“There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking.” – Joshua Reynolds

An interesting example of a company that spoon-feeds their customers is Ted’s Montana Grill.

At any other restaurant, the bill would come at the end of the meal, with the sum total of everyone’s meals, and the entire group would struggle to calculate how much each of them owed. Cash is exchanged, tip calculators are whipped out, and there’s always that one jerk (me) who only has a credit card. Figuring out how to split the bill is an ordeal. At Ted’s, it isn’t.

A $75 bill, nicely divided into four sections showing what each person ordered and how much it cost. You know exactly how much you owe without having to think about it or argue with your friends.

As Larry David said, no one wants to do math after eating a meal. Ted took that to heart.

It might seem trivial to do something like this. There’s no impact on the bottom line. But it’s an unexpected surprise, and it leaves customers feeling happy.