Getting the Best Service as a Picky Diner
Jun 09 '02
The Bottom Line Don't be afraid to make reasonable requests in a courteous manner and follow up with pertinent comments to the Management.
I used to be a meek diner who would never complain and still leave a decent tip for the worst service. Then, I met my husband and started dining out with him. My husband is one of the pickiest eaters you'll ever meet. Although I like to eat almost anything, he taught me that I could be a picky diner, getting what I wanted, without eliciting rude service. Here are a four guidelines to being a successful picky diner.
1. Ask questions
If you're not certain what's in a particular menu item or your want to know more about how it's prepared, ask your waiter. The wait staff is trained to be knowledgeable about their menu and if they aren't sure it usually only takes a moment to go to the kitchen and ask. The best waiters will bring you a sample to try if possible.
We recently dined at Papadeaux Seafood Kitchen, a Cajun restaurant, where they serve "dirty rice." My husband is very sensitive to spices, so we wanted to be sure that the rice wasn't too spicy. The waiter described the ingredients that went into the rice, then brought us a sample. It turned out that it was delicious for both of us and we were thrilled with the service.
2. Requesting substitutions, additions and subtractions
There are few restaurants that will not make a basic substitution when requested. For example, even if the menu says that it comes with rice, but you're on the Adkins diet, don't be afraid to ask for a green vegetable substitution. The important thing to remember here is that substitutions should be roughly equivalent. Don't expect lobster to be substituted for beef without a price increase.
Additions and subtractions are more difficult than substitutions if they're not expected. Many restaurants have taken to selling extras, like an extra special sauce or mushrooms and onions for steak, as high profit margin items, but others are not. Additions that can be found in other menu items are easiest for a Manager to price for you on the spur of the moment. For example, at a restaurant where we are frequent diners, there used to be a entree on the menu that included sirloin and snow crab claws in one entree. They recently changed their menu so that there is a sirloin steak entree and a snow crab entree, but not one that included both. I asked if I could could have a serving of snow crab claws and ended up receiving a pound of snow crab claws for $8 with my steak entree, a good price for what had become an unusual add on.
Subtractions are easy to request, but are the least likely to be fulfilled accurately. My husband hates pickles and always is clear that he doesn't even want them to touch the plate. It's not unusual for him to complain that he can taste the pickle juice on his hamburger bun because someone put the pickle on the plate then took it off when they reread the order. It helps when I ask that the pickle be transferred to my plate instead.
3. Complain if there is a problem and compliment good service
If there is an issue with the meal or the service, first talk to the waiter about it, then escalate to the Manager as needed. Be courteous and firm. Don't be afraid to ask for a different waiter if the service is truly horrid, or ask that you not be served by a particular waiter if you have enjoyed the food, but not the service, on a previous occasion. We have also informed the Management of safety issues when needed.
At a local Mimi's Cafe, my husband pointed out that a cast iron wall decoration was a danger to customers' heads when they sat on the bench under it. The Manager tried sitting there and found that it was indeed painful for taller people. He gave us a free dessert, changed the arrangement of the entry seating so that there is a lamp in front of the decoration without decreasing the total number of seats available for diners waiting to be seated, and remembered us on our next visit.
We also strongly believe that, if we're willing to complain, we should be willing to compliment. When service is particularly good, we ask the waiter to request the Manager so that we can tell them what a great job they are doing. More often than not, the Manager doesn't know why we've asked to speak with them when they show up at the table. The waiter gets to have some fun and not be nervous about calling the Manager over, and the Manager gets to hear something other than a complaint.
I have never met a Manager that wasn't willing to at least listen to our comments. Some now ask us to evaluate their new wait staff.
4. Tip appropriately
I consider tipping to be an important part of feedback for service. Because we are picky diners, we normal tip 20% for adequate service. Extraordinary service where the waiter brings a new drink just as we're thinking we need a new one or makes an extra special effort to meet our requests rates a 25% or higher tip. If a waiter receives 15% or less from us, they should consider it an insult. If the service is bad enough that we'd be tipping 10% or less, we will probably request a different waiter.
Bottom Line
Restaurants want customers. Most understand that customers expect value in both food and service. Those that don't tend to go out of business quickly. Don't be afraid to make reasonable requests in a courteous manner and follow up with pertinent comments to the Management.
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Member: Janine White
Location: Chandler, AZ
Reviews written: 194
Trusted by: 143 members
About Me:
Criminologist turned Software Engineer
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