Restaurant adding things to your bill.

[Chris142]

Went to lunch today. Wife got a $25 steak lunch. I got a $22 burger. She got a $4 soda and I got water.

Got our bill and it was way higher than the simple math I did in my head. Looking at the bill they had our stuff plus another $22 burger and another $4 soda.

I'm seriously thinking they added things in hopes that we dont catch the mistake. I made them remove the items and got the bill right.

It's not like we got another tables check as part of it was correct.

Anyone ever seen that happen?

BTW the food was a disappointment anyway.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

It has worked both ways for us. Sometimes the check is over and we tell them about and get a correction. Last Tues, it went the other way. The server forgot to add the slice of homemade pie to the bill. Wife caught it and we got a correction to pay the correct amount for the bill. Sometimes, things just happen.

In our case, the food was good, which is why we stopped there. It was a long term family favorite restaurant.

 

[4wd]

It has worked both ways for us. Sometimes the check is over and we tell them about and get a correction. Last Tues, it went the other way. The server forgot to add the slice of homemade pie to the bill. Wife caught it and we got a correction to pay the correct amount for the bill. Sometimes, things just happen.

In our case, the food was good, which is why we stopped there. It was a long term family favorite restaurant.

For sure - ate Mexican and it was just over $30 - gave her a $50. They kept 50’s/100’s under the cash drawer. She was overwhelmed and another interruption later gives me change for a $100. After all the “are you sure” stuff - I said I didn’t need anything back - and we moved on …

 

[Pew]

Mistakes like this happen all the time. It's not a big deal, just tell the server and they'll get it removed. Depending on the POS system, somebody may have put in the wrong table number and this check popped out the two separate orders for the same table.

 

[PandaBear]

We once had ordered 2 bottle of wines in a company party and they ended up writing the 1 1 (1,1) and ended up reading it as 11 (eleven). Mistakes happen, they didn't hire accountants to wait tables.

 

[Lubener]

I hope you looked over your bill before paying so you could question them about it.
That and the automatic tip are reasons I don't visit restaurants anymore. $22 for a burger lunch is ridiculous.

 

[charbaby]

Yes! We see this now with one of our favorite restaurants in the city(or use to be our favorite).
And then they play dumb. This has happened 100% of the time that we went there. Now we don't go any longer.

 

[rstsco]

With the World Cup coming to the US, many restaurants/servers are concerned about customers from non-tipping cultures, therefore are choosing to automatically add 20% to the bill. This type of "service charge" is normal for sit-down restaurants in London, but if the service wasn't up to your standards, you can ask to have it removed. What is NOT added, is an additional screen asking for a tip. Tip jars are becoming a bit more commonplace there, but is still rare.

Errors are almost always in favor of the restaurants. Same thing with checkouts at almost any store. When a price rings up different from what is shown on the shelf, it's rarely lower.

 

[97prizm]

Went to lunch today. Wife got a $25 steak lunch. I got a $22 burger. She got a $4 soda and I got water.

Got our bill and it was way higher than the simple math I did in my head. Looking at the bill they had our stuff plus another $22 burger and another $4 soda.

I'm seriously thinking they added things in hopes that we dont catch the mistake. I made them remove the items and got the bill right.

It's not like we got another tables check as part of it was correct.

Anyone ever seen that happen?

BTW the food was a disappointment anyway.

I don't think it's was an intentional mistake. Many times servers enter multiple orders in at once. If you want nefarious and intentional I dined at a new Peruvian restaurant last year and my bill was randomly $3 over for no reason. Server said he couldn't fix it. Then to make matters worse there was a tip line. OK I added a tip minus $3. At the bottom of the bill in tiny letters it said "All bills have an 18% gratuity added". I never went back. Several people left similar comments on Google. They closed shortly after.

 

[Pew]

I don't think it's was an intentional mistake. Many times servers enter multiple orders in at once. If you want nefarious and intentional I dined at a new Peruvian restaurant last year and my bill was randomly $3 over for no reason. Server said he couldn't fix it. Then to make matters worse there was a tip line. OK I added a tip minus $3. At the bottom of the bill in tiny letters it said "All bills have an 18% gratuity added". I never went back. Several people left similar comments on Google. They closed shortly after.

