This is the goofiest thing I think I’ve heard in this thread regarding waitressing.
How, pray tell, does it make a difference if a table that is just chatting and sitting there has paid their bill or not? If they’re done eating, and they’re just talking and dragging out their visiting time, this is either rude, or it’s not rude, whether or not they’ve actually paid before sitting there and chatting after their meal has no bearing on how long they’ll take to vacate the table.
If they sit and chat for 45 minutes after the waitress drops off the check it’s rude if they pay it and then sit, but not rude if they sit for 45 minutes and chat and THEN pay the bill?
What on earth does paying the bill have to do with it? As a former waitress trying to make decent money, it was just as aggravating to have my table held up whether or not they’d paid the bill BEFORE, or After holding it up.
Last but not least, when I was a waitress, we were taught that the way to “hint” to lingering customers was NOT to ask “do you need change from this” but to stop by asking them if they needed anything, or if everything was okay.
I think it’s definately a regional thing. I’ve noticed the posters who really don’t think it’s a big deal are from California, as am I.
I also don’t feel it’s a big deal. When I was waiting tables I never said it because I knew it got some customers’ undies in a bunch and it’s not any harder to say “I’ll be right back with your change” and avoid any potential passive-agressive types.
I have to disagree with those who are saying that it doesn’t matter when someone pays their bill though. There’s nothing worse for a server then a camper, especially during a busy shift. But we all knew that. As far as the difference when a camper pays their bill goes, for me it mattered near the end of my shift. If I had some campers in my section and they’d already paid their bill, my manager would usually agree to keep an eye on them and let me take off. If their bill hadn’t been closed though, I’d have to hang out and wait to close out.
Nothing worse than finishing a long exhausting shift, completing all your side work and being stuck there waiting on an oblivious table who set up camp a couple hours prior, looking as if they’re not going to leave any time soon and refusing to pay their check. Enough to make a haggard server want to bitch slap someone.