How should customers treat waiters to get good service?
A. I call that guesting. Recognize your waiter. Be patient. Realize that it isn’t always possible to do exactly what you want when you want it. If you don’t know about something, ask before you order. One waitress wrote me a letter that said: “My greatest joy is when I get the ultimate grumpy old man who won’t smile, and tries to find something wrong even when I go out of my way to make everything right just for him. Then he pays his bill, thanks me with a big skile, saying, ‘Keep the change.’ Then I find out it was only 10%. But he left my restaurant smiling and feeling a little better than he did when he walked in the door.” Q. What is waiters’ biggest complaint about customers? A. Tipping. Especially 10% tipping. Tipping is important when waiters are earning $2 or $2.10 an hour. It varies from state to state, but it’s half the minimum wage. Or when the guest is condescending and looks down on the waiter. Q. One other complaint you often hear is waiters tell you their name. Should th
