Friday, June 02, 2006

Rant: Being a Good Customer

I don't have anything else to write about just yet, so I figured it's about time I set forth my own humble opinions as to what you can do to be a good customer.

I write this both from the perspective of a waiter and a frequent diner.

The relationship between customer and service staff is fucked up already. In many ways, the server as the immediate face of the restaurant becomes the focus for all that goes ill in a restaurant, yet when things go well the first thing a customer wants to do is send compliments to the kitchen or the manager. Servers are blamed for prices, portion sizes, decor, and the length of time that it takes for food to get out of the kitchen, all of which the server has little if any control over. In the end too, the customer's responses are based as much upon ingrained and ritualized behavior than upon any actual judgment or logic. Complaining about how long food takes does not make the food come out quicker. Besides, if you're actually out enjoying yourself, it shouldn't how long something takes--aren't you having fun just being out?

With these thoughts in mind, here are some valuable (valuable!) tips to make your dining experiences better for you and the people who serve you.

1. Don't complain to a server. What I mean by this is don't complain to the server about issues of portion size, price, decor, etc. A server has no control over this--he or she may even be sympathetic to your concerns, but has neither the power to change these circumstances nor the eagerness to relay your complaints. If you have a legitimate beef, ask to speak to the manager on duty. While the manager probably won't give a fuck either (especially if the restaurant is established), he or she's more likely to be in a position to remedy your complaint if it is legitimate.

2. Do bring problems to a server's attention. If you think that food is improperly prepared or that you weren't given what was specified in the menu, do mention that in a fair and non-accusatory way to your server. Chances are that the mistake is an honest mistake and the restaurant will want to rectify it. Don't blame or penalize the server for the error and always, always be genial. You're much more likely to have an item comped or a complimentary drink or dessert sent to your table if you're friendly and helpful instead of pissed off and surly.

3. Don't denounce food categorically. Chances are if a restaurant has been open for a while they are established and enough people like what they're doing to keep the restaurant afloat. Despire what you might think, it is unlikely that anything on the menu is "terrible," "atrocious," or any other negative adjective. At the very worst it's just not to your tastes and chances are it is to the tastes of nearly every other diner. Those complaints just make you sound surly.

4. Read the menu. Just as with any test, read the contents thoroughly. It's okay. Take your time. Make sure you understand it before you ask any questions that'll make you look legally retarded.

5. Trust your server. At a good restaurant your server is a trained customer service professional there to help you. Ask your server for recommendations and then go along with them if you do. If you know what you want, then don't ask questions and just order.

6. Do your research. Find out about the restaurant before you go. Read reviews (professional or otherwise), find the menu online, ask friends who've been, or swing by and check the menu out sometime. Know what to expect this will make you less likely to suffer from sticker shock ro any other food-related shock.

7. Don't ignore your server. If a staff member of the restaurant comes to your table, pause and acknowledge there presence. A server is not coming to your table to be annoying, they're coming to serve you. Nothing pisses me off more than being ignored by a table--I'm not expecting your undivided attention, I just think that I can maybe help you right now. Maybe I can answer questions about the restaurant or the food. I understand that you might not be ready to order, that's not why I'm there. If you truly don't want the server there yet, a simple and polite "can you give us a couple minutes" suffices nicely. And be honest--if you say you need a couple minutes, then be ready to go in a couple minutes.

8. Order. Along those lines, just fucking order. You have all night to talk and visit--when you get to a table, sit down, read the menu, talk amongst yourselves, and decide on your meal. This helps you as much as it helps a server--I guarantee that on a busy night if you don't order by the second visit to your table by the server, you're increasing your likelihood of being ignored for a while exponentially. Once you're seated, spend the five goddamn minutes actually reading the menu instead of chatting up your dining partner--she's not going to sleep with you anyway, it's just a business lunch.

I'm sure more thoughts will come to me. Expect a second installment.

2 comments:

Springs1 said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Springs1 said...

"2. Do bring problems to a server's attention. If you think that food is improperly prepared or that you weren't given what was specified in the menu, do mention that in a fair and non-accusatory way to your server. Chances are that the mistake is an honest mistake and the restaurant will want to rectify it. Don't blame or penalize the server for the error and always, always be genial."

SOME errors ARE the server's fault.

1. They may print the ticket wrong.
2. The menu states a condiment or side item COMES with the meal on the menu, but the server brings it to the customer WRONG.
3. The customer specifically ordered condiments like mayo or ranch WITH their meal and the server brings the meal without them.

