When going to any restaurant you want to get the meal you desire. That being said, there is some give and take on the part of customer and server. Here are tips on how to improve your dining experience.
First and foremost, if you have special dining needs call ahead and find out if the restaurant is right for you. I remember a group outing to the original Dreamland Ribs in Tuscaloosa. A member of our group was a vegetarian. We informed her that the place was famous for only serving ribs, sauce, and white bread. She said, "That’s fine with me." Once we arrived she asked for potato salad. No potato salad. She asked for coleslaw. No coleslaw. She spent the evening eating white bread and BBQ sauce. The menu limitations were not the restaurant’s fault. Diners need to prepare for their outing.
On the other hand reasonable dietary needs should be accommodated. During a visit to a major Italian restaurant chain I dined with a friend who is allergic to shellfish. He ordered a pasta primavera dish that contained no shellfish. To be certain he informed the waitress that he is allergic to shellfish and asked if there was any in the dish. The answer was, "No." When the plate of pasta arrived it contained shrimp! We called the waitress back over and explained that there was a mix-up. She took the plate away and soon returned. She had another pasta dish that had SHRIMP!<.b>
By this time we were getting rather frustrated. The manager came over and asked what the problem was. When we explained the mix-up the manager responded that the dish was more expensive than the one originally ordered. What?! It was a great deal of work to simply get the dish that was ordered.
If there are other concerns call ahead. Ask to speak to the general manager if you would like a specific table or server. If there is a particular celebration or reason for the request let the restaurant know. For a special meal you may want to have a bottle of Champagne waiting at your table. Call ahead and request it. There should be no extra charge for this service, but it will add a special touch to the evening.
Learn to tip properly. The standard tip should be 15% of your bill. For exceptional service you should plan to tip 20%. Wait staff do not make minimum wage in most restaurants. They are expected to make-up the difference in tips. When you stiff the waiter you are depriving him of his livelihood. In addition the IRS taxes wait staff as if they have received a proper tip.
There are variations on this rule. If you’ve ordered an expensive bottle of wine or several bottles you can figure a 10% tip for the wine and 15% on the remainder. If you are at a buffet the standard is 10% of the bill. At one of our favorite Chinese restaurants we realized that we received much better service than other customers. It took us a while to realize that one of the reasons is that we actually tipped. While most people left a dollar for a table of eight we tipped 10%.
If you believe you received sub-par service then a smaller tip may be warranted. There is a condition on this practice. If you leave a lower tip then you need to tell the general manager why. This allows for corrections to be made.
It’s tacky to take the tip left by someone else. You may think I’m joking, but this happens all too often. My brother-in-law had someone pickup the tip he placed on the table and left $5 on a tab for six people. He had to go back in and give the tip back to the waitress.
By planning appropriately you will have a much more pleasant dining experience. Don’t be afraid to ask for special arrangements to be made. Take time to treat the restaurant staff as professionals who deserve dignity, respect, and appropriate compensation. Be prepared to relax and enjoy your encounter with food.
