My Dining Out Service Expectations-Whats real to expect and what should I just accept?

When its comes to dining out nowadays, we all have different levels of expectations from venue concepts, price points, product quality and service standards. But what can we realistically expect in terms of service versus what is just wishful thinking... Well, for one, you can rest assure that you're not the only customer or guest and the establishment you're patronizing is serving you just like they served their other thousand if not million customers. You are not alone, there other customers and you might have to wait-this is about the only thing you have to accept. Other than that, you should be able to expect personal, individualized service to make your visit enjoyable as well as memorable in the sense you are: 1. You should be warmly and sincerely welcomed! A great 'Good Morning' and a smile goes a long way to welcome you. 2. You are promptly seated or given a time line expectation of the wait. And if you are waiting, it should be in some orderly fashion with a system in place. Too often I see a sardine packed waiting area of a few seats for a crowd of people. Now, then some place use all their resources to take advantage of a wait crowd; they control how many seated guest they have as not to overburden the kitchen and get food out in a timely, quality manner. They might take pre-orders from guest as they are waiting or perhaps pass out menus so people can get familiarized with the menu. Sometimes customers are seated in the lounge to be offered drinks and appetizers and then have their guest check transferred to their dining table when it becomes open. And I even seen sample pass out to the waiting area to woo and awe the guest. and once I seen a stand up, in house, comic-manager do his own monologue to kill time. Whatever it takes, but do not throw the wait into a corner, engage them and expedite the seating process. 3. You should be promptly greeted at the table upon being seated. And if the place is super busy, you are promptly greeted to let you know that soon you will be promptly greeted. Nothing turns me off than seeing workers dash by, run by my table looking too busy to even make eye contact with me to let me know 'I know you're here and I will be right with you'. But then again, maybe even worse is the guy who casually, nonchalantly walks by my table without a clue that I am there or the person who says 'its not my area-I'll get your server'. Then along comes the Pro, who in the midst of being peaks busy while carrying a drink order of 8 beverages to another table stops over at your table within your 2 minutes of being seated and says 'Hello, Welcome, My name is Cory, Susan will be your server tonight but I will be happy to start you off. Just let me drop off these drinks and I will be right back. Is this ok?'. Smart move, he just bought time, acknowledge your presence and made you feel noticed. 4. You should have the order taken just as you want it. I know this sounds like a no-brainer but it really isn't. Too often the server just doesn't have knowledge of the menu and has to 'check on it' or go see if its ok to do. I believe great servers are empowered to make decisions at the table on your order request. Things like not too spicy, leave out the cheese, add extra shrimp, no salt, ect. Its called food modifying and today its probably a standard service at any quality establishment. Yes, I know it can be a pain for the kitchen but out of a hundred guest, really only a handful or so or going to modify something. 5. to be continued...