ShareThisRestaurants depend on earning the good will of diners -- they're in the hospitality business, after all. Sometimes, diners forget that restaurants are businesses and that they have to make decisions based on the bottom line, as well as the feelings of their guests. The customer is not always right, but restaurants don't always act in their own best interests either. After years of eating in restaurants professionally -- and listening to diners complain or rave about dinners -- here are my thoughts on some common conflicts.
Conflict: Requiring a credit card to hold a reservation, with the threat of a fee for no-shows.
Diner's view: Why would I want to go to a restaurant that doesn't trust I'll show up? If they don't deliver any services, I shouldn't have to pay them.
Restaurant's view: No-shows make dining out more expensive for everyone because restaurants order food -- often perishable -- based in part on reservations. Either we have to raise prices to compensate, or we have to overbook the dining room, which could mean you'll have to wait for your reserved table. If we take a credit card number, only the no-show is punished.
Verdict: Taking a credit card number for a regular dinner is invasive and unfriendly. It is acceptable for special dinners with limited numbers of seats, a large party or on holidays such as New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day. Instead, restaurants should call to confirm the reservation to minimize no-shows.
CONFLICT Refusing to seat an incomplete party.
Diner's view: I'm here, and I'd like to sit. Is it that much trouble to fill my water glass and check on me?
Restaurant's view: Seating incomplete parties creates a disproportionate amount of work for the server. If diners start to order before the rest of the party arrives, it can confuse the kitchen, leading to other mistakes. Keeping tables open until whole parties arrive also makes the seating arrangement more flexible, and helps ensure that every party gets seated as promptly as possible.
Verdict: If a restaurant won't seat an incomplete party, it needs a comfortable space to wait. It shouldn't pressure people waiting at the bar to order a drink. If it does, it should let patrons transfer their tab to the table. If all but one person has arrived, the restaurant should let the group sit.
CONFLICT Table time limits
Diner's view: I'm paying for my meal, I should have the table as long as I like.
Restaurant's view: When diners linger past the ordinary time it takes to finish a meal, they can upset the seating plan for an entire evening. They have a right to their table, but so does the group who reserved it for later.
Verdict: Printed time limits are going to turn off more people than they're going to speed up, but diners shouldn't be able to linger forever. Servers can help the situation by taking orders promptly and providing the check quickly once it's requested.
Diners should understand that a restaurant is not a living room and a bill is not rent. When you're done with the meal, either order something else or, if there are people waiting, move on. (Spending an hour chatting before finally letting your server take your order is just plain rude.)
CONFLICT No substitutions or modifications.
Diner's view: I'm paying, I should be able to get something I like. The dish basically sounds good, I just want one small change.
Restaurant's view: Complex dishes don't always take well to modifications or substitutions, and it's easier to have a clear-cut rule than ask servers or cooks to constantly weigh whether a change will be good or bad.
Verdict: The policy should be clearly printed on the restaurant's menu and website. If a modification is easy, be flexible. Diners with more than a couple of problematic foods should avoid such restaurants.
CONFLICT Hidden fees or mystery prices.
Diner's view: A surprise fee can ruin a meal. Why bother making a few extra dollars but losing a potential return customer?
Restaurant's view: If diners want to know how much something costs, they should ask.
Verdict: Restaurants should ALWAYS communicate prices, verbally or in writing. Up-selling without giving the cost -- whether it's a side salad or an extra bowl of chips -- is obnoxious. But if a restaurant communicates a cost, don't argue. Decide if the extra $1 charge for green beans instead of broccoli is worth it, and move on.
(Contact China Millman at cmillman(at)post-gazette.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com)
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