by T-Starr

Created on: February 22, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

Why is it that acting with class and demonstrating a little etiquette seem to be unachievable tasks after we pass through the doorway into a restaurant?

It wouldn't seem as these are unattainable goals for most people, but most restaurant staff members could monopolize the majority of your Friday night with stories of "interesting" guests. While it is possible that 90% of restaurant workers have expressed the desire for everybody in society to work in a restaurant for some period, it is just as impossible to accomplish that feat. With that being said, there are a few simple "bits" of knowledge that might make your dining experience better and keep the restaurant staff content at the same time.

Realizing that technology has drastically changed society over the past 20 years, especially with mobile phones, there are always small etiquette points associated with the use of a cellular phone. Restaurants are no exception. If you have ever been sat by a host/hostess while talking on your cellular phone and not been greeted by a server for 5-10 minutes, it is very possible that the server deems it rude and will not greet your table until you finish your extremely important conversation. Try to wrap up your calls before you enter the restaurant.

If you have been greeted, given your drink and food orders and the food has made it to your table, the server will most always return within a few minutes to assure the quality of your meal and to ask if there is anything that would add to your pleasurable dining experience. It does help everybody involved to ascertain all of your needs at this time and ask for everything needed at once. It is understandable that you will need other items throughout the meal and might have not noticed the absence of your favorite condiment at the initial "check-back". However, guests that continually run the server back and forth for small items during the course of their meal can cause difficulties for everybody in the restaurant besides their table. That server may need to assist other servers, expediters, managers, bartenders, or bussers to accomplish the mission somewhere else in the restaurant. It is also extremely probable that server has other tables in their section that have tickets for movies that are starting within the next 5 minutes or planes to catch all the way across town, or are on their lunch break and have to be at work in 3 minutes like yourself. It is easier now to see how one table can disrupt the flow of a whole restaurant over needing more ranch dressing.

Lastly, the concept of gratuity (tipping) in a restaurant or any hospitality destination has become a very fluid concept for most people. Most people understand that gratuity is just that and earned, not deserved. However, it is just as easy to perceive that the economy and chain of cash flow does not stop with one individual and if a server performs well, a decent tip would be in order. If people that are salaried do not perform to expectation, they do not receive less of a paycheck. The same concept works for servers.

It is easy to see how the guests can add to a comfortable environment in the restaurant and help the smooth flow of business continue. On the other hand, realize that it only takes one party of 16 asking for separate checks to throw the business into a tailspin.

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