Here are seven ways to get the most out of your meal:
1.) Be specific to avoid misunderstandings. During a recent visit to Meadowlark Restaurant, Brittney Jones was training Vika Bachmann on how to provide impeccable service. Only the second day on the job, Bachmann had already taken in a lot. She said she's spent a lot of time studying the menu, and if she isn't sure which item a patron wants, she asks questions. Her genuine desire to please us was obvious.
It's to your advantage to help the server understand you. Saying you’ll have the chicken doesn’t help the server if the menu includes five different chicken entrees. Know what the item comes with and how it's prepared.
2.) Use nonverbals. When you've finished looking at the menu, close it and move it away. That's a cue to your server that you've made up your mind. If you need a refill on your coffee cup, move the empty cup close to the edge of the table so it's easily visible to your server when he or she is passing by.
3.) Make eye contact. Sometimes there's no getting around a face-to-face conversation. "If I can see your face, I can hear you better," Jones said. "It's easier to hear you if you're looking at me."
4.) If you're on a tight schedule, say so up front. "I'll make sure to bring the check and the dessert menu early," Jones said.
5.) Tell the truth. "Be open and honest if you don't like something," Jones said.
Servers will go the extra mile to correct a problem, but they have to know there’s a problem, she said.
6.) Address issues immediately. If there's something wrong with your order, don't eat your meal then afterwards say it wasn't what you ordered or wasn't cooked the way you requested. If you wait until after the fact, you've deprived the server of the opportunity to resolve the problem.
Also, if you need several things, ask for them all at once. Avoid running the server back and forth (e.g., don’t ask for ketchup and when it arrives, ask for something else and so on and so on).
7.) Be kind. Think of the words of crime thriller author D.B. Harrop: "In the end, those who demean others only disrespect themselves."
You gain nothing by disparaging your server. “Please treat us as a human being,” Jones said.
My dining companion and I both ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes Sandwich. We agreed it was delicious and that the service we received from both Jones and Bachmann was superb.
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