Etiquette Tuesday: Bill Me Later.
©JohnnaKnowsGoodFood
Leave it to the Real Housewives of Potomac to give yet another week of quality content for Etiquette Tuesday. This week’s episode touched on so much improper etiquette, I could write a book. No need to stuff it into one post, I will happily space these out. Perhaps the most pressing etiquette tip comes from the caterer featured in this week’s episode: Bill Me Later. What happened?
Ashley Darby decided to the host the ladies for a weekend at her summer home in Bethany Beach, Delaware and hired a caterer to ease the stress of having to cook and prep for the ladies arrivals. Once dinner was over, the caterer comes to the head of the table and hands Ashley an envelope with the bill for the evenings services in front of all of her guest. How rude?! Who does this?! Rule numero uno in providing catering services is you either handle financial matters before you set up one display station or you pull the host aside at the end of the event in a private area to discuss billing logistics. You, under NO circumstances, hand them the bill while they are still entertaining their guests.
Now I may sound like one of the other cast members with this one, but I will take title if it means cleaning up this type of behavior. The point of hiring a caterer is to ease the pangs of prepping, cooking and cleaning up the mess. Asking for the bill as soon as I finished the last of my sorbet is hardly detracting me from the stress of hosting an event. The moral of the story is clear this up before the guests arrive or wait until you are not around the guests. If I wanted to exchange cash in front of my guests, I would have suggested a restaurant.
ATTENTION all Caterers who think this was acceptable: Cut this out. Seriously, it’s bad for business.
Category: Etiquette Tuesday
About the Author (Author Profile)
Johnna French is a Harlem NY native with deep roots in Panama, Washington, DC and North Carolina. All four places have heavily influenced her life and the foods she loves today. After graduating Howard University School of Law and beginning her life as a young professional in the city she was led to start Johnna Knows Good Food in November 2007 to keep family, friends and colleagues updated on where to go and what to eat while dining in the nation’s capitol. French, who still practices law, leads a team of three writers to cover the ever expanding Washington, DC food scene. French has been featured in print and television, appearing in Washingtonian Magazine and is a regular contributor to various local TV affiliates including WUSA 9, FOX 5 DC and WJLA (ABC Affiliate) News Channel 8. During the 2016-2017 football season, Johnna aired on Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic (CSN) show, Redskins Life, as the weekly tailgate host. Johnna is currently a regular contributor to the FOX Baltimore Weekend morning show.Subscribe
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Seriously, who hires someone to work for them after a price is agreed upon without discussing the when,where and how payment particulars,i.e.,when payment will be made,where payment will be made and how payment will be made. A good host would want to know in advance not just for their guests but to be fair to the person providing the services.
True, the host should know when payment is required. The caterer here, however, could have used more tact in retrieving the payment for their services.