The server is supposed to compare the menu and the written order with the plate of food to make sure the correct entree, sides, and condiments are correct. I don't penalize the server for a pickle when I order no pickles, because they can't touch the food to see if it's there, but things they CAN SEE ARE the server's fault for taking it to the customer wrong. Initially, yeah, the cook is at fault, but WHY make a trip to the table to bring the food out wrong only to return to the kitchen to get the missing items and make the customer WAIT LONGER to eat? That's a mistake within itself. Ask yourself, "Did the cook take my order?" The answer is NO, so obviously, ONLY the SERVER KNOWS EXACTLY what I said. The cook may make an error, but the server should make sure what they are taking to the customer is CORRECT as far as what they can SEE anyway.

http://www.mtsusidelines.com/media/paper202/news/2003/10/01/Opinions/Tips-Are.Earned.Rewards.Not.An.Ordained.Right-508957.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.mtsusidelines.com

"Never, ever take food out that is incorrectly done (I had a waitress rip me a new one for something I goofed up on as a cook and she demanded I fix it then and there - and she was right and I learned)."

See it's the SERVERS responsiblity to make sure things are correct BEFORE taking it to the customer.

"You're much more likely to have an item comped or a complimentary drink or dessert sent to your table if you're friendly and helpful instead of pissed off and surly."

Honestly, I had rathered my order be correct and NEVER get ANYTHING free. Big deal so I get a free dessert or whatever, but I my food was wrong. Doesn't make the problem any less aggrevating, but I do appreciate when the server has taken the effort to apologize as well as gotten a manager to solve the issue. THOSE things are what truly makes up for the mistake more than any freebies.

"Besides, if you're actually out enjoying yourself, it shouldn't how long something takes--aren't you having fun just being out?"

It should when you are HUNGRY. Man you are one selfish person. It SHOULD matter if I asked for the check, but the server doesn't come back for 15 minutes to ring up the check. It SHOULD matter when you see your server chit-chatting with a friend instead of putting the order into the computer, so your wait is 45 minutes for your entrees. How do you enjoy yourself if you are waiting 45 minutes or longer for your food, I mean really? Most people would be a bit pissed at waiting almost an hour for their food.

"Complaining about how long food takes does not make the food come out quicker."

Maybe it does. One time at Applebee's the waiter FORGOT my margarita I ordered, because I got a soft drink as well and he brought the soft drinks out, but the margarita wasn't ready yet. I waited 25 minutes and he came by the table, so I asked him about where my margarita was. He said he forgot, so YES, it DOES help to complain about how long food or drinks take. Even about 2 months ago I went to Outback and the waitress forgot my margarita, but I reminded her about it. See, if I didn't, I wouldn't have had it for 25 minutes or more again more than likely. So YES, complaining or inquiring about your food or drinks DOES help.

We also had to remind our server one time of our appetizer order and he realized he didn't put the order into the computer, so we ended up waiting a half an hour for an appetizer. YES, it DOES help to complain to get your food faster at times.

"Servers are blamed for prices, portion sizes, decor, and the length of time that it takes for food to get out of the kitchen, all of which the server has little if any control over."

I'll agree with EVERY one of these that you listed that aren't in the server's control EXCEPT the lenght of time, because if the server forgets to put the order in or busses tables before putting orders in or goes to take 6 people's orders before putting the orders in, well OF COURSE the cook HAS NO IDEA that we ordered 2 entrees without a TICKET. So, MOST of the time it is in no control of the server as far as the amount of time people wait for their food, but SOMETIMES, it DEFINATELY is the server, because HOW COME WE WAITED 30 MINUTES FOR AN APPETIZER? Because he FORGOT to put the order into the computer. That is NO ONE'S fault except the *SERVER'S* 100%. The cook has NO CONTROL over the server forgetting to put the order in or printing the ticket incorrectly or not printing the ticket RIGHT AFTER the orders have been taken. The SERVER DOES have SOME control over the lenght of time someone is waiting for their food or drinks. The ONLY times they don't is if the server went to put the order in right away, put the order in 100% correctly, and got the food when it JUST ready. Otherwise, if the server busses a table before putting the order in, THAT is delaying someone's order right there, just that. If the server goes greet a table of 10, well of course it's going to take a couple of minutes if they are ordering appetizers, mixed drinks, and soft drinks as well as asking questions. So YES, they DO have control over how fast the order goes into the computer and if it was printed correctly.

Think about it, if Jane Doe gets an order from table 4 for mozzarella sticks and goes to take a party of 6's order at table 7 BEFORE going to put the order in, well of course table 4 won't have their mozzarella sticks as fast. No, I don't think the cook's cook it right away when it's busy, but it's NEXT on the list and some other server in that 2-3 minutes that the server is getting table 7's order, another server named Joe Schmoe could be at the computer putting in an order of mozzerlla sticks for table 15, meaning, table 15's mozzarella sticks are going to come out first. Is that fair? NO, I don't think so, but which order of mozzarella sticks went into the computer first? Table 15, which table 4's mozzarella sticks should have been done BEFORE table 15's, because they ordered BEFORE table 15 did, but the server decided to DELAY someone's order. So YES, to SOME EXTENT, servers DO HAVE control over "HOW LONG" food or drinks take.

"6. Do your research. Find out about the restaurant before you go. Read reviews (professional or otherwise), find the menu online."

I actually do go online to look at menus and even pick out what I want BEFORE going to a restaurant sometimes.