Trust Your Restaurant

Dear Guest,

Thank you for choosing (insert restaurant name here). We are very eager to make the most of your visit with a capable staff to meet your needs. Before we progress, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1.) Please do not try to do the hosts' job for them. If they have you waiting for a table, you can guarantee they are doing it for the best. I know it can be frustrating when you see "so many" open tables, but if they are taking their time seating you, it is for the sake of giving you a server who can be attentive instead of rushing amongst three tables in her section that were sat all at once. Or the reason may be for the sake of the kitchen being able to catch up so you don't blame the server for putting in your food order too late. And when you see those booths in the back that you were told were unavailable, instead of getting huffy, try to understand that there is no server in that section of the restaurant, therefore, if you get sat there, you will not be taken care of properly (because the server that that gets you will be stretched thin as he is running from one side of the restaurant to the other to take care of you and the other guests who were fine with sitting in his open section). So please trust your host and be patient. Enjoy the foyer entrance...there is always some fancy wall dressings to keep your eyes interested while you wait. 

2.) Treat your server as a human being. I know this may seem like a silly request, but last time I checked, we are all human. You are welcome to ask questions about specials, the menu items, special requests, or what their favorite dish is. Your server's goal should be to meet your expectations however great or small, but do remember that we are not mind-readers...nor are we robots. We have feelings and if we are pushed to our limit, you will see our feelings come out. There is no reason to speak down to us or treat us like a lesser person. We are there as a server, not as a servant. 

3.)Trust your server. One of the things stressed in server trainings is pacing the meal. Pacing of the meal is so important for everyone involved. With the right pacing, the server will not get overwhelmed, the kitchen will stay caught up, you will not even notice how long each dish is taking because everything will be at the proper pace. The problem comes in when you try to "help out" by asking for things early or by starting the meal off by saying "we are in a hurry and we need to leave in less than an hour."

Ex:  If a server says to you "we bring out the salad after you order," then that should be the end of it. You are meant to eat your salad WHILE your meal is being prepared...NOT before it is. Otherwise, what do you think you will start to suspect when it takes "forever" for your medium-well steak to come out? 

4.) Be communicative to your server. Remember, your server is human. If you do not like a dish, let your server know. If your server messed up on a specific request, let your server know. If you think your meal IS taking a bit longer than usual, just ask about it. It is not helpful to your server (or to the manager that may stop by the table to visit) to keep your disgruntles to yourself. Your server wants to be as helpful as possible. And if it is a major mistake, usually the manager will take off the dish or comp the whole meal. Your server doesn't mind hearing about mistakes, as long as you treat them kindly...you know, as a human being. 

5.) If your server was amazing, please tell the manager. If the food was fantastic, please tell the manager. Managers love receiving compliments letting them know that they have competent staff and satisfied guests. Besides, one compliment can cancel out the 10 complaints they may have just received. Of course, it is always nice to tell your server too. 

6.) Another great way to show your appreciation for the pleasant meal you just had is by leaving a tip. Coming from a server, I must admit that half of my "good tips" are praises to my managers or to myself. It seems that a growing epidemic amongst restaurant guests is to praise their servers for an amazing meal,  and leave less than 10 percent. I am not asking for more than I deserve, but I do work in a higher-priced restaurant for a reason. It does not make my night when a $75 tab leaves me $5 and high praise. I'm sorry if I seem ungrateful, but to be honest, $3.50 of my tip just went to my busser, so I am left with less than two dollars. No, I do not get minimum wage. And no, I still do not see that measly hourly wage that I am suppose to get because the taxes on my tips come out of it.  Plus, praises are all fine and dandy until we see how cheap you really are. 

*On a side note, did you know that a serving job is the #1 job for single mothers? Why are you going to spend $50+ on a meal and then be stingy on the tip? Contrary to popular belief, servers do not make more money than you do at your hourly job...unless you work in a fast food chain as a cashier...in that case, we do. So remember, as you eat your nice juicy steak with a side of alaskan crab, that your server cannot even afford to buy her kids a happy meal. 

I am not asking you to leave a substantial amount of money, but leave what you think we worked for whether that be 10%(an ok meal), 15%(a good meal), 20%(a great meal), or more (a great meal that passed your expectations).

To sum up...just please trust your restaurant. Trust us to be capable of taking care of you in the best way we know how. All our decision-making is centered around your happiness; because in the end, we want you to come back...and tell all your friends what an amazing time you had. 

Thank you. Now, how many will be in your party tonight?