Service with a smile is good business

A successful experience when dining out depends on more than just the food. Our emotional state while we’re eating in a restaurant has a direct effect on how we perceive the quality of that experience. I’ll admit that I’ve been told several times over the years (even food critics have critics…) that my overall mood during a meal might have contributed to what I perceived as a bad dining event. And, much to my annoyance, that advice often turned out to be right.

In the majority of cases, the only contact a guest has with the restaurant’s concept is through the servers. They are the goodwill ambassadors for the establishment, and every guest’s perception is directly related to how the servers treat them. From the server’s point of view, we all do things for money, and a genuinely friendly yet professional demeanor can make a difference not only at tip time, but can also have a direct influence on the probability that a guest may – or may not – return.

A few months ago, I wrote about a number of actions restaurant servers should avoid. I was surprised at the number of responses I received after that column went to print. Even more surprising, the great majority of responses – all positive, by the way – were from servers and bartenders who recognized that small accommodations can have a big effect on their tips, while at the same time encouraging guests to come back.

I eat in restaurants five or six times a week, and I’ve compiled some additional thoughts regarding easy techniques that can contribute to a satisfying guest experience. And one of the most important is to acknowledge a guest’s arrival. Just a smile (with eye contact) and a friendly “We’ll be with you in just a minute” can buy time in this age when many restaurants are frequently shorthanded. People like to be visible. On that same subject, when encountering a guest who is obviously dining alone, simply ask them if they have a reservation or offer to seat them at the bar. Don’t ask them if they are waiting for somebody. Reverse the situation in your mind, and you’ll see what I mean.

Years ago I used to visit a tiny Italian place with great food in New York’s theater district. Waits were often long, and the manager would stroll over to the waiting guests with a smile and a glass of wine. Often there were more people in the line than were seated, and nobody had a problem with it. The food and his hospitality were worth the wait, and that manager knew it.

If a table in your section is rocking back and forth (so annoying), fix it before your next party is seated. Nothing is tackier than you crawling around people’s legs with a fistful of sugar packets.

A major pet peeve of mine is being served a water glass (or any glass) with the server’s fingers touching the rim. I do not want to have all the things (?!) they recently touched transferred to my mouth. Yuck! Servers: Carry wine glasses by the stem and water tumblers from the middle of the glass.

Servers who are serious about their job mean well, but saying things like “good choice” when a guest orders in fact suggests that perhaps the other choices weren’t so good. Be aware of alternate meanings of what you might say without thinking.

Yet another pet peeve I get many emails about is service charges added to a bill. Though these charges might be justified, it’s important to alert your guests when the check is presented. If you don’t say something, the guest will assume you were trying to slip it by them. Same thing with prix fixe dinners. If there are other options on the menu, make sure you give your guests a choice. Pushing the prix fixe stuff can come off like you’re hiding something.

One of the things I remember most about a restaurant (and, if my email box is to be believed, something many guests remember) is a positive response from a server who is not assigned to my table. While it’s rude to try to order food or another glass of wine from not-your-server, asking for a replacement for a dropped fork should be met with cordial accommodation. Even if server tips are not pooled, a bit of friendly help benefits everyone.

I have more thoughts on this subject, but I’ll save the rest for a part three. With increasing product prices and the shortage of qualified help, restauranting is harder than ever nowadays. Pretty much anyone with skills can put together a good burger or piece of salmon. But presenting those items with a smile and a bit of consideration can go a long way toward keeping everyone in business.