DINING OUT ETIQUETTE
Penny Pinching takes the Biscuit
Bill dodgers who don’t pay their fair share of the tab are the most irritating dinner companions for over fifty per cent of Brits, according to new research around dining habits by leading UK shopping website VoucherCodes.co.uk.
The poll of three thousand respondants revealed that people who deliberately order expensive extras when they know the bill is being split evenly incur the wrath of many Brits, closely followed by frugal friends who whip out a calculator to work out their exact share of the bill.
The top five socialising pet hates are:
1. Not paying fair share of the bill
2. Over ordering when the bill is being split
3. Not ordering food, but sharing other people’s
4. People who use a calculator to work out exactly what they owe
5. People who refuse to contribute to the tip
And it’s not just friends who are scrimping on paying for their dinner - twenty per cent of men admit to always paying the bill when they go for a meal with their partner, compared to just seven per cent of women. Married men are the worst off when it comes to dining out with a quarter claiming they always pay for dinner.
Despite these financial frustrations, the survey revealed that nearly a quarter of Brits only leave a tip if they consider the food or service to be exceptional and a shocking five per cent of people claim to never tip at all, regardless of the quality of service they receive.
Duncan Jennings, co-founder of VoucherCodes.co.uk, commented on the findings:
“
As disposable incomes become increasingly stretched, people are becoming even more vocal about acceptable social etiquette when eating out with friends and family – especially when it comes to paying the bill. When finances are tight, paying for other people’s expensive extras or dealing with tip dodgers can really put strain on friendships and relationships. As the festive season approaches, even more people will be heading out to celebrate in groups. Many of these people are running the risk of crossing the fine line between watching the pennies and not paying what they owe.”
