5 Ways to Get Better Service in a Restaurant

After last week's article (Employee-Only Grocery Store Secrets) got thousands of hits, I was trying to think about some other tips I might be able to share that might be beneficial to everyone.

I've worked at a breakfast 24-hour restaurant, steak and sushi, and even an all American spot. (Not to mention a mom-n-pop burger joint.) So, I thought I'd share some employee-only restaurant tips that will help make your restaurant experience better!

1. You REALLY can send food back if it isn't what you want- Just tell them what the plate is missing and send it back for a better or different dish. No one will spit in your food or be overly upset. People really send their food back often, so don't stress it too much.

2. You will get better service if your server knows they'll see you again- Drop a statement about how this is your favorite spot, or how you might be coming back next week with you mother, whatever the case might be- if your server knows they are going to see you again, they will treat you better to avoid awkward future confrontations.

3. Get an extra drink. If you walk into a restaurant and see that it is swamped with people, ask your server to bring you 2 Cokes instead of one- just say, "Oh, I'm a quick drinker- bring me by an extra." Even the best of servers can't get back to you every few minutes when it is busy, so ensure that you will not go thirsty you'll need by getting an extra one from the get-go!

4. Worried about freshness? Ask for an addition/subtraction. If you are worried that your food isn't being made fresh to order for you, make a small change when you place your order: extra onions, no dressing, plus tomatoes- whatever the change might be, it will require the cooks in the back to make yours different, and therefore, fresh to order for you.

5. Don't make comments about prices to your server. Let's be honest- your server is there to make money. If your server thinks they won't make good money from you, there 's a good chance your service will be less than perfect. The fastest way to know someone will be a poor tipper? Comments about the price of food. Just don't say anything about it and your server will have higher hopes of getting a better tip giving YOU better service!

Just a little extra knowledge, but it will help you have a better time when you go out!