Dining Out; Make It Great Again!

At some point in your life, it’s inevitable that you and a crowd of friends or co-workers will choose a restaurant as a meeting place. In order to make the best of your experience, there a few things that you, as a guest, can do to save time, money and aggravation. 

The first thing to remember is that timing is everything. If the restaurant is already packed full of people and you have a wait time for your table, chances are that there will be some other delays as well. Even if the restaurant is not full, there is a different dynamic for large parties of seven or more. 

Once your server is at the table; don’t be afraid to ask any questions about the menu. Not only will this prevent you from ordering something you don’t like, it will save your server time in the kitchen. If you know you will want extra sauces, or certain seasonings on the side, don’t hesitate to let them know at the time of placing your order. Many guests fear they are overwhelming a server if they ask for too much at the time or ordering. The opposite is indeed true; it’s harder on a server and the kitchen staff to catch up on all the things that may have been missed. 

Everyone is human; things will be forgotten from time to time. Again, try to have these requests all at the same time. While it might take an extra minute to get it; it will be better than your server going back and forth and therefore creating a longer wait for your meal to be just right. Great servers strive to make sure everything is correct and are happy to resolve any problems. 

With the introduction of technology and the ability to take a cell phone that surfs the web and watches TV all at once, it’s easy to forget about the ettiquette of using a phone in public. Taking an order from someone while they are on the cell phone is very uncomfortable for the server and can cause a misunderstanding in the order itself. 

Large parties often will have a 15% gratuity added to them automatically. It’s not personal; most computer systems in restaurants are programmed to add the gratuity on a ticket with seven or more seats. Of course; your server would always appreciate any extra you can afford, especially if they were attentive and genuinely happy to wait on you and your party. It’s not always the big tippers, though, that the server appreciates. They also need compliments. In the restaurant business there is always competitions between stores and servers to be the best. If you had a great time; don’t hesitate to call and let a manager know or complete a survey that might come attached to your check. Those things really make a person’s day!

Of course this is not a perfect world. Problems do occur and often it is beyond your control! If you have problems it is best to ask for a manager at the immediate time you find the problem, especially if it’s about the food order itself. There are servers that are incompetent or inattentive and management wants to know about that too. You can generally approach any staff member to get the manager to your table and they strive to find a solution that will make you, the guest, happy and willing to come back and give them another chance.