10 Ways to Avoid Getting Your Food Spit In: Number 2: Ask for separate checks.

I understand why many people ask for separate checks when eating out in large parties. Separate checks are very useful when lots of people, who don’t know each other very well, go out to a meal. This practice is common among business crowds and large parties over eight or nine people. In my circle of friends I am one of the few who does not drink alcohol when I go out to a restaurant for a meal. Splitting checks makes it easy to see exactly what each person ordered and what each person owes. Separating each person’s order into separate bills makes payment easier on the guest. However, few things are more inconvenient for a server than separating a large party out into individual checks. Separate checks can instantly put a server behind due to the time consuming nature of remembering who ordered what, on what check it needs to be transfer to, and processing several forms of payment. It is time consuming, stressful, and nine times out of ten I screwed it up.

I don’t blame myself honestly.

First of all, the computer software that many chain restaurants use to order food into the kitchen is antiquated and not user friendly in any way. The software is designed to be stable and bulletproof, not flashy or simple to use. Restaurant software is designed to transmit messages (orders) from the front of the house to the kitchen and, for the most part, it does that well. However, every system I’ve used leaves a lot to be desired when a server is asked to perform a complicated task like splitting a check.

Secondly, most customers do not think to inform the server that they will require separate checks at the start of the meal. This simple act saves an incredible amount of time later in the meal. If a server is aware of the customer’s needs, s/he can take your order in such a way as to ensure the bill is organized correctly.

Thirdly, many customers are impatient and insensitive to the amount of time it takes a server to process payment for several checks. In most corporate chain restaurants, servers have between three and five tables open at once. Lets assume your server is doing nothing but processing your payment. On average, it takes about one to two minutes to process a credit card payment or make change. Not bad right? Multiply that out by several more checks and you can see how it slows the entire payment process down. This says nothing for the fact that servers often will have three or four other tables that also need their attention at any given moment. A party of ten with separate checks will often wait between 8 to 12 minutes for their change or receipts. This may sound extreme, but it is not uncommon given the logistics of making change or processing credit cards on eight to ten checks at once.

Allow me to reiterate, I understand why people split checks. However, the entire point of this article is to document how to avoid getting your food spit in. So, how do you avoid totally stressing your server out if you need separate checks? Inform your server at the beginning of the meal that you need separate checks and allow the server to take your order in whatever fashion ensures s/he will keep the orders organized. It will save time at the end of the meal. Also, be understanding when it comes time to pay the bill. Honestly, what is more valuable: a few moments of your time or the piece of mind that comes with knowing your food was not spit in.