Sanity checking the price, and selling up to increase income
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2009-09-21 16:46:47 - Graham Ellis
"Does that LOOK right?" It's a question I always ask myself before I present a critical piece of information - such as a bill - to someone. The sanity checking in this was is something which was taught to me (and taught well, because it has stuck and is useful) many years ago when learning to use a slide rule, where you have to mentally calculate the order of magnitude of a result, although you read of the actual numbers to 2 or 3 decimal places.
But I think I'm unusual in asking "does that look right?". Out to lunch today - just myself and one delegate on the learning to program in Java day that precedes the Java Bootcamp course, I was taken aback to be charged over 18 pounds for a soft drink and a "lunch special" for two of us ... my estimate would have been (2 x lunch at five pounds, 2 drinks at two pounds) 14 pounds. However, in front of a delegate, I'm loathe to challenge a bill which could be right - and surely the barman would spot anything silly?
Anyway ... I looked at my receipt, a little shocked at the price, as we say down and noted three halves of lager shandy on my bill. Now that was the point at which I did take the bill back up, and ask if it was right; it wasn't, and the barman went away to correct it and brought back a new receipt and four pounds. He didn't seem surprised, and it was more of "yes, that's wrong, I'll correct it" rather than "I am SO sorry ..." ((At least it wasn't "You're too late - you paid it"))
Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Perhaps, and perhaps I'm being unfair to the Xxxx's Xxxx, where the food was nice, the service fast enough for lunchtime, and the prices - including those in the extra menu that the barman helpfully (!) pressed on my delegate ("selling up") weren't out of the question for a lunch with more delegates on another date. But there's certainly a note of 'check the bill, expect to be sold up towards more expensive food' which leaves it as a less appropriate lunch place for us. For others - for example the three old ladies, sat in the window with their three halves of lager shandy for which I had unwittingly paid, it's probably ideal.
Anyway ... I looked at my receipt, a little shocked at the price, as we say down and noted three halves of lager shandy on my bill. Now that was the point at which I did take the bill back up, and ask if it was right; it wasn't, and the barman went away to correct it and brought back a new receipt and four pounds. He didn't seem surprised, and it was more of "yes, that's wrong, I'll correct it" rather than "I am SO sorry ..." ((At least it wasn't "You're too late - you paid it"))