I was in a swanky London bar last night for a friend’s birthday. As we weren’t staying long, the order was simple…. two diet Cokes. Yet when the bill came it was for £5.63, now let’s ignore the extortionate cost for a second (difficult as that is!) but how can a bill for two drinks come to an odd number?
I asked the waiter, who told me it was due to the 12.5% service charge! For that to happen it must have a quite bizarre rounding up policy. To check I then made him put the cost of one diet Coke through the till. Yes you’ve guessed it (well you have if you’re nerdy enough to still be reading this) a single Diet Coke cost £2.81. In other words had I ordered two separately I’d have paid only £5.62 – thus there’s a penny premium for ordering two together. Ridiculous!!!!!! I asked for my penny back, and the manager (who by now was looking over the waiter’s shoulder) agreed. Then I gave it as a tip.
