Eating out at a restaurant should be remembered as a pleasant experience. It's one of the few times that we're able to take a little time off and just sit, be relaxed, and just enjoy the benefits of someone else serving us. Unfortunately, some people see this time as an opportunity to be demanding, nasty, messy and just plain rude.
Restaurants have a combination of different departments that need to come together in unison to be able to present the customer a complete dining experience. In some cases, especially when busy, a number of factors may come into play which can alter the productivity of this happening.
There are a number of things that a customer can do to ensure a successful evening. Proper restaurant etiquette is really no more than basic good manners, common sense and a little simple knowledge.
1. Treat Others in a Way You Would Like to be Treated
This is especially important to your wait staff. It is the most effective way to get better service. Being kind to others, especially when dining out, goes a long way. Treat them with respect and as individuals. Make eye contact, speak clearly, listen and thank the staff. Snapping your fingers at someone, pounding on the table, and actually getting up from your table and finding your server are unacceptable ways to grab your waiters attention. The wait staff have a busy job trying to satisfy a lot of customers at once and are often on their feet for several hours, it is quite possible that they are trying to solve other problems that have risen before yours and you will be served in time. And do not flirt with employees.
2. Ordering From the Menu
Most venues will try and accommodate variations to menu items but you should always ask and never insist. Often parts of a dish have been pre-made before service to insist a speedy delivery. Menu's are carefully organised to provide a continuous flow to fit in with a number of factors such as the pressure of the venue, ingredients used, cooking methods, speed and food costing. If you start changing around the menu you will disturb the natural flow of the kitchen increasing the room for error.
3. Complaints
If you're being polite and pleasant to serve, you also have a greater chance of resolving any potential complaints that may arise. Point out the problem quietly and discreetly as soon as you notice it and I assure you that it will be solved immediately without little fuss. However, if you've spoken dismissively to the waiter and have barely made eye contact, any little mistakes or delays are certain to take much longer to straighten out. The waiting staff doesn't care about giving you good service anymore and it will likely take longer to resolve and you will receive slower drink service throughout the rest of the evening.
4. Mobile Phones
Set your phone on vibrate to respect other diners and take the call outside as some people feel the need to amplify their voice during phone conversations. The last thing your waiting staff wants to do is compete with your cell phone conversation and the diners around you aren’t too thrilled about it either. No one thinks that you are important because you take a business call half-way through lunch.
5. Bookings
Bookings are essential to make sure that your evening runs smoothly.
If you have been to the restaurant before, when you make a booking, introduce yourself and let them know that you've been to the restaurant several times and find both the food and the service superb. Otherwise, still introduce yourself and let them know that you have heard about the restaurant and look forward to their great food and great service. Let them know what the occasion is, whether it is a romantic evening for two or a birthday party for fifteen. This will ensure that you get an area and table that will suit your situation. The restaurant manager is good at separating larger and louder groups (including children) from the more quieter and intimate requested diners. When you make a time, keep it. It is the same as any other appointment you make. If you cannot make it then call the restaurant with as much notice as possible. This goes for increased and decreased numbers too. If your booking has doubled, then it will cause un-wanted pressure and time wasting on the restaurant to re-set extra tables. Likewise, if the numbers have dropped, another table could have been set to accommodate more customers. A general rule is that a restaurant can give your table away after 30 minutes, but on a busy night, they may even give it away after ten minutes without having to give an explanation.
When you get to the restaurant, make sure that you greet the maitre d' warmly, introduce yourself, and remind him that you spoke to him on the phone about your requirements. Tell them again that you deliberately chose this restaurant because you have either been here before or it was highly recommended.
6. Seating
Where you have been seated is absolutely critical. There is a plan for every table in the restaurant to cater for bookings and walk-ins. Even if the tables are not arranged already, you may end up causing a birthday party to wait longer because you stole their table. If you wish, kindly request to be seated somewhere else but don't be offended if refused. Do not start re-arranging furniture.
7. Dining with Children
It goes without saying, letting your children run around is both disturbing and dangerous. Most venues will gladly provide a children's menu and also bring out the meal quickly along with some crayons and paper to keep them entertained. Parents are entirely responsible to take care of their children and clean up after them. Waiting staff do not double as baby-sitters nor do they need to feel obliged to. Keep your child as quiet and amused as possible as other diners do not care about the new red toy that they have. It is always best to check if restaurants cater for children and have the facilities required for them. And parents, do not order a kids meal for yourself.
8. Placement of Bulky Items
Don't hang your coat or jumper on the back of your chair. All items including bags and motorcycle helmets should be placed under the table next to your feet. They should be out of the way of waiting staff and other diners' legs. Some venues provide a room for you to store such items but these are usually high-end restaurants.
9. Tips
Unlike America, our service industry professionals do not rely on tips to make a decent living, and of course this means that the cost of employing staff is built into the cost of the service to the customer. In Australia you are not obliged to tip.
However, there are several exceptions to this rule. Tipping is used in Australia to show workers an appreciation of good service and food and also acts as a feedback system.
You should tip when:
- There is a large group of you, especially if you have been noisy.
- You have been there for a long time and ordered very little.
- You have been impressed with the food/staff/service.
- You have broken something.
- You have been demanding with requests and the staff have accommodated you.
You can forget about tipping when:
- The food was bad - over/under cooked, overpriced, wrong dish etc.
- The staff/service was bad - rude, lazy, etc.
- You felt pressured to leave.
- There is a Sunday/public holiday surcharge.
- They had run out of menu items.
How much to tip is always a hard decision. At a good restaurant you would expect to tip 10% of the total bill. The rules are different in your more informal dining situation. Usually some gold and silver coins will be quite acceptable here. Possibly the change of your bill.
10. Establishing the right relationship with staff is key to a successful occasion. By following these few simple guidelines, you will sure to have a great time at your next occasion. Remember, you are there to have a good time and things don't always go as planned. Just like all areas of life. And also remember, wait staff will always remember the good customers and will never forget the bad ones.
Matt Clark Culinary Consulting, Native Aussie Food and Creative Cooking