One in 20 diners have walked out of a restaurant without paying, according to a study.
One in 20 diners have walked out of a restaurant without paying, according to a study.
The research revealed fed-up restaurant goers have skipped the bill - because they were sick of waiting for the cheque.
And a further 25 per cent admit they would consider doing a runner if they had to wait for an excessive amount of time - any longer than 30 minutes.
The research of 2,000 adults who eat out in restaurants found they typically have to wait nine minutes and 57 seconds from the point they ask for the bill until the moment they settle it.
In response, Barclaycard is trialling ‘Dine & Dash’ at high-street chain Prezzo, which enables diners to pay automatically and walk out straight after eating – bypassing the traditional bill-paying process.
Nick Kerigan, managing director of future payments at Barclaycard, said: “Eating out is something we all look forward to, yet our research shows that waiting to pay is an increasing frustration.
“Building on our experience in ‘invisible payments’, we wanted to create an innovative solution that removes any barriers to enjoying the meal, whilst also helping restaurants deliver great service and keep those diners coming back.
“By taking the pain out of payments, Dine & Dash is a ‘win win’ for both consumers and restaurants.”
It also emerged 36 per cent find waiting for the bill to be one of the most frustrating aspects of eating out.
Amid this, 38 per cent would like restaurants to take automatic payments through an app to avoid paying with cash or a card – much like Uber.
In fact, 55 per cent think there will be a time when we don’t receive a physical bill anymore.
A separate poll of 300 restaurant owners also found 67 per cent of are in favour of an ‘invisibill’ way to pay to improve service and customer satisfaction.
Dave Broom, IT Director at Prezzo, said: “Finding better ways to serve our customers is at the top of the agenda for Prezzo.
“We believe we have found a unique opportunity with Barclaycard’s Dine & Dash solution as it makes payment simpler and quicker.
“We’re really looking forward to testing this exciting new technology in our restaurants.”
Dine & Dash is being trialled at the St Martins Lane Avenue Prezzo restaurant in Central London on 13 March.
The public can sign up on a first-come, first-served basis here: https://tinyurl.com/dinedashevent.
SWNS