He's right, servers usually cannot remove an item off the bill, managers do. But in your case that's 100% an attempt from the server to get more money because they didn't even attempt to remove it.

 

[NETWizz]

I don't mind them adding 18% gratuity if the service was good... I just tip $0 if the gratuity is added.

In contrast if they refill the drinks, stop at the table a couple times, they get 20%; hence, I am not upset with gratuity unless the service is terrible.

 

[PF52]

I don't think it's was an intentional mistake. Many times servers enter multiple orders in at once. If you want nefarious and intentional I dined at a new Peruvian restaurant last year and my bill was randomly $3 over for no reason. Server said he couldn't fix it. Then to make matters worse there was a tip line. OK I added a tip minus $3. At the bottom of the bill in tiny letters it said "All bills have an 18% gratuity added". I never went back. Several people left similar comments on Google. They closed shortly after.

That's what gets my goat. When there's an automatic gratuity added, THEN the check has suggested amounts for 18, 20, 25% etc.... That's double dipping. They're hoping the customer doesn't notice. Also, be aware sometime they calculate those suggested tips based on the total + tax.

 

[tblt44]

Watch your hand written tips also.
They input the tip different then what I actually wrote down.
I gave a lower than normal tip 12% because service sucked, took 30 min after our food was done to get our bill.
No not a mistake.
They gave themselves a 22% tip.
Im still dealing with the restaurant on this. No it won't break me but it's the principal.

 

[SC Maintenance]

More than likely a server accidentally added another tables order to your table on their Point Of Sale. Very easy to do. Since the servers themselves enter this and would have little benefit from doing so, unless the other table was someone they know.

I have resigned myself to the over tipping now being normal. I simply eat out much less, mostly only when out of town at this point. I was out of town with my bride this weekend and clearly there is no economic woes as the restaurants were all bursting full.

 

[ATex7239]

More than likely a server accidentally added another tables order to your table on their Point Of Sale. Very easy to do. Since the servers themselves enter this and would have little benefit from doing so, unless the other table was someone they know.

I have resigned myself to the over tipping now being normal. I simply eat out much less, mostly only when out of town at this point. I was out of town with my bride this weekend and clearly there is no economic woes as the restaurants were all bursting full.

I think much of the woes are over blown. A lot of the people I know who are struggling were not doing so well when things were good either. It’s like having diabetes and then also catching the flu.

 

[D60]

Probably an honest mistake, but good for you for speaking up. I'll argue over a penny because it's the principle.

After 6 years ago I'd never sink my life into anything like a restaurant or bakery that was arbitrarily classified "non-essential."

I feel bad for those whose passion is food service and don't have an answer for them. But starting up or owning a restaurant or anything entertainment-based is a fool's errand. I guess the answer is have deep pockets to withstand long periods of being forced out of business.

Everyone wants to forget but it WILL happen again. Fear is an incredibly strong motivator and "they" know it.

 

[Leo99]

We eat out a lot and only had it happen a few times where it didn't seem like an honest mistake. It was half-price bottle of wine night and the bill was way off. Like she tried to take advantage of our inebriation in Vegas. When I questioned it, the waitress got overly apologetic and seemed insincere. Like when people lie, they talk too much. Another time we were at a speakeasy in Vegas and the bill was off. I'm 50/50 if that was on purpose. Occasionally we get bills where the server "forgot" to put things on the bill. Even though they're stealing from the restaurant, I reward their dishonesty with an oversized tip.

 

[zzyzzx]

I got a $22 burger.

Did it at least come with fries?

 

[thastinger]

Watch your hand written tips also.
They input the tip different then what I actually wrote down.
I gave a lower than normal tip 12% because service sucked, took 30 min after our food was done to get our bill.
No not a mistake.
They gave themselves a 22% tip.
Im still dealing with the restaurant on this. No it won't break me but it's the principal.

That is 12% more than they would have got from me.

 

[zzyzzx]

Watch your hand written tips also.
They input the tip different then what I actually wrote down.
I gave a lower than normal tip 12% because service sucked, took 30 min after our food was done to get our bill.
No not a mistake.
They gave themselves a 22% tip.
Im still dealing with the restaurant on this. No it won't break me but it's the principal.

That's why I always pay with cash in restaurants.