I read somewhere that waiting tables is the second most stressful job behind being a brain surgeon. After working for years in the restaurant industry in which part of that time was dedicated to waiting tables I can honestly believe it. I wanted to share my knowledge on how to deal with particular situations a waiter/waitress might encounter.

STEP #1: Always start off with a friendly and helpful disposition. You should first introduce yourself, let the customers know you will be there server and ask them if you can start them off with something to drink. Also inform them that if they need anything they should not hesitate to ask you. Light conversation is ok but you don’t want to create an awkward vibe especially if they’re trying to eat.

STEP #2: If something goes wrong in the kitchen and the order tends to take longer it is best to be honest with your customers. Let them know what’s going on and you’ll see what you can do. If you try to cover up the situation that will make the customers feel left out of the situation and they will become mad, confused, and constantly wondering where their food is. Perhaps if you pull your manager aside and explain the situation he/she may give them a discount, a free appetizer, or a free dessert.

STEP #3: The worst-case scenario is having a customer that is high maintenance or they seem to just be flat out agitated. The worst way a server can handle this is to engage in an argument with the customer. Even if you’re right the customer still wins because nine times out of ten when it comes to the customer service industry the customer is always right (and you’ll just end up angry and upset). The best thing to do is to kill them with kindness and if they continue to try and cause trouble it is best just to let them know that a manager will be right with them.

STEP #4: Nothing is more upsetting than at the end of the meal, when you grab the check, and you find that the customers left without paying. Unfortunately this happens more often than people realize. For this reason alone it is important to always keep an eye on your tables to ensure that something like this won’t happen. Sadly some restaurants will actually make the server pay for the meal because the restaurant will end up losing money if they don’t.

STEP #5: So what happens if your customers don’t tip you? I found that it depends on the situation. If you feel that you did an adequate job and you deserved to be paid than there is a dignified way to go about it. If you see the check has been left with no tip you should politely go up to the customer and let them know that you apologize if the service was bad but that you would like to know what you did wrong to make them not want to tip you. If you’re really polite about it and you know you have been nothing but helpful they might actually admit that they may have forgotten to tip you. If they’re stubborn about it you should let the manager know and if they come back again the manager can monitor the situation.

TIPS and WARNINGS: Serving is not the type of job where you should go in to work sick. It is unsanitary to serve food if you are spreading sick germs. Depending on how ill you are the customers will notice and it will make them very uncomfortable about eating. It is best to let your supervisor know that you are really ill and that you probably shouldn’t work.

CREDITS: http://www.ehow.com/how_2102486_survive-working-restaurant.html

Dear Helena,

If you get sick after eating at a restaurant, should you call them [or] call the health department? I’ve heard, with regards to restaurants, that it’s so hard to pinpoint what might have made you sick, and it’s usually not what you think it was. —Still Queasy

Dear Still Queasy,

That’s true. Most cases of food poisoning show up four to eight hours after ingesting the bad food, but some bacteria can incubate in the gut for days or even weeks. Sandra McCurdy, a food safety specialist at the University of Idaho, says: “With listeria, it could be six weeks before it manifests as an infection. E. coli takes a few days to show up.”

It’s not likely that remembering an off flavor will help you identify the toxic food. In general, says McCurdy, it takes a mere 500 bacterial cells—a microscopic amount—to make you sick: “You won’t notice a difference in taste or smell.” To make matters more complicated, the culprit may not have been food poisoning at all. You may have touched a soiled doorknob in the bathroom, or suffered from the effects of a food allergy you didn’t know you had. You can, however, be more certain you ate something bad if your friends ate the same thing and also got sick.

So in that case, what are you obliged to do? In an informal survey, all except one of my respondents said they did not bother calling the restaurant where they ate the food they considered suspect. Neither did many of the Chowhounds who have discussed this topic. (Discussion about specific food-poisoning complaints is barred from Chowhound because the cause is so hard to trace.) Complaining is unpleasant, and it can be a practical hassle too.

If you do make the call, it might not do any good. Shannon Smith, a nurse in San Francisco, endured a hellish night after a toxic curry, and called the restaurant. “They basically said there was no way they caused the food poisoning, because if it was true more people would have called. I tried to emphasize that their meal was the only one I had eaten that could have caused it in my opinion, but they still denied any fault.”

In fact, says David Guggenheim, a veteran server in Los Angeles, restaurant staff members are taught not to admit any wrongdoing for liability reasons. At most, the customer gets a noncommittal apology: “We’re sorry you had a bad night.” Then the staff member will ask what you had and promise to investigate. Don’t expect any offer of compensation, Guggenheim says: “If you say, ‘I’m so sorry, here’s a coupon, a free meal, or a bottle of wine,’ you’re accepting fault.”

