Publication: Travel Tips
Tipping Tips | |
Subscribe FREE to Travel Tips by clicking here.
============================================================
COOL TRAVEL MAIL'S
TRAVEL TIPS
Tips & Advice for the Seasoned and Armchair Traveler Alike!
============================================================
http://www.CoolTravelMail.com
Nov. 27, 2007
When I was in college, one of my best friends was a hotel
management major.
He was a great guy; the life of the party, a fun road trip
companion and a pretty fair pool player.
But I dreaded going to restaurants with him.
Invariably, he'd look for stuff that was wrong or
unsatisfactory. The soup was too peppery, the beef
overcooked or undercooked, the wine not quite what he had
expected. I'd sit there, smiling at the targeted waiter,
and try to turn myself invisible.
In this week's issue:
* RESTAURANT RIGHTS, RUDENESS
* TIPPING TIPS
* WINE WHINING
P.S. If you're interested you can now post comments on this
and recent issues on our forum at... Travel Tips Forum
============================================================
3 Pc. SILICONE BRUSH SET
Store Price: $19.99
DEAL PRICE: $7.99 for one, $11.98 for two!
==> No Dealers Please. Limit of five (5) Per order <==
Here's an amazing deal. You get not one, not two, but
THREE Silicone Brushes. These are almost exactly like
the ones you see on TV. The difference? The price! Get
three (3) brushes for less than what you pay for one on
TV or from a store. This was a special buy we pulled off,
but we only got 1250 pieces. Once they're gone, they are
gone for ever. This is below the manufacturer's cost.
3 Pc. SILICONE BRUSH SET
============================================================
RESTAURANT RIGHTS, RUDENESS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that it's been a couple of decades since the pizza-and-
beer days of college (It's evolved into the pizza-and-soda
days of parenthood) I realize that, in most cases, my picky
buddy was right.
His attitude was unnecessarily snotty, but his gripes were
generally legitimate.
Dining out is an experience, and an expensive one at that.
And when you're traveling for leisure, it's one of the
fundamentals that helps determine whether it's a good
vacation day or a bad vacation day. You have a right to
good food and good service, and the more expensive the
meal, the more you should legitimately expect.
But where do you draw the line between getting your money's
worth as a customer and being "that jerk" the restaurant
staff talks about for the rest of the week?
Here are some guidelines for finding that line. Most of it
is based on an interview New York City restaurateur Danny
Meyer did with Budget Travel magazine and a restaurant
etiquette guide posted on StarChefs.com, a Website devoted
to the culinary industry. As always, I've tossed in my own
thoughts, experiences and opinions when appropriate.
Q: If you arrive on time for your reservation, but the
table isn't ready, how long before you're allowed to be
annoyed?
A: In general, give them about 20 minutes before you get
too cranky. Often, delays are beyond the restaurant's
control, especially when the earlier party at your table
arrived late, or is "camping out" in front of empty desert
plates.
The restaurant staff, however, does owe you an apology, an
explanation of why things aren't ready, and a realistic
estimate of when your table will be ready. After about 20
minutes, it's customary for a restaurant to buy parties
with delayed reservations a round of drinks.
Q. What's the appropriate way to express displeasure with
something you ordered? Is it enough that you don't like the
taste?
A. Restaurants, like most service industries, still live by
he motto "the customer is always right." You should speak
up whenever you are less than happy with a dish. Just be
polite about it, and do it early - when there's still some-
thing the restaurant can do about it. If you weren't expect-
ing broccoli in your pasta dish, tell the waiter and order
something else. If the shrimp taste chewy or the meat is
dry, you don't have to suffer through it. And you shouldn't
feel like you're being whiny.
============================================================
The Roll a Piano Portable Electric Piano
Practice and Play Anywhere You Go - Normally $79.99 Save $20
Take this fully functional electric piano everywhere you go!
You can practice your skills or entertain your friends and
guests. With 16 instrument sounds, 10 demo songs and 99
rhythms, the Roll a Piano gives you the flexibility to
create your own tunes.
Equipped with a built-in speaker, volume control and head-
phone output. So small and compact you can slip it in your
desk drawer or take it with you in your purse, backpack or
brief case. And now when you order you can SAVE $20. The
great sounding Roll A Piano is just $59.99.
To Order: The Portable 'Roll a Piano'
============================================================
TIPPING TIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: How should you go about trying to get special service
for a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary
without appearing demanding?
A: OK, let's first assume you're not talking about
Bennigans or Applebee's or someplace like that where the
staff claps and halfheartedly sings the chain's signature
birthday chant. You don’t want that. Ever.
It's not at all demanding to let a restaurant know what
your agenda is for a meal beyond putting food in your
body. When making a reservation, mention that you're
celebrating an anniversary or a promotion or meeting with
clients for business. A good restaurant focused on pleasing
its patrons will use that information to help make your
stay more pleasurable, without embarrassing you.
Q: I've got one of those tipping cards that lets me figure
out how much to leave, but it's pretty old. What's the
standard these days?
A: People will tell you the range is 15 to 20 percent, but
actually the socially acceptable norm in the United States
is closer to 20 percent, with up to 25 percent for truly
excellent service in fine dining establishments. Keep in
mind that your waiter is probably being paid less than
minimum wage and probably has to split tips with the bus
boys and other wait staff.
Keep in mind, however, that tipping is also the customer's
way of grading the wait staff on their service. If you feel
your waiter was surly, unhelpful, rude or inattentive, feel
free to tip less than the norm. Leaving no tip at all,
however, is not considered good dining etiquette.
Q: Do I also have to tip on that expensive bottle of wine?
A: In general, wine is considered to be part of the meal,
even if it costs a lot more than the food itself. You are
expected to tip on the whole deal.
============================================================
NO KID CAN RESIST DINOSAURS...
And We've Got A Cool & Unique Dinosaur Item for Under $2
Growing Dinosaur Egg Pets are the coolest new way to hatch
yourself a new friend.
Your kids will delight as they watch their little reptile
egg hatch into Dinosaur. The excitement grows as the egg
begins to crack open and slowly a baby dinosaur appears.
It's so easy... Simply put the egg into a container of
water and wait for the hatching. When out of the egg
remove the shell and place the dinosaur into its own
larger container of water, and it will continue to grow
and grow.
These novel pets are obviously not living creatures,
but are highly amusing. Amaze your children with this
educational and fun experiment. These toys are NON-TOXIC.
Oh and the best part is the price... get an egg for just
$1.99. Visit: Growing Dinosaur Egg