A group of us was invited to an EPTO dinner recently.
What is an EPTO dinner?
According to the person who sent the invitation, EPTO means “Everyone Pay Their Own” [sic].
I was brought up to think that when you invite someone, you’ll pick up the tab.
You don’t invite someone and ask him to pay for himself.
In a way I don’t blame the guy who invited us.
You see, I work for a strange company.
Those who are in sales have a budget for “entertainment.”
The rest of us who go in to deliver what the sales guys have sold have none of that luxury.
Even during company training sessions conducted at hotel function rooms, at lunch times, we have to go look for our own food.
The company will never spend a cent feeding you.
That’s policy.
But that’s not the strange part.
The strange part is this – the company will even fly in expensive resources (and pay for their airfares, hotels, per diem, etc) just to do role-plays at training sessions but it would not arrange for lunch at the same training sessions.
A case of penny wise pound foolish?
Anyway, I declined the offer.
If I have to pay for my own meal, I’d rather eat by myself at a restaurant of my own choice.
Or order room service.