Tips For Eating Out

[happybrew]

I manage a restaurant. While most customers are a joy to serve, every now and then people do things that make it difficult to serve them. There are also a lot of bad restaurants out there, and things can happen if your not aware. So I thought I'd give some tips for eating out.


Tips for Eating Out

1. When you walk in, look for a sign that says "Please Wait To Be Seated" then wait to be seated. If you seat yourself, don't blame the server or the management if you seated yourself in a station that had a bunch of people ahead of you, and you had to wait for them to order before anyone came to get your order. And if you violate this, don't seat yourself at a dirty table. It will look to someone walking by that you have already eaten your food, and if the restaurant is very busy, you may not get served. It will be your own fault. Don't holler at the staff and the management.

2. Don't throw your order at the person seating you when they seat you. That person is probably not your server. By doing that, you deny your server the opportunity to provide you with good service by knowing your needs from the time you place your order. Also, it pulls away the host or the manager from seating people, and makes others have to wait while they take care of your order. Also, you don't know how many people were seated ahead of you who would like to have their order taken. It's the same as cutting in line. A good server knows your time is valuable, and will get to you as quickly as possible. There is a division of labor in a restaurant so that everyone is taken care of quickly. Please respect that. If you don't, your service will suffer, and you'll deprive someone else of the staff's time. If you're in a hurry, though, let the person seating you know that you are in a hurry, and they might have the time to take your order, or get someone who does. We want to make sure your needs are met.

3. Read the menu. Please. If you have any questions, a good server will have the answer and will be more than happy to answer them. If you just assume that your meal comes in a way that it doesn't, don't holler at the staff and management because you didn't read the menu.

4. Please don't allow your children to run around the restaurant. It ruins the experience for other patrons, and it is dangerous for your children. A server may be carrying a tray that weighs 30 to 50 pounds for a large group. If you child is underfoot, and runs into the server, that tray can fall on your child and injure your child, not to mention the server. I have a waitress who suffered permanent damage to her knee from just this situation. She still has pain 5 years after the event. And of course, the parents were angry and blamed the restaurant for their kid running amok in the restaurant and tripping the server, who had no idea a kid was coming at her and no way she could see the child because the tray blocked her view. But it was their fault. We had asked them not to allow their kid to run around the restaurant.

5. If you find a hair in your food, it may be your own, or someone else's at your table. I would estimate that 75% of hairs found in food are from the customer, based on length and color of the hair. If the hair is blond, and your hair is blond, or the person sitting next to you is blond, and your server's hair is brown, and the cook's hair is black, don't expect me to comp your meal. I will apologize, and offer to replace it, as that is good customer relations. But I won't pay for your meal.

6. If you are unhappy with your meal for any reason, please let the management know. We want to make sure that you are satisfied with your experience. If you sit there and stew about something that we are unaware of, you don't do yourself any favors. We want to fix it. A good server will check on you frequently. If you need something, let them know. It's what they are there for. If you are unhappy with the service, let the manager know. We can address it with the employee so that we can coach them to improve. In this day and age, firing a bad employee is risky business. We can be, and are, sued by disgruntled former employees. Ordinarily, the really bad employees are also the most likely to sue, because they blame everything that goes wrong on someone else, rather than trying to improve their own performance. Thus, we need to document problems prior to letting someone go. If you let the manager know about problems with service, we have something concrete that we can bring to the employee if you receive absolutely horrible and/or rude service. If the employee receives the same sorts of complaints over and over, we are safe in letting them go. But we need your help to do that.

7. On the flip side, if you are making unfounded or frivolous complaints in an attempt to get a free meal, we will see right through you. Saying that your omlette, which you ate and licked the plate afterwards and really enjoyed, was horrible so that you can get it free is lying and stealing. I'm not going to tell you what we look for in evaluating a complaint, but there are objective criteria we use. If I tell a thief what we look for, it will make it easier for that thief to make off with a free meal. If we've really messed up, I am more than willing to comp your meal, and I may even give you a card for a free one in the future, because we value your business. But if you're just trying to get a free meal, 9 times out of ten I can tell, and I will lose all respect for you. Some restaurants have a "customer is always right" policy. My restaurant does not. When I personally hand you your food, having watched it come off the grill and carried it directly to you, and it has steam coming off of it when I hand it to you, don't even think about telling me it's cold. On the other hand, if you're honest when you make a complaint, steel chains can't keep me from trying to make it right for you.

