Insider Guide.(How to get good waitress service)

Insider's Guide service

How to get good waitress service

By Debra Ginsberg Ginsberg, author of Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress (Perennial) and About My Sisters (HarperCollins), worked in restaurants for 20 years. When you go to a restaurant, you shouldn't have to struggle to get prompt, pleasant service. But there are a few things that help -- and hurt. * Plan ahead. If you are with three couples who want separate checks, tell the server as soon as you sit down. If you wait until you've finished dessert, not only will you give her extra work, you'll be stuck waiting while she scrambles to do the math. The same rule applies to nights when you have to be somewhere after your meal. Tell the server exactly how much time you have -- and then listen when she tells you which dishes can be prepared quickly enough. * Don't go overboard. Too much friendliness is not good -- there is no need to ask a busy waitress a million personal questions to get on her good side. And don't ever sit down and announce, "Hey, I tip really well." Waitresses know that most people who say that either don't, or they are so much trouble that it isn't worth it anyway. * Get diet help. If you are on a low-carb or low- fat diet and the menu doesn't indicate which dishes suit you, ask the server what she recommends. If you're embarrassed to ask in front of a date or a colleague, you can call ahead and ask the manager which specific dishes suit your diet. * Speak up. I'm always surprised when people tell me they're afraid to send food back to the kitchen. Remember, the server wants you to be happy (so you leave a good tip); she would much rather have you send a dish back than silently fume about it. And if you want something different altogether, you really can say something as ...