Business Meal
– Who’s Paying?
“So, you have just enjoyed a wonderful business meal and a productive conversation with your client. You don’t notice the waiter approaching when suddenly the bill is handed to your client. The confusion appears across your guest’s face, as your own turns red. What do you do? Who's paying?”
The basic rule for business meals is you invite, you pay. Nevertheless, the scenarios can sometimes be difficult due to certain circumstances. You may feel uneasy when your host is a lady, and you are a male client. You feel obliged to pay for the meal. At time you will find people fight over who pays the bill, which at the end can confuse the waiter as to whom she or he should present the bill.
To overcome these scenarios try to make some prior arrangements:
• If you are the one that extended the invitation, discreetly give your credit card imprint to the cashier or waiter before the bill arrives so that the waiter doesn't have to present it to the table.
• Let the waiter know earlier that you're the host; therefore the bill should be presented to you instead of the clients. This will avoid embarrassment if the waiter suddenly presents the cheque to your clients and they start panicking. Trust me, it has happened.
• Of course, before you pay, look over the bill for accuracy without scrutinizing it. You should have a rough estimate of what the total should be. If you see any discrepancy on the bill, deal with it after your guests leave.
• Whatever the situation, please don't bring your calculator to the restaurant as it insinuates that you're a cheap skid. If the calculator has sound or music every time you press it, this could also cause a disturbance.
More than a decade ago, when I had just graduated from University, I worked in one of the hotels in Kuala Lumpur. This was my first job in a hotel line. As a PR executive during that time, I was invited to join in welcoming our overseas guests to our hotel together with the rest of the sales marketing team.
At the end of the dinner and the guest were ready to make a move, all of us stood up and escorted them to the lift. As I was the last person leaving, the waiters suddenly stopped me and asked who was going to initial the bill as everybody was leaving but no one was stepping up to take care of the cheque.
So, I willingly signed it, as it was true everyone was leaving. One of the clients who was walking with me commented,“so you're the big chap here…we didn't know about that”.. She looked so impressed, so I just smiled.
What I hadn’t realized was only key personnel are authorized to initial the bill, or big bill, I should say… So after everyone left, the big boss returned to the restaurant to sign the bill only to find out it had been signed by me, a junior executive. The waiter then had to redo the bill all over again.
The lesson is, the next time you have clients you wish to impress and entertain, do make arrangements with the restaurant or waiter about the payment arrangement (i.e. who is supposed to pay, sign, etc.). Otherwise, the waiter might just stop your clients and ask who is going to pay for the dinner. It would be quite embarrassing.
Looking back, I am not sure what my ex-boss thought about me signing the bill…He might have thought that I was a little junior staff trying to be the big boss, and worst still, the clients were impressed with me instead of him.
Well, what can I do; I was just plain innocent!
Can table manners make or break a mega-merger? Can lack of manners kill a career? Absolutely ! Join us at Polished Etiquette Image and learn how you and your staff can benefits from this important etiquette coaching