8. Don't cuss in my restaurant. Don't harass my waitresses. Don't shout at your waitress because the toast isn't to your liking. I will kick you out. The staff and the other customers don't need that. We are professionals. Please treat us as such. We want to make you happy. But we won't let you make others unhappy.

9. Remember when you leave that the government assumes you are leaving a tip, and the server will have to pay taxes on 8 1/2% of his or her sales, whether you leave a tip or not. If you have received bad service, by all means don't tip. But if you have received good service, don't stiff your server because you're feeling cheap. A good server will focus, not on the tips, but on the service. Any server who complains about tips is not a good server. A good server will not mention anything about their tips anywhere a customer can hear. But they pay taxes regardless. I don't know how many times I've had customers rave about how good the food and service was, and come back every week because they like it so much, and request that particular server, and then only leave a buck for a $150 tab. That's not fair to your server.

10. Don't bring McDonalds into my restaurant. It is low class, and it is an abuse of our facilities.

11. If the restaurant is dirty outside and inside, it means the staff and management don't care about it. It also means they won't care about you either. Lack of cleanliness is a good indicator of poor service. Look at the doors and windows. Look at the parking lot. Look at the floors. It will give you a good indication of how the service and the food will be.

12. I would estimate that well over half of all restaurants provide poor service. Don't tolerate it. Speak up. If they don't care about you, don't reward them with future business. Someone else wants your business and will take care of you.

13. When paying by credit card in a restaurant, make sure you fill out the slip clearly, and don't leave room for someone else to write in a tip that you didn't write in. It's not a frequent occurrance, but it happens even in the best restaurants. Also, keep the copy of your slip and write in what you left for a tip so you don't forget. Check your statement against the slip. If someone wasn't paying attention, and hit $20 instead of $2 when they entered the tip, and the manager was too lazy to reconcile credit card receipts, you could end up paying more than you should. Or, if there is a thief in the restaurant, you could end up paying more than you should. Call the restaurant if it's not right.

14. If you get sick an hour or two after leaving the restaurant, it's probably not the restaurant that did it. On the other hand, if you get sick one to three days after eating in a restaurant, it could be that restaurant. Foodborne illnesses take time to develop. If the hot food isn't hot, or the cold food isn't cold, or it seems like your food has been sitting on a counter somewhere for a couple of hours, don't take any chances. Have them make a new one. Every time I've decided I didn't have time to get a new item at another establishment, and ate it anyway, I've regretted it.

Happy Dining!

happybrew

[Pete]

Happy Brew, Thanks for the guidance. Indulge me and my twisted sense of humor for a bit, OK? I don't mean to detract from the points of courtesy and respect we all owe those who we choose to serve us when we decide not to cook for ourselves.

Customer Service Tips for Meal providers

1. Anticipate my arrival and greet me by name as you open the door for me upon my arrival.

2. Anticipate how many will be in my party, have my table ready and the drinks and appetizers I will want should be on their way to the table as we sit down. Why should I bother with figuring out what you make well?

3. Please don't bother me with a menu. You already anticipated what I want and have it ready for me.

4. Please find entertaining activities for my kids while I'm entertaining my guests and eating. You spent a lot of effort preparing my food and I wouldn't want it spoiled by screaming brats crawling under the table. Maybe you could set up a video for them.

5. Hair? I don't think so!

6. If I appear less than fully delighted with my meal, please correct the error by anticipating what I really wanted and just bring it. You might apologize for incorrectly anticipating my tastes for the evening, but offer to never let it happen again. Provide a bottle of wine to easy my discomfort.

7. Mistakes happen. Cooking is an art. If the recipient of the food, me, isn't fully appreciative of the artist's culinary talent, there's a problem. If I say the food's cold, that's just my polite way of saying it tastes like cat food.

8. Cussing ... well, if someone's offended by loud, foul language, they're in the wrong restaurant cuz I'm here and I'm gonna act like a drunk sailor if I want. I'm paying for the food and the ambiance and I am the ambiance! OK?

