One bill, six credit cards. Bjorn Shen explains why some restaurants don’t allow it
Anyone working in hospitality knows that we're in the business of making people happy. But there's always a catch that comes along with managing a popular place: the need to make unpopular decisions. In running a successful service business, systems and policies need to be put in place to please as many customers as possible. On the flipside, these well-intentioned policies can often inadvertently end up pissing off a minority of people. Yeah, bummer.
I'll be totally honest with you. At Artichoke, the biggest hotbed of conflict is split bills. Most people understand why a restaurant won't split bills beyond a certain number of cards per table. But some just don't get it. If you’re one of them, let me say I'm ecstatic that you're reading this right now, because I've been waiting a looooong time for this chance to explain.
Most small-to medium-sized restaurants have one billing terminal with a cash register and several card-reading facilities. These devices all share one phone line. Each card transaction takes about a minute for the card to be swiped, dialled up, connected, authorised, printed and prepared for signing. Sometimes, it takes a couple of attempts to connect. For any busy restaurant, this system will be working non-stop, with a long queue of bills waiting to be processed.
Now, amid all of this, what happens when you throw in a 'simple' request for a bill to be split four ways – $17.50 nett in cash, $19.85 plus GST on the first card, and the remainder to be divided equally across the last two cards? Complete chaos? Nah, not really. But you do get a tedious 6min task on hand just for that one table, and unfair waiting times for every other poor dude who calls for the bill thereafter.
Our job is to balance and protect the needs of as many of our customers as possible. It's not about bending over to please one party at the expense of everyone else.
At Artichoke, it's our protocol to inform all reservations of our no-split bill practice. It's written on our chalkboard walls, and it's also the first thing that we inform every large group that walks in without a reservation. Hell, it's even printed on our menus. Proper management of expectations is the most responsible thing to do when it comes to enforcing any kind of necessary but potentially unpopular policy (no smoking, no service of alcohol to intoxicated patrons, and so on). In return, I kindly ask all patrons to either consent or flat-out decline, rather than eat-first-argue-later. That can really ruin our day.
Check out Bjorn’s new Thai fried chicken restaurant, Bird Bird, at 18 Ann Siang Rd.