who still owes money.
These apps can also be used for other scenarios such as road trip expenses, group gifts, and vacation rentals.
Dividing the bill at the restaurant to pay often leads to confusion about who had what. This can drag on and prevent staff from attending to other customers