9. Bills? Tabs? Tips? Take it up with my staff. I don't want to see the bill or handle money. You never know where money has been. It probably has germs on it and I don't want to catch anything!

10. No McDonald's? Coq au vin just cries out for nuggets and fries to soak up the juice! Besides, you probably don't have a toy with the meals you serve. Oh, and if I bring a bottle of wine from my cellar, don't charge me for the privilege of taking the cork out, OK? You should be honored that I would bring a bottle that actually has aged more than 2 years.

11. Dirt is a sign of a popular restaurant. If people love a place, it will show in the filth that accumulates in the course of a busy day.

12. I have to agree that bad service shouldn't be tolerated. The restaurant manager should ensure that anyone not providing good service is humiliated in front of the customers so we know you are doing something to correct the problem.

13. Credit cards? I don't mess with payment. If my staff didn't take care of it, send the bill to my accountant.

14. If I get sick after eating at your establishment, it's your fault ... have your physician attend to me. Don't send a bill, you should be happy if I don't have your place turned into a convenience store.

.... now go back and read the original post again. It's got valid and important information to ensure an enjoyable experience for diners.

[ 06-12-2003, 08:24 PM: Message edited by: Pete ]

[OceanBlue]

Happybrew,

Great post.

You could also title your post "tips for dating"

I can't tell you the number of times I've been embarrassed by a date who doesn't tip appropriately... or at all.

Pete: I'm not sure I understand your response. It looks like humor, but your lack of graemlins leaves me wondering...

[happybrew]

I can address some of these for you Pete!

"1. Anticipate my arrival and greet me by name as you open the door for me upon my arrival." Absolutely! A good restaurant will learn your name and how many people normally come with you, and start preparing when they see your car drive up. Unfortunately, too many restaurants do not care enough to do this.

"2. Anticipate how many will be in my party, have my table ready and the drinks and appetizers I will want should be on their way to the table as we sit down. Why should I bother with figuring out what you make well?" Actually, a good restaurant will try to do this. Beverages almost never vary. If they're coming to you as you're taking off your coat, that's good. Appetizers are a bit trickier. Not everyone wants an appetizer every time. I remember this one customer we had who ordered the same thing every day, to take back to his shop. We saw him coming, and we'd start cooking it, but he always walked too fast, and we never had it waiting for him when he came in. He always had to wait a minute or so. Then one day, we did it! He paused in the parking lot for a moment, and we got it ready as he walked in the door. Someone was coming up with his food as he stepped into the lobby..... And he ordered something different!!!!

"3. Please don't bother me with a menu. You already anticipated what I want and have it ready for me." See the above. A good restaurant will anticipate it, but that doesn't get rid of the necessity of ordering. If you change your mind and have something different, it's money down the drain if we have your usual cooking already.

"4. Please find entertaining activities for my kids while I'm entertaining my guests and eating. You spent a lot of effort preparing my food and I wouldn't want it spoiled by screaming brats crawling under the table. Maybe you could set up a video for them." There was a good restaurant in Salem that had a room with videos for the kids, while the adults could enjoy their wine. It was Eng's. Unfortunately, they changed locations and don't have it anymore. The kids would watch the videos and the adults could sip wine and enjoy their conversation. My restaurant has toys you can build things with for the kids. It does wonders for keeping them occupied so the adults can have a conversation without the kids whining. If your favorite restaurant doesn't do this, suggest it to the management.

"5. Hair? I don't think so!" In a good restaurant, the server's hair will be tightly restrained, or for a guy, cut short. The cooks will wear hats and/or hair nets. This still does not prevent hair from getting into the food, because the customers have hair too, and they don't wear hair nets. Sorry to disagree with you here, but the majority of hairs found in food are from the customer. Studies have been done on this, in fact.

"11. Dirt is a sign of a popular restaurant. If people love a place, it will show in the filth that accumulates in the course of a busy day." This is true, but a good restaurant will have staff who care enough to clean as they go, and to immediately take care of mess in the ten foot blast radius of your toddler. I've had kids create messes that take 15 minutes to clean up, which is a lot of time for a busy restaurant to devote to it. It's amazing what a toddler can do. But if a restaurant cares, if there is dirt somewhere when you come in, it better not still be there when you leave.