But it’s still worth calling. If the restaurant has received other calls, staff can be fairly confident the problem lies in their kitchen and may look into it. Just be sure that when you call you aren’t confrontational, because you can’t be sure the restaurant caused your illness.

McCurdy recommends contacting your local public health authority as well. (If your doctor diagnoses food poisoning, he’s supposed to do this himself by law.) Because of limited funding, the health department probably won’t do anything if yours is an isolated incident. But if other people call in with similar reports, then the department will launch an investigation.

It’s a little frustrating to make your calls and know they probably will have little effect. But you can’t worry about what other people are supposed to do. All you can do is your own ethical duty. You’re not obliged to launch an Erin Brockovich–style crusade to shut down a restaurant, especially when you’re too weak to eat anything but crackers.

CREDIT: http://www.chow.com/stories/11609

Table manners play an important part in making a favorable impression. They are visible signals of the state of our manners and therefore are essential to professional success. The point of etiquette rules is to make you feel comfortable – not uncomfortable.

Making Restaurant Reservations:

Restaurant reservations are like any other appointment. If you make a reservation, stick to it. Call ahead if you’re going to be more than 15 minutes late, and cancel as far in advance as possible if your plans change so that someone else can get a table. Some restaurants take credit card numbers to hold reservations and charge no-show fees.

How to use napkins:

In a restaurant:

As soon as you are seated, remove the napkin from your place setting, unfold it, and put it in your lap. Do not shake it open. At some very formal restaurants, the waiter may do this for the diners, but it is not inappropriate to place your own napkin in your lap, even when this is the case.

The napkin rests on the lap till the end of the meal. Don’t clean the cutlery or wipe your face with the napkin. NEVER use it to wipe your nose!

If you excuse yourself from the table, loosely fold the napkin and place it to the left or right of your plate. Do not refold your napkin or wad it up on the table either. Never place your napkin on your chair.

At the end of the meal, leave the napkin semi-folded at the left side of the place setting. It should not be crumpled or twisted; nor should it be folded. The napkin must also not be left on the chair.

At a private dinner party:

The meal begins when the host or hostess unfolds his or her napkin. This is your signal to do the same. Place your napkin on your lap, completely unfolded if it is a small luncheon napkin or in half, lengthwise, if it is a large dinner napkin. Do not shake it open.

The napkin rests on the lap till the end of the meal.

The host will signal the end of the meal by placing his or her napkin on the table. Once the meal is over, you too should place your napkin neatly on the table to the left of your dinner plate. (Do not refold your napkin, but don’t wad it up, either.)

When to start eating:

In a restaurant:

Wait until all are served at your table before beginning to eat.

At a private dinner party:

When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess insists that you start eating.

How to use your silverware and dinnerware:

Dinner Setting Photo by Replacement, Ltd.

Use the silverware farthest from your plate first.

Here’s the Silverware and dinnerware rule:

Eat to your left, drink to your right. Any food dish to the left is yours, and any glass to the right is yours.

Starting with the knife, fork, or spoon that is farthest from your plate, work your way in, using one utensil for each course. The salad fork is on your outermost left, followed by your dinner fork. Your soup spoon is on your outermost right, followed by your beverage spoon, salad knife and dinner knife. Your dessert spoon and fork are above your plate or brought out with dessert. If you remember the rule to work from the outside in, you’ll be fine.

Use one of two methods when using the fork and knife:

American Style: Knife in right hand, fork in left hand holding food. After a few bite-sized pieces of food are cut, place knife on edge of plate with blades facing in. Eat food by switching fork to right hand (unless you are left handed). A left hand, arm or elbow on the table is bad manners.

Continental/European Style: Knife in right hand, fork in left hand. Eat food with fork still in left hand. The difference is that you don’t switch hands-you eat with your fork in your left hand, with the prongs curving downward. Both utensils are kept in your hands with the tines pointed down throughout the entire eating process. If you take a drink, you do not just put your knife down, you put both utensils down into the resting position: cross the fork over the knife.

Once used, your utensils, including the handles, must not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl.

For more formal dinners, from course to course, your tableware will be taken away and replaced as needed.

To signal that your are done with the course, rest your fork, tines up, and knife blade in, with the handles resting at five o’clock an tips pointing to ten o’clock on your plate.

Any unused silverware is simply left on the table.

General social and dining etiquette rules:

Follow whatever dress code is requested on the invitation or suggested by the host/hostess.

Arrive at least 10 minutes early unless otherwise specified. Never arrive late!

It is proper to bring a small hostess gift, one that the hostess is not obliged to use that very evening. Gifts such as flowers, candy, wine, or dessert, are not good hostess gifts, as the hostess will feel that it must put it out immediately. You must not never expect your gift to be served at the dinner party.

