Saturday, May 21, 2011

Question

 One of our customers last night expressed irritation to his server over the fact that the server removed the credit card book from the table while the customer was still seated.  Upon discussing this with the guest, I learned that ours is the only restaurant in the world that he has been to that has ever done this.  I explained to him that the servers are instructed to pick up the book before a customer leaves in order to ascertain that the credit card slip is in fact signed.  They take it into the back, check for a signature, and, if it is not signed, they will return to the table to get the proper authorization needed for credit card payment.  If they wait until the customer leaves, it could be too late to catch a missing signature.  A credit card slip without the signature would not be proof of payment if a dispute over the charge arose later.

He was mightily offended by this practice, and I am sorry now that I did not ask him why.

Why would this bother someone so much?  Anyone care to chime in? 

5 comments:

  1. Good Grief, Barbara...is this guy for real? We in fact don't like to leave until its been picked up....making sure it is in the right hands. Gimme a break!!!!

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  2. Seems to make sense to me. Can't understand why he's making such a big deal. After all, you are running a business!

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  3. I would completely support the server taking the checkbook before the customers leave.

    In my more recent restaurant days, if I could plan it right, I would typically take the checkbook as the party is getting up, while I say goodnight/thank you, and can double check before they are out the door.

    Although, I will admit that I have taken the checkbook earlier, if I desperately needed the table to turn-- a not so subtle hint, I suppose.

    However, I don't think it is rude, and many other restaurants do this, but I could understand how one might think the act is implying for them to leave.

    Ah, my two cents.

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  4. True Wayles, I never thought that perhaps he took it as a hint that it was time to go...hmmmm.

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  5. I agree with anonymous - we like to make sure it is in the right hands before we walk away. This stems back to the days when the whole credit card number was on the receipt. I want to make sure it got to the server and no one else!

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