"14. If I get sick after eating at your establishment, it's your fault ... have your physician attend to me. Don't send a bill, you should be happy if I don't have your place turned into a convenience store." Actually, I have to give you this one. It's because of the cussing. Had you not cussed in my restaurant, I wouldn't have poured the raw chicken juice onto your plate.
:shocked:

happybrew

[happybrew]

Originally posted by Pilar's Mate:
Happybrew,

Great post.

You could also title your post "tips for dating"

I can't tell you the number of times I've been embarrassed by a date who doesn't tip appropriately... or at all.

Pete: I'm not sure I understand your response. It looks like humor, but your lack of graemlins leaves me wondering...

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I took Pete's reply as a bit of humor, and a bit of seriousness, and he brings up some good points that anyone in the restaurant business should consider. A restaurant is a place where you shouldn't have to worry about pleasing the staff, and I'm sure my post came across that way a bit. It's where the staff should please you. My aim was to partly to show some ways to prevent a customer from sabotaging their own experience, because it does happen. There are a lot of details and a lot of things that have to line up perfectly in the restaurant business for the best service to occur. If someone comes in and says that they have a party of ten, and then thirty people walk in the door with that party, they have in effect sabotaged their own experience there. And this exact scenario happens to me several times a week. We can accomodate them for sure, but instead of the seamless transition from one part of the service cycle to another, there is an interruption as we move tables around and make extra trips around the restaurant when we could have made only one. That presents an inconvenience to the customer, and there are few things I hate more than an inconvenience for my customer, even if they caused it themselves. If I come across as whining about the customer, I apologize, as that is not my intent. Service is a relationship, and relationships which are two-way are more satisfying than relationships which are one way. Customers who communicate their needs are more likely to have their needs met. Again, the vast majority of customers are great, a real joy to be around. I want to reach the very small percentage of customers who sabotage their own experience at a restaurant. Pete is obviously not one of those, as he displays a clear idea of what he expects, and those expectations are entirely reasonable.

happybrew

[Artwo]

Happybrew,
A couple things, one question and one comment.

First, what restaurant do you work at, I would like to come try it out ?. You can e-mail me if you don't feel comfortable saying on here.

Next, my wife and I do our fair share of dining out. We go to places from fast food thru very nice, one thing I've noticed in most places we gone to lately is that they don't keep their restrooms clean. When I go somewhere to eat that is lets say casual or up, I would think that their retrooms would be very clean. This is not the only thing I judge them buy but it is kind of a turn off.

JK

[SafetyChain]

HappyBrew,
One question I would like clarification on, if you know. I understand that Oregon MUST pay servers minimum wage. Most other states pay less than minimum because they have what is known as tip share.(For those unfamiliar with this, tip share is the amout of the tip that is used to bring the wage up to minimum) So if I visit a chain resturaunt in different states, order the same meal resulting in the same bill (excluding taxes) and were to pay the same tip based on equal service, the server in Oregon actually makes more money than the server in the other state. Is this correct?

I have been told this is the reason many companies refuse to open location in Oregon.

[snowball]

a big portion of tips made go as unreported income--

I don't get tips for my job, the guy working at Mac and dons doesn't get tipped, nor does the guy at 711 working for crap wages--
I'm curious as to why we don't tip them as well?

on the lighter side--
excellent information

[fish assassin]

Remember, your waitress (or waiter) is going to remember you if you don't tip
enough! You will probably not be happy in your next dining experience if you
get the same wait person.

Also remember, the waitress (waiter) is going to remember you if you over-tip!!
Your next dining experience at that establishment ('specially if you get the same
wait-staff) is going to be excellent!!

Good service deserves a good tip. These folks don't make a lot in wages and
depend on tips to make it! (IMHO) 10% if service is OK, but not stellar. 15% if
the service is good. 20% if the food is served hot, the water is re-filled, your
coffee is kept hot and your wait-person has a good attitude.

And don't forget your cook/bartender!! Cooks are notoriously underpaid. A few bucks
sent back to the cook can make all the difference in the world for your next dining
experience. 'Course, this makes more sense at a 4 star resturant than at a Mikey D's!


