MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you pay for no-show?

rinoa778

Would you pay for no-show?

Your friends are celebrating their wedding anniversary and have invited you and 17 others to a posh restaurant for a set £40 a head dinner. Six people fail to show up. You’re leaving early and go to pay your bit of the bill, and find it's now £57 a head – as the restaurant is charging for all 20 people who should’ve come, (its pre-stated policy). You know your friends couldn’t afford to foot the bill for all six, do you pay up £57 or just £40 – and leave it to be sorted by the rest.

What a horrible situation :x I'm the kind of person that tries to oversee any possible outcome but as for this situation? I don't think I could forsee!

On seeing six empty seats, I would eventually enquire what happened to them and proceed to enjoy myself. Then leaving early, I would hand over two nice twenty pound notes to the hosts who would I hope, slightly embarassed, tell me the price is actually £57. I would try not to show my feeling of surprise physically but the hosts can see my reaction and they gulp slightly as they, slightly scratching their heads, face blushing, explain the situation...
I'm a bit uncomfortable but because I'm leaving early and I know they can't afford to stump the rest (I do assume it's a good friend as I was invited and accepted their invitation) I cough up. I hope I have enough change in my wallet/purse rather than deal with the possibility of; Should I just give them the £3 extra or ask for change?

I really hope the payment issue didn't detract from the celebrations. And I also hope that there won't ever be a situation where I have to leave an expensive set meal before dessert!

pippi

I would pay the extra money, friendship is worth more than £17

MrsE_2

pippi wrote: »

I would pay the extra money, friendship is worth more than £17

Why though are some people put upon or feel they have to cough up so as to NOT make a scene or cause any unpleasantness

Why do the people who book, but drop out knowing someone has to pick up their tab or the people who order the most expensive things on the menu &/or drink copious quantities & expect others to subsidise them, WHY DO THEY NOT FEEL GUILTY OR SCARED OF CAUSING A SCENE

Why is it some people feel they must subsidise freeloaders

susiehasdebts

tricky - i work in a restaurant so i understand how frustrating it is when you hve turned people away, then lost the revenue - but paying for the whole meal is excesive - we charge £10 per head for no shows, which doesn't cover the lost income for the empty seats, but helps a little. That said, if the remainder of the party had spent alot on drinks, had lost of wine or champagne, been lovely, were regulars etc, we'd waive that.

crazymother

Having organized many a 'mums night out' I learnt early on that you get everyone to pay upfront, so they only have to pay for drinks on the night.
In this case, I would pay the extra rather than leave my freinds with a huge bill, but get them to find out why the missing guests didn't attend. Something awful may have happened so it's not fair to moan unless you know the facts...

tallgirld

I would pay the extra, but would have the hump about it!!!

Anyway why am I contributing to their wedding anniversary party.

They're taking the mick!!!

haziec

I would pay up, but unless they had a good excuse would not bother with the "friends" that didnt show up, but not before I had let them know the cost of their no show and the embarassment to our mutual friends.

To be honest if I wanted to celebrate my anniversary, I would rather have a more modest do with a few bottles of "plonk" some home made food and not expect friends to pay anyway!!!

People are most selfish when they "no show" -at our daughters wedding last year, we were very fortunate that everybody came, apart from a friend who made no apology and has avoided us, we had paid for five of them in the evening buffet, and not a word!! Needless to say that our friendship which went back over 40 years since childhood is no longer!!

jenniewb

Well if I had the money and my friends did not (ie the friends who did turn up) then I would pay for the friends that didn't- it was not the fault of the friends that did show.

But then I would slyly add it into a conversation that it was a real downer on my wedding day to have to pay for the no-show friends- and put it to the friends that did show, saying I did not want them to pay..etc etc...most of my friends if they heard this, would "click" and have a bit of a go at the friends that didn't show, makeing them feel guilty and they would then pay up for not showing.

If on the other hand my friends who didn't show had a family emergency or someone had died or they had just lost their jobs/couldn't afford to pay, then I would make a point of telling them it was fine for me to pay for them.

I guess it depends on weather the ppl who didn't turn up can foot thier part in the bill. If they can, then I would ensure that they did. Just how I would insure would illustrate just how creative I can be:rotfl:

Talent

The only way I'd spend £80 on a night out is if it was just the two of us and we would enjoy ourselves, together. I don't believe in 'Yorkshires' where you all throw into the pot with equal shares, there's always some that want to pigout at others expense and it's noticeable that they are always the ones with pot in hand.

corn_uk

The manager then changed his mind and said it was for the food that would be wasted because the people would not be eating it. Some of the people in our party were students. On hearing about the extra food, asked if it could be given to them so they could reheat it for meals during the following week.

The person paying the bill then informed the manager that we would be unwilling to pay for anything we would not actually be getting. If the food had not been cooked, then it was still in storage and was, theoretically, not wasted. You would not buy steak and then leave it on the counter to be sold to someone else.

In the end the restaurant manager agreed he would actually not be that much out of pocket and a sum was added to the bill as a compromise. But it was a great deal less than the cost of the 4 “wasted” meals.

Lots of restaurants rely on embarrassment factor. Hoping people will not want to cause a scene. But a meal is like any other bought commodity. If you are not going to receive it, then it pays to check what you are actually being charged for. Any food that does not leave the restaurants kitchens is routinely recycled into other dishes, so check if the food is actually going to waste. You could always take it with you and give it to a passing homeless person. Or give a local pet a treat!

I think that this shows a total lack of understanding on the restaurant business.

1. The food should not be allowed to leave the restaurant. This is due to the fact that the restaurant is legally liable if a person get ill from that food due to improper cooling or reheating or storage.
2. How do you know that the food would be reused?? Food goes OFF is can not be kept forever. In restaurants wastage of food due to going off, (due to many different reasons) is one of the bigger costs.
3. Restaurants don't rely on the "embarrassment" factor. They rely on the Money factor. The restaurant will staff the place, buy in the food for that number of people. If less come they will make less money, thus meaning they will not make a profit.
4. The MORAL DILEMMA states that it is a set menu. that normally means that the items have been bought in JUST for that MEAL. If the restaurant stated in advance that it was £40 per person Non-refundable. Then it would be no different than if you booked theatre tickets and did not show up, or booking an airline ticket and not showing up or even booking a hotel room and not using it.

If it was me and my resturant I would weigh a few different factors. If they are regulars, whether they were rude about the whole issue, how much liquor they have used.

Then probally charged £20 per person that not turned up. (if they were nice about it.) Or £40 per person (if they were rude) AT the end of the day Restaurants are a business and need to make money. Espically in todays enviroment.