Joe Ricchio has worked in restaurants most of his life, constantly observing the behavior between diners and front of the house staff. We asked him to share insider tips for Find. Eat. Drink. on how to enhance the dining experience and not tick off your waiter.
Here are five. For more tips click here.
Joe Ricchio has worked in restaurants most of his life, constantly observing the behavior between diners and front of the house staff. We asked him to share insider tips for Find. Eat. Drink. on how to enhance the dining experience and not tick off your waiter.
Here are five. For more tips click here.
Most bar tenders and bar wait staff are better servers. They have come up through the ranks. If the dining area looks hectic, you will most likely get better service at the bar.
JodySuh: Most bar tenders and bar wait staff are better servers.
This had to be one of the best "lists" on Huffington ever. Especially "Pour your own wine" The idea is to keep lushes from drinking too much? So if the server doesn't pour, then the drunkards can just take over, and pour for themselves? Ya that makes sense. Or "Do the math". Gee, I never would have thought to make sure the tip was included. And "Sit at the bar", Hey now there's an idea, I can't believe I never thought of that. No reservations? Wow, I'm going to print list out, and carry it with me just in case.
surfingilly: This had to be one of the best "lists" on
I've been in the business for longer than I care to admit and I still laugh uncontrollably at "The Bartender Hates You" on YouTube. Here's a link if you haven't seen these (there are lots of them): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iRAw4hU4ZE
Mark_Slater: I've been in the business for longer than I care
ahem, not "tick off" the server!?!? the full article suggests that the diner respect the server when the server wants to push some dishes especially ignoring the diner's right not to want to hear the specials.
perhaps, the server could ask if the diner wants to hear the specials first. courtesy cuts both ways. as a vegetarian, i think it is impolite to have a server recite a litany of dishes, i would never eat.
Laxsmi_de_Potrero: ahem, not "tick off" the server!?!? the full article suggests
obviously, the server feels that it beneath his or her station to ask if the diner would like to hear the specials...and i don't suffer fools or rude people. but i must say the attitude that the diner needs to "suffer" is indicative of the unwarranted superiority hipster wait staffs have.
Laxsmi_de_Potrero: obviously, the server feels that it beneath his or her
I have a tip I learned the hard way. If the wine is bad or the dinner is cooked poorly, call the waiter over right away, smile, and hand it back to him. When you're paying a lot of money the quality should be commensurate. Don't take the aggravation home with you, leave it with the people who caused the problem, at the restaurant.
the #1 meltdown inducing moment at my restaurant is when u have a table split the check btw cash & credit card & the credit card ppl only tip on the credit card portion & the cash ppl do not tip at all. it really sucks when you've enjoyed a table & they've had a great time & u know they loved u & the food & yet u get completely screwed w MAYBE a 10% tip if ur lucky... PLEASE double check that u have tipped ur servers enough when u split the bill! we work hard for that tip :)
ellenx: the #1 meltdown inducing moment at my restaurant is when
the issue of split tabs should be discussed by the diners in advance and then courtesy would indicate they share that information with the server at the time the orders are placed.
Laxsmi_de_Potrero: the issue of split tabs should be discussed by the
I eat out a fair amount with friends and unfortunately there are people that like to get away from tipping if they can. I don't find it appropriate to lecture others on how they should be tipping. If the people I am dining with are close friends it is easy to discuss, but when some in the party are new acquaintances or people you are not comfortable with it is not done. Unfortunately the waitperson is going to get the short end of the stick at times. At least where I live now tip is included by many restaurants, which makes it a bit easier.
ckinsobe: I eat out a fair amount with friends and unfortunately
I've been in the industry too for many years and think it wise to direct you to my fave video blog on youtube right now... he's a waiter teaching people how to be better customers. His videos have certainly made the rounds at my restaurant!
There are a number of restaurants in the Milwaukee area which have half-off bottles of wine one night per week. This can be a really good deal, sometimes even a little cheaper than retail. I also prefer the lighter crowds on weeknights.
blamo611: There are a number of restaurants in the Milwaukee area
Wanna tip? Here's a tip: imbibe at home with friends before dining out or go to a BYO and bring your own wine. I don't know other's situation, but I don't have boatloads of cash to throw away. Besides, BYO's tend to focus on food and not how they can make money selling marked up wine.
barts: Wanna tip? Here's a tip: imbibe at home with friends
I like wine with dinner, but I'm happy to forgo coffee and dessert and have it later at home. At a nice restaurant, coffee and dessert for two easily adds thirty bucks to the check.
raker: I like wine with dinner, but I'm happy to forgo
Few things piss me off more than servers who pour wine for you without asking if you want more. I once hosted a dinner for 30+ people at a Washington, D.C. restaurant , and it was quite clear that a primary focus of the servers was to make sure that every wine glass on the table was full when we left. Not surprisingly, the bar bill was a sight to see.
rikilii: Few things piss me off more than servers who pour
totally disagree. I owned a restaurant for 25 years. The customer should be able to pour wine if he wants....Overpouring is tacky...a good waiter will go moderately.
Skeptiqone: totally disagree. I owned a restaurant for 25 years. The
I hate eating out for many reasons, especially after watching any given episode of Kitchen Nightmares, but one is the attitude of waiters and waitresses. most people take "stuff" as part of their job, very few of them write articles telling the people who are their customers how to behave. "...how to enhance the dining experience and not tick off your waiter." in what other profession do you see this? but i've seen this type of thing for years in this business.
psf: I hate eating out for many reasons, especially after watching
Gonna go with the reason they publish these articles being:
Because people treat waitstaff like indentured servants.
When guests learn simple manners, these articles won't be needed.
One can expect good service, but one should also act respectful, which people tend to do more often.
josh2082: Gonna go with the reason they publish these articles being:
after being at enough hipster restaurants where reservations are routinely honored more than 30 minutes late, where the staff chats amiably with the host while ignoring a full house, where getting a set up of bread and water takes longer than it did to print the menu, where the server thinks its ok to touch me on the shoulder, and where the noise level reaches that of a jet engine, i wonder who owes whom a little respect.
Laxsmi_de_Potrero: after being at enough hipster restaurants where reservations are routinely
I've worked in a couple of different restaurants for most of my adult life, and the biggest tip I can give is "calm down." If something goes wrong (your reservation is late, food is cooked incorrectly, etc) we will try to fix it. Unless you're a jerk. Servers/bartenders aren't there to hurt you, we're here to help you. So when something goes wrong, 99% of the time it's neither malicious nor our fault. So we'll fix it, just please, please calm down.
texagonian: I've worked in a couple of different restaurants for most
Totally agree....servers are the ones that will fix it quicker the nicer the customer is about. I managed restaurants for years and when people were nice about a problem they experienced I always went above and beyond to fix. The mean people got the problem fixed, the nice people got the problem fixed and a free desert.
GraphicMatt: Totally agree....servers are the ones that will fix it quicker
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iRAw4hU4ZE
perhaps, the server could ask if the diner wants to hear the specials first. courtesy cuts both ways. as a vegetarian, i think it is impolite to have a server recite a litany of dishes, i would never eat.
http://www.youtube.com/yourdailytip
He's funny, bitter, cute, foul-mouthed, and - most of all - truthful.
I've seen his page grow from 20 subscribers to over 1600! He deserves more, I think.
and i've never seen a waiter have a "meltdown" in front of a table over bad tipping. instead they'll swear infernal curses in the wait station.
If you want to pour yourself, stay home.
Because people treat waitstaff like indentured servants.
When guests learn simple manners, these articles won't be needed.
One can expect good service, but one should also act respectful, which people tend to do more often.