-assAssin-

[Snapset]

Happybrew, you obviously know what you are doing and have a well run restaurant.
I have a couple suggestions.
For servers: If my water glass stays full, 15% is the baseline for my tip. It will go up from there depending on the rest of the dining expertience. I am usually a thirsty guy, and if you leave the pitcher at my table, it will make me happy and save you time.

For Managers: If you need to correct or reprimand a server, there is a time and a place for it. In front of the customers is neither the time nor the place. If I see it, I will not return to your restaurant.

[happybrew]

Artwo: sorry, I'm not willing to divulge where I work to someone I don't know on the internet. You're right about the restrooms, it bugs me too.

Safetychain: You are correct. Oregon does not have a tip credit. We also have the highest minimum wage in the country. These two things combined prevent many chains from opening restaurants here. It also means that you pay higher prices than in other parts of the country at the same restaurant. There is a reason for the lack of a tip credit. It keeps companies from hiring people as servers at the sub-minimum wage, then assigning them tasks not connected with service so that they can pay less than minimum. Virtually every major chain that operates in a state with a tip credit has been sued at some point by their former employees for doing this. I'll make no bones about it: most restaurant management is brutal to their employees. I have both witnessed and been subjected to numerous labor law violations. I do not tolerate that, and I have fired or driven out managers who do not treat their staff well. Industry-wide, employee turnover approaches 200% annually. This makes it impossible to provide good service, because the bulk of your employees are inexperienced.

Snowball: you're right about the unreported income. Most servers correctly report their income. Some do not. It bites them in the behind, however, if they want to buy a house or a car, though, because then they cannot prove sufficient income to satisfy the bank. It also means that they get a nasty surprise at tax time, because they get what are called "allocated tips", which means that their sales get reported to Uncle Sam, who then decides that they need to pay taxes on 8 1/2%, and he wants his money NOW. And they will get less money if they go on unemployment or disability. And if they apply for some sort of government benefits, when Uncle Sam decides they've underreported, they have to pay those benefits back with penalties and interest. I've seen it happen plenty of times.

Fish Assassin: ditto what you said, except for one thing: Any server who retaliates for the lack of a tip by not providing good service on subsequent visits doesn't belong in the business! A server worth their tips will be focusing, not on the money, but on being the best every time. The money will naturally follow from that. A server who retaliates for the lack of a tip will also provide poor service if they think anyone else won't tip. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. They assume a tip won't come, so they provide poor service, and because they provide poor service, they don't get a tip. It becomes a slippery slope from there. Whether or not to leave a tip, and how much, is entirely a voluntary thing. It is not a requirement. Maybe that family coming in doesn't have a lot of money, and they scraped their pennies together to give one of the kids a good time on their birthday, and didn't have enough left over for a tip. A good server will simply want them to have a good time, and not focus on the money.

happybrew

[happybrew]

Originally posted by Snapset:

For Managers: If you need to correct or reprimand a server, there is a time and a place for it. In front of the customers is neither the time nor the place. If I see it, I will not return to your restaurant.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I hate that too. The place I'm at now, the GM when I started would literally scream at employees in the dining room. That guy was a head case. Boy I heard the horror stories when he was gone and I had his job. He kept saying he couldn't find people to keep the place adequately staffed, but he was turning over the whole crew every couple of months. When customers started telling me the things he'd do, it really amazed me that they kept coming back. Perhaps it was for the same reason people watch Jerry Springer.

happybrew

[fish assassin]

I was at Burger King one time (well, not exactly a resturant, but in the food(?)
service industry, anyway) and the kid behind the counter was trying to run the
counter AND the drive-thru while packaging up everybodies burgers and fries,
pour drinks, make shakes, ...

Anyway, the OTHER kid that was behind the counter had left to go on break just
as everything had gotten busy and then stayed away a *lot* longer than he should
have. A customer at the drive-thru complained to the manager about something and
this manager started yelling at the poor counter kid right there in front of everybody!
Really ticked me off!!

So as I was leaving, family in tow, I stopped at the counter (where the manager
was *still* berating the poor counter guy) and took a fiver out of my wallet and
handed it to the kid. I said to him "THANKS for the great service, I'm really suprised
that you were able to get us our meal so quickly, what with you working the counter
AND the drive-thru window alone!! Really showed a lot of hustle there, kiddo!!"

