One Hundred Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

[Go? Fencing?]

I have to say I'd get rid of a fair percentage of those rules straight away, and also question whether or not you lot are allowed to have/use common sense at all

This is just one guy's restaurant. A lot of this stuff is common sense, and a lot of the rest of it wouldn't apply to most restaurants anyway.

[I_luv_saber]

A good portion of the technical rules are good rules. Things like not interrupting people during a conversation or while eating, etc.

I just find their customer service rules far, far too strict. Again, the key to good customer service: Flexibility catering to the customer's needs and wants, not tradition and preset rules. Generalizations only take you so far in that realm...

[Insipiens]

As has been said, some of the customer service rules like "never say which is your favorite ..." are fine as long as they are referring to unsollicited comments. If I ask a waiter what they would recommend or like then I don't want the reply "I am sorry, we are not allowed to say" but somehow I think the author is taking that for granted.

It all depends on the setting. In a michelin starred restaurant you wouldn't forgive a waiter not knowing who was eating what (there goes your michelin star) but in more informal settings it's not so important - it is still a sign of attention to detail though.

I ate at a restaurant last week on their opening night and they didn't know the menu and didn't have a wine list - but then it was opening night so I forgave them (a very good wine recommended). I was astonished at the number of staff (five waiting and two behind the bar) to the number of diners at first (about three tables and four people eating at the bar) - I have never been somewhere where the diners were outnumbered by the waiting staff before. But I got chatting with the serving staff (they didn't have anything else to do) and I understood the logic as they had just opened. If they carry on with those numbers they are not going to make a profit though.

[Insipiens]

This one is good

68. Do not reach across one guest to serve another.

I once had dinner with a fencing club and they crammed us in so tight the only way they could get food to some people was for me to pass it to them. I got afree drink from the waitress for passing plates all night.

[LordShout]

The list is good. For those that find it stiff, well yes it is stiff in the restrained fashion that seems to be expected once one starts eating out at a certain level of restaurant. I'm sure the list's author would agree that if the customer starts asking for the servers opinion for them to give it, customer first mentality.

If this is your kind of thing than Charlier Trotter has an absolutely fantastic book for your to read, http://www.charlietrotters.com/store...2&productID=68. His idea's a great and apply to some extant to all places of business but for mid-range restaurants and under they might be a little over the top.

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had was largely the product of excellent service. Went to a nice sushi place in East Lansing with some friends and they were packed, we we're offered a private room and decided to take it. Server warned us that given the secluded nature and level of privacy the guests expect in those rooms to ring the bell if we wanted anything otherwise she would be back periodically with drinks.

Service was timed perfectly, room was quiet and we got to have an amazing time. The food was the usual high standard. The way above average service, both being offered the room and the way the waitress handled the night turned it into one of my top 5 dining experiences.

[Superscribe]

Having gone through a hotel administration class, and then experienced service like the kind described by the blog, they're definately things one can appreciate if you're the customer. If you have company you want to talk to, the neutrality and general sterility in behavior from the waiters really puts them in the background.

I think it's important to note that the type of waiters that would result from a restaurant enforcing all those rules typically caters to a very WASPy clientele.