This can happen to anyone, you go out to eat a grand meal, order some drinks, but when the bill comes around, you realize you can’t pay as your credit card won’t go through, and you are not with sufficient cash. You get stuck with the puzzle of what to do.
What would you do if you finished eating in a restaurant and your card gets declined?
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This happened to me recently. Fortunately it was at one of my favorite restaurants, so they knew me. And it’s probably important to point out that they seemed to like me.
I had stupidly forgotten to replace an expired card with a new one I had received in the mail. As I had paid off and cut up all other credit cards but this one, I was SOL.
So I offered to a write a check —I always keep a blank one, leave something with them or run to a cash machine, or run home and bring back the new activated card. They allowed me to just leave and call back with the new card info.
With that trust and generosity of spirit, they forever secured my loyalty and gratitude. The name of the restaurant is Tony’s in Cincinnati, Ohio.
What happens depends on your attitude. If you are sincerely embarrassed and apologetic the restaurant will trust that you will return and pay the bill at the earliest opportunity. What else can they do? If you give any hint that this was an intentional act, a “dine and dash” plan, they can call the police and you can be charged with theft of services.