At a dinner party, wait for the host or hostess sits down before taking your seat. If the host/hostess asks you to sit, then do. At a very formal dinner party, if there are no name cards at the table, wait until the host indicates where you should sit. The seating will typically be man-woman-man-woman with the women seated to the right of the men.

A prayer or ‘blessing’ may be customary in some households. The dinner guests may join in or be respectfully silent. Most prayers are made by the host before the meal is eaten.

Sometimes a toast is offered instead of a prayer. Always join in with a toast. If the host stands up during the toast, also stand up.

Serving tea or coffee signifies that the formal part of the evening is over. Guests may now feel free to leave, or linger if the host or hostess encourages them to do so.

After a formal dinner party, a thank you note should be sent to the hostess.

Serving food:

Food is served from the left. Dishes are removed from the right.

Always say please when asking for something. At a restaurant, be sure to say thank you to your server and bus boy after they have removed any used items.

Butter, spreads, or dips should be transferred from the serving dish to your plate before spreading or eating.

Passing dishes or food:

Pass food from the left to the right. Do not stretch across the table, crossing other guests, to reach food or condiments.

If asked for the salt or pepper, pass both together, even if a table mate asks for only one of them. This is so dinner guests won’t have to search for orphaned shakers.

Set any passed item, whether it’s the salt and pepper shakers, a bread basket, or a butter plate, directly on the table instead of passing hand-to-hand.

Never intercept a pass. Snagging a roll out of the breadbasket or taking a shake of salt when it is en route to someone else is a no-no.

Always use serving utensils to serve yourself, not your personal silverware.

Eating:

Do NOT talk with food in your mouth! This is very rude and distasteful to watch! Wait until you have swallowed the food in your mouth.

Always taste your food before seasoning it. Usually the hostess has gone to a lot of work making sure the food served is delicious to her standards. It is very rude to add salt and pepper before tasting the food.

Don’t blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, take the hint and wait until it cools.

Always scoop food, using the proper utensil, away from you.

Cut only enough food for the next mouthful (cut no more than two bites of food at a time). Eat in small bites and slowly.

Do eat a little of everything on your plate. If you do not like the food and feel unable to give a compliment, just keep silent. It is acceptable to leave some food on your plate if you are full and have eaten enough.

Do not “play with” your food or utensils. Never wave or point silverware. Do not hold food on the fork or spoon while talking, nor wave your silverware in the air or point with it.

Try to pace your eating so that you don’t finish before others are halfway through. If you are a slow eater, try to speed up a bit on this occasion so you don’t hold everyone up. Never continue to eat long after others have stopped.

Once used, your utensils, including the handles, must not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl.

If the food served is not to your liking, it is polite to at least attempt to eat a small amount of it. It is never acceptable to ask a person why they have not eaten all the food. Don’t make an issue if you don’t like something or can’t eat it – keep silence.

Even if you have dietary restrictions, it is inappropriate to request food other than that which is being served by the host at a private function. If you have serious dietary restrictions or allergies, let your host know in advance of the dinner.

Table Manners:

Unfold your napkin and place it on your lap. When you are finished, place it loosely on the table, not on the plate

Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it.

Do not talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed.

Guests should do their best to mingle and make light conversation with everyone. Do not talk excessively loudly. Give others equal opportunities for conversation. Talk about cheerful, pleasant things at the table.

Don’t clean up spills with your own napkin and don’t touch items that have dropped on the floor. You can use your napkin to protect yourself from spills. Then, simply and politely ask your server to clean up and to bring you a replacement for the soiled napkin or dirty utensil.

Loud eating noises such as slurping and burping are very impolite. The number one sin of dinner table etiquette!

Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room. If you cough, cover your mouth with your napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. If your cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room.

Turn off your cell phone or switch it to silent or vibrate mode before sitting down to eat, and leave it in your pocket or purse. It is impolite to answer a phone during dinner. If you must make or take a call, excuse yourself from the table and step outside of the restaurant.

Do not use a toothpick or apply makeup at the table.

Say “Excuse me,” or “I’ll be right back,” before leaving the table. Do not say that you are going to the restroom.

Whenever a woman leaves the table or returns to sit, all men seated with her should stand up.

Do not push your dishes away from you or stack them for the waiter when you are finished. Leave plates and glasses where they are.

Wine:

Never turn a wine glass upside down to decline wine. It is more polite to let the wine be poured and not draw attention. Otherwise, hold your hand over the wine glass to signal that you don’t want any wine.

Hold your wine glass by the stem, not the rim. See How To Successfully Taste Wine – Wine Tasting Basics.

Where a different wine is served with each course, it is quite acceptable to not finish each glass.

Dividing or sharing the restaurant bill with others:

Always assume that if you’re dining in a group of more than 6 people (3 couples), that the check is going to be divided evenly among everyone.

