[Maritime Q-Scout]

Springs1, if I may make a few recommendations to make your life easier. You complain that people aren't active enough when waiting on you in restaurants, let me take some time to help you here.

1. Be polite to wait staff, even when they make mistakes. You state that you are nice and polite. I will take you at your word. I mention this here only because the best thing that anyone can do to get good customer service is to be a good customer.

2. If you notice the wait staff is over worked, has to deal with more tables that they should be (perhaps they're short staffed, perhaps there's an unusual amount of customers for that time of day, perhaps management is too cheap to properly staff the dining room). Take one second, smile at the server when they come to wait on you, and say "you look stressed, take a deep breath, how are you feeling?" Servers are people too and by taking those 2 seconds you're not only putting an overworked employee at ease, but your service will get better with the added benefit of everyone else around you getting better service as well.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff. If you get free refills and the wait staff refills your drink but you wanted to switch from Coke to Dr. Pepper or what have you, simply ask them when they hand you the refill. That request is uncommon, so don't blame them for being proactive in giving you something that is free.

4. When wait staff do nice things be grateful, even if it's something you might not care for. You may not want a glass of water or a free appetizer but some restaurants do provide those things. If you don't want it you can politely decline.

5. Remember customers aren't served in a vacuum. What I mean by that is what may appear to be time wasting may be something that is done for everyone so it's done and worked into a routine. For example, refilling drinks. If a server is waiting on 5 tables, they may do a loop with a pitcher of water for every table. That is far more efficient than having the server notice your glass is 3/4 empty, walking over, asking if you'd like more water and then going to get it. It's not dictating what you get, it's being proactive based on choices you already made.

6. There are good servers and bad servers everywhere. Just as there are good employees and bad employees everywhere. Your focus is very much on the bad. May I suggest that you praise good service as much as you denounce poor service. People here seem to think that you'd be a horrible customer to wait on, perhaps you're not. Show that you are reasonable and praise good work (something that fails in comparison to your negative service rants).

7. Empathy. This is something we all can have more of. While servers are working for your tip, they are people too. Empathize with their situation, if they make a mistake, know it likely isn't personal. Yes sometimes the server can be rude, we have all experienced it. But the difference is we don't focus on that. A server can be apologetic without using the word "sorry".

8. Dining is an experience. So if a server is being nice, makes small talk that's not wasting time that's adding to the comfort level of the restaurant. Servers aren't food bringing machines. They aren't supposed to be robotic and sterile. They are supposed to be friendly, nice and relaxed. That is part of the experience you are paying for. Be nice and respond accordingly. If you're starving because you starved yourself, that is your issue not theirs. You aren't supposed to starve yourself, it's unreasonable to assume people go the day without eating for the special at Chilis.

9. When a special is recommended, they are letting you know what is on special and may not be on the menu. They aren't dictating what you should order, they are letting you know there is another option. Being upset that the server tells you the daily special is akin to being upset that the server gave you a menu. It's just am option.

10. Relax. If you relax you'll enjoy yourself more.


Will that eliminate problems? No. Will you have issues? Sure. Will you be happier and enjoy yourself more? Yes.

So, let's try #6. Can you respond to this post but only use positive examples, where you were satisfied?