The managers jaw dropped on the counter and he said (I'll NEVER forget this!)
"Well, I guess there IS that!".

The kid was all smiles as I walked out and the manager looked pretty uncomfortable.
I just wanted to raise my fist in the air and yell "Power to the People!!" This
incident sure made an impression on my kids!
:grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

-assAssin-

[OceanBlue]

Mark - [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] You handled that with WAY more class than I have in the past! I'll have to remember that one.

[Tilla]

FA-
That sounds so cool!

[greenbuttskunk]

I've waited tables in a number of nice places. Anyone who's served food alot will tell you that it's one of the most demanding and tough jobs out there. To deal with morons, rude individuals, remember 12 things at once, find a sense of humor when you're ticked off. It's all quite a juggling match. I have alot of respect for folks to do this for a living, as long as the try and have a good attitue, they'll get my 20%

[Salmon Stryker]

HappyBrew,

I live in Salem and eat out quite often. I wonder if I've ever been to your place. I'd like to try it if I haven't already. I promise not to come into your establishment with my machine gun and go postal on the place. I won't stalk you or your employees, and I'll leave a big fat tip. I'm not a scary person, or a convict, or even on parole. I've never molested, hurt or otherwise beat anyone up (except when I was a police reserve and had to to defend my pregnant partner). I do like a good prime rib though. Re-consider an e-mail?

[Lured In]

I have been blessed with some great service that ALWAYS brings me back.

For instance...

I frequent one of our local gas stations nearly everyday. Those that work in the morning know I am going to get a Dr. Pepper, an apple cinnamon Nutri-grain bar, and a pack of smokes. Those that work in the afternoon/evening know that I am there to get two packs of smokes. When I get to the counter, the smokes are there waiting for me and they already know that I am going to pay with a debit card and don't want any cash back. (Maybe I am just a creature of habit, but that kind of service keeps me coming back.)

One of my favorite restaurants knows what my wife and I want to drink and our server brings it over before we have even ordered. Minimum tip is 20%.

There are lots of other examples I could think of but generally it comes down to relationships. If a server/service person builds (over time) a solid relationship with their customers, they and their business will do very well financially.

Great post HB.

[Empire]

I agree with what most have said above. Decent service is a two way street. Decent tipping is appropriate when appropriate.

One thing about restaurants I cannot stand, or understand,occurs when they change ownership. I have never known a restaurant to change ownership and improve because of it.

I used to eat at Abby's pizza in the early to mid 1980's. It was great pizza, especially the taco pizza. My family and I ate there every Sunday, any pizza for $8.50. I have since moved south, but I make semi annual trips to Oregon. On one trip I was told that Abby had sold out. I went and ordered my taco pizza. Blech! Its a good thing the hunting was still good.

Other eateries have gone downhill upon new ownership. I used to eat at a burger shop quite regularly. I went in there one day and found a whole new crew. I ordered my regular burger and fries. The new owners, apparently in an effort to make more money, changed to a cheaper (read: nasty) bun. I have not been back since. I still have the "buy 8 get 1 free card," (6 are punched) but I doubt I will ever redeem it.

If an eatery has established a niche, it should not be changed for the worse, or my business will most certainly vanish!

[Birdnest]

Pete...

I waited tables and bartended in college. I firmly believe that if more people had spent some time in any service industry that the service industry would be an easier place to work.

My secret to getting good service, I am polite to my server. I say thank you and please. My theory is that I usually stand out in such sharp contrast to the other rude idiots in my servers section that they are happy to provide me with prompt and friendly service.

This does not always work, mostly, but not always. I am good tipper, but I still believe in the concept To Insure Promptness...TIP. I don't care if the service is slow because things are just crazy, been there done that and got the free beer T shirt. However, if I feel my server could care less and just expects a tip anyway that is when you loose me. If I go back to the same establishment and get a different server with the same attitude, you probably just lost me as a customer (unless you make a really good micro that I can't buy somewher else :tongue: ).

So, be nice to your server and they will be nice to you.

Birdnest