When dining when other couples, If you know you’re going to ask for a separate check, tell the server before you order so that the process is simplified later.

Take into account any significant ($15 or more) price differences in orders. If someone only orders soup and everyone else orders 2 to 3 courses, it’s not fair to make them pay the same.

If there are a couple people not drinking alcohol while the rest of the group is, separate the beverage total to take this into account and don’t overcharge the non-drinkers.

Proper tipping etiquette in a restaurant:

At a restaurant, always leave a tip. Tips can vary from 15% to 25%.

• Waiter: 15% to 20% of the bill; 25% for extraordinary service
• Wine steward: 15% of wine bill
• Bartender: 10% to 15% of bar bill
• Coat check: $1.00 per coat
• Car attendant: $2.00 to $5.00

Remember that the amount you tip reflects the total price before any coupons, gift certificates, etc. Just because you get a discount, does not mean that your server did not serve up the full order.

If the owner of the restaurant serves you himself, you should still tip him. He will divide the tip among those who work in the kitchen and dining room.

CREDIT: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Menu/DiningEtiquetteGuide.htm

The service in a restaurant is as important as the food and while poor food can ruin your experience of dining out a great meal is easily spoilt by bad service.

But what do you do as a customer when something’s gone wrong in a restaurant? The Good Food Guide claims it has the answer and lays out five golden rules to complaining.

1. Keep your voice low and calm, but be firm.

2. Avoid creating a scene in front of other customers, or your guests, which can put the restaurant on the defensive. Instead, approach it as part of a deal between you and the restaurant and its staff to jointly create a great eating experience.

3. Identify the manager, maître d’or person who appears to be in charge and take them aside quietly and state your case firmly.

4. Complain immediately if things go wrong. Don’t brood – act. If the soup is cold or the meat not done to your specification, say so there and then.

5. Don’t leave it until paying the bill to make a complaint – by then it may be too late for the restaurant to rectify the situation and you will walk away thinking it was all a horrible experience.

CREDIT:  http://www.kitchenrat.com/2008/10/how-to-complain-in-a-restauran.html

Instructions:
Step 1:

Sign up for email or birthday clubs as a way to get free food from restaurants. Many will send you coupons for free food items just for signing up. Birthday freebies can include anything from free desserts to a free full meal! Several restaurants will email you ongoing coupons for free food items, buy one get one free offers or other discounts.

Step 2:

Be aware of restaurants that offer kids eat free nights and places that have buy one get one free food deals for seniors. Restaurants are coming out with all kinds of money saving deals to get your business, so be on the lookout for offers in your area.

Step 3:

Consider using the motto “Will work for free food.” Many restaurants, catering jobs, pizza delivery, even grocery stores offer employees free food and discount incentives. Even working at these jobs part time can net you some free food.

Step 4:

Email or write to restaurants you enjoy and give them your opinions and comments. You may be surprised to find many places will send you coupons for free food or discount offers just for taking time to contact them. Be sure to include your mailing address in your message.

Step 5:

Look online. Sometimes you can find free food offers and coupons that can be printed off from restaurant web sites or they may be advertising free food promotions taking place at the resaurants. Let others do the searching for you by looking on web sites that list free samples and offers.

Step 6:

Consider doing online surveys as you can often receive free food offers and restaurant gift cards this way. Some paid to search and other types of web sites also offer restaurant gift cards as prizes or rewards.

Step 7:

Use a reward credit card. Several credit cards offer rewards which can be redeemed for restaurant gift cards.

Step 8:

Look in local newspapers and mailings for free food and discounts offered by restaurants. Also check inside your local phone book as many restaurants put coupons inside and advertise there.

CREDIT: http://www.ehow.com/how_4785302_food-restaurants.html

Northern Kentucky Restaurant:

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Northern Kentucky Restaurant: Szechuan Garden

Drop into Szechuan Garden in Park Hills, Kentucky for good times and great food. The restaurant is a neighborhood favorite, and offers a casual, friendly dining atmosphere that you and your friends are sure to enjoy. Szechuan Garden also features a friendly, professional staff of great people, who will make sure you enjoy your visit and that Szechuan Garden lives up to its reputation for pleasant dining and superb cuisine. The menu offers an inspired array of selections that is sure to satisfy everyone in your group, every time. Be sure to ask your server about new selections, daily specials, and special chef’s creations. Whether you’re in the mood for casual dining or a special occasion, Szechuan Garden is sure to please. To view the Szechuan Garden Menu, please click the following links then click the images to enlarge them.

Menu 1 –  Menu 2 – Menu 3 – Menu 4 – Menu 5 – Menu 6

Northern Kentucky Restaurant: Szechuan Garden

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