No Power…No Problem: So, I’m having lunch at Friday’s (before the pandemic) and ask for our check. A short time later the waitress comes back and advises me they’re having problems with their system so there will be a delay. We patiently wait for 15 minutes or so at which time I go in search of our waitress. I find her standing beside a woman who appeared to be the manager and advised them that we had to leave. “I’d like to go ahead and pay cash. What do I owe you?” I asked. The manager looks at me with this bewildered look and says,” We can’t do that.” “Why is that? I ask.
“Well, we have to calculate the service charge.”
I was confused but assume that she meant the tax. “Well, why can’t we just do it like the old days?”
She looks at me with this blank stare, clearly having no idea how to do that.
“Look, “ I said, “I promise I can figure out my total if you’ll let me see a menu.” They both shrugged like I had suggested that we all sprout wings and fly but I got my menu.
“Ok, we had two entrees and water. So the price of the first one is $10.99 and the second is $11.99.” At this point they looked on with a smirk. “Now, we add them together and then multiply by 1.07 to add the tax. The total is $24.59. Here’s $30, thanks,” I said and out the door we went leaving them appearing bewildered by my feat of magic.
It amazes me that they were completely incapable of totaling up a check without the computer. Our modern world.
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