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NeedleCast (1000+ posts) Wed Apr-08-09 03:57 PMOriginal message How To Enjoy a Better Dining Experience Inspired by this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph... and a follow on thread from a different OP which has been locked and wont be linked to, I present a guide for better dining.As a person who spent about five years waiting tables in or managing a large, independent restaurant, I'd like to suggest a few things that will help you enjoy dining at a restaurant with a minimum of rodent feces added to your meals. 1. You will be waited on by a server. Please understand that this does not mean they are a servant. Treat them like humans. Servers are your link between the kitchen and the food that's about to go into your body. Think about that for a minute before being arrogant, condescending or acting like you are entitled to a crown. These are the people who stand between whether you enjoy a nice steak and vegetable or enjoy a nice steak and vegetable that has passed through the ass crack of an angry cook. Be nice, and they will almost certainly be nice as well.2. Understand that sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes its the fault of the server. Usually it's not. An order gets lost, food isn't prepared correctly...mistakes happen. You're the customer, you have a right to be satisfied. You do not have the right to be abusive and, as in almost all things, you will get better results by showing kindness and understanding that you will by ranting and raving.3. If something goes wrong, ask to speak to the manager or general manager. They are, in the case of almost all fine dining establishments, the best and often ONLY way things will be made right. 4. Don't go to a sit-down restaurant when you are "in a hurry." You are setting yourself up for failure. 5. Understand that your table does not operate in a vacuum. Is it Friday night in a busy restaurant? Then yes, it may take half an hour for your entree to arrive. Order a 16oz steak well done? I'm not sure why you want a succulent steak turned into a hockey puck but it's your mouth, put what you like in it, just understand that despite the fact you're paying for this meal, the laws of physics still apply and meat takes awhile to achieve well doneness. You want a well done sirloin done in five minutes? Go to Sizzler. 6. Understand that servers make money by turning tables. It is 100% okay for you to linger over after dinner drinks, but please, please take that into consideration in your tip. If you stay an extra hour and order nothing, please compensate your server with a moderate increase in tip.7. Understand that while servers may not be big time like you, they have long memories for shitty customers and will, generally, go out of their way to ensure you receive only the minimum. If they are good servers, their managers will generally back them up on that. Please reference point #1 for more information.8. Most fine dinging restaurants are happy to accommodate any dietary or nutritional requests you make, within reason. The surest, easiest way to do this is by asking nicely and be understanding. Can we blacken that mahi-mahi for you? Yes we can! Can we tone down that spicy entree for you? Yes we can! Can we make you a pork loin when we don't have pork loin in the fridge or freezer? I'm sorry, we can't prepare food we don't have. Again, laws of physics apply. 9. Plan to tip 15% at a minimum. 18% has become more the standard. 20% is nice. 25% is very nice, thank you. I understand that the way we pay our servers is not great. They make, in general two to three dollars an hour in wages. That's the way the system works. I agree that it is not necessarily the best system, but it's the system that is in use. Please don't take it out on your server because you don't agree with the system. If you refuse to tip on the grounds that you don't think you should have to pay the wages of the staff, then don't go to places where tipping is the norm, because that means you are tacitly supporting a system you claim to disagree with. 10. If something is wrong with your food, drinks, experience, et. al. I will say again that the person you're going to want to see is the manager. A good manager will take care of you if the staff or the restaurant is in the wrong. If they don't, you should cease to frequent the establishment. For the sake of brevity, I'll stop there. Just keep in mind that we all want you to have a good dining experience. You want to have a good experience and we want you to have a good experience. Happy customers are the best tippers (usually). We want you to be happy! We want you to have a great time in the hopes that will mean you give us more money. That's how the system works. A little kindness, a little praise when things go right and a little tolerance when things go wrong will go a long way toward achieving your goal of a nice dining experience.
Stinky The Clown (1000+ posts) Wed Apr-08-09 04:18 PMResponse to Original message 10. I've been in one facet or another of this industry for about 40 years ...... I agree with every word you wrote.I am a notoriously high tipper. As a result, I enjoy great service any place I return. People remember. I also enjoy letting a hard working person who is sweating and trying not to show it how much I appreciate their humping it for me.
kestrel91316 (1000+ posts) Wed Apr-08-09 04:19 PMResponse to Original message 12. Do you have an explanation for why, almost every time I treat myself (alone) to a nice lunch, I manage to get virtually ignored by the person who is supposed to bring the menu, and the person who is supposed to take my order, and the person who is supposed to check to make sure my order is satisfactory, and the person who is supposed to bring the check, and the person who is supposed to bring my change?I am pleasant to servers. At least I start out that way, but if service (and I don't ask for much, seriously) is lacking or downright negligent, I find it hard to tip more than 10%. I am very patient, BTW, being the sort of person who brings a good book when I dine alone. Except for when I went to NOLA, where they know how to treat patrons, my finer dining experiences in recent years have been sorely lacking and sometimes appallingly bad.
tammywammy (1000+ posts) Wed Apr-08-09 04:28 PMResponse to Reply #12 18. I usually don't get treated very poorly when dining by myself But last Sunday, I went to this one place, I've been there before by myself (always had good service). I had a young, maybe 17 year old waitress. She lacked the attention to refill my drink or make sure my order was right (it wasn't).Now, I ordered a medium rare steak, it was medium well. I ate it, because well, I didn't want to wait on another one to come out. I didn't get the vegetable I ordered either. I think the lack of vegetable she should have noticed, but I chalked it up to her being young and this is probably her first waitress job. In the end, I still tipped her 20%, mostly b/c I know they don't make much. But when I go back I'll try to be sure I don't get her section.
Sequoia (1000+ posts) Wed Apr-08-09 04:22 PMResponse to Original message 14. 25% tip. I don't think so.
A minimum tip for average service is usually 20%. Just curious, what's the standard tip for a delivery person, pizza, or whatever?
Stinky The Clown I've been in one facet or another of this industry for about 40 years ...... I agree with every word you wrote.I am a notoriously high tipper. As a result, I enjoy great service any place I return. People remember. I also enjoy letting a hard working person who is sweating and trying not to show it how much I appreciate their humping it for me.
