Help I know that the customer is king, but sometimes it is impossible for me to do what they want when they want it. My question, simply put, is: Is the customer always right? As we were doing our sidework the other evening, my co-workers and I began to wonder how the napkin came about. Can you help us? When is it appropriate to place the check on the table? Should we have been more vocal about our displeasure? Should we have tipped the waitress? Should my niece have gotten her meal free? Should we have asked for another waitress? Should the manager have done this for us and for her? When opening a bottle of wine for a customer, where on the table shold I present the cork? How long should I leave the cork on the table? If the cork breaks, should I present it to the customer, and should I say anything about it breaking? Finally, how much wine should be poured for proper tasting? I have a problem. I am a bartender at a nice restaurant in Seattle. I love my job. I even like my boss. But he shows up practically every shift I work and takes a bottle of wine. He tells me to charge it to the guest. I don't know what to do because I fell that he is cheating the customer. I don't want to rock the boat and lose my job. A repeat customer wrote our establishment complaining that we raised our room rates for a popular weekend in our small town. She was visiting for personal reasons and not to attend the popular racecar event. Should I return her money? What is the deal with tips vs. service charges? This occurrence actually happened. Two anniversary parities both arrived at a restaurant at the same time. The first gave me, the manager, a box which contained a special cake. The second party presented a similar box to the waitperson in charge of that station. After dinner, when I went to retrieve the cake I was given, I found that the waitperson had already mistakenly cut and served the wrong cake to the wrong party. When the host found out what happened he was understandably chagrined. What would you have done? What do you do if, after the host of a party of ten says he wants to limit his wine consumption to two bottles, you discover that you've over-filled the first glasses in the party and are running out of wine just as you begin serving the last members of the group? I was wondering if you have any ideas on how to educate the consumer on the proper amount to tip, besides the one of berating the under tipping customer. Where do I look on a guest's face if this person has a glass eye or wall eye in one or both eyes? How do I tactfully tell customers from other countries the service charge is not included in the bill total? How can I find out about jobs in cutting edge and exclusive clubs and restaurants across the nation? Please help settle a dispute. I say the French invented round dinner knives while my friend says the idea came from Russia. Do you know the story? What do you look for when buying a port wine? Our manager pushes us to "suggestively sell" practically everything on the menu. We constantly must ask if guests want additional side dishes (not included in the price) and push the customer to buy things they may not want. Sometimes I feel my customers think I'm trying to rip them off. What should I do? What do you do is, as a waitperson, you know the special of the day to be a little less than stellar. For instance, the seafood chosen for the chef's special is just a little past its prime, which is one of the reasons it's being offered as a special in the first place? What do you tell management and/or your dinner guests about it, if anything at all? When I returned to ask if everything was to his satisfaction, he complained that his dish was overcooked. My manager didn't want to take it off the check because I should have checked back sooner. One of our guests has complained because, in our restaurant, we clear the plates immediately after the individual has finished his or her meal. She says it is proper and polite to wait until all guests are finished before clearing the plates from the table? The problem is this: we have a party of four who dine here regularly. It is against their belief to tip. They never tip. As a result, the waiters and waitresses are refusing to serve this table ot give them terrible service, at best. What should we do? I have a great staff that took me over a year to hire and train. I pay them well. My problem is they are young and don't really understand the idea of etiquette. For example, I have seen them interrupt guests mid-sentence in order to recite the specials. How can I teach them without insulting their intelligence? Do you know anything about an international exchange program for chefs? I've heard of it but can't seem to gather any solid info. Why do you serve from the left and clear from the right? What are the differences between a waiter, head waiter, captain, maitre d' hotel etc. etc. etc.? What are the nuances of serving gracefully in a casual fine dining atmosphere? What can you tell me about the chef's toque? Where does it come from? Why don't waiters have some kind of specials hat? I would like to know what policy other restaurants have for the server to tip the bus help and bartender. Our restaurant closes from mid-January through mid-March. Needless to say, this is a very trying time for me financially. Since this is a seasonal town, there really aren't many other server jobs in the area. Am I eligible for unemployment benefits? How is it that the pineapple comes to represent hospitality? How many miles in a day does the average waiter walk? We have ta casual family-owned and -operated business in a small city, and recently, we hired a family friend as chef. He moved several states to work with us. The problem is he's completely unhappy with our menu. We have served this classical Mexican menu for 3 generations, and figured if it's not broke, then why fix it? The bigger problem is that our chef yells at our waiters and waitresses. How can we handle this situation? Our manager doesn't drink coffee and has little interest in serving what I'd consider a decent cup of coffee. I'm embarrassed by the brand that we have. How do you get through to these managers that just don't get it? Is it true that waiters must pay tax on 8% of their sales even when they aren't tipped that much? What sort of certifications are available for waiters?

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Copyright © Vivienne Wildes, 2001	Last Date Modified: August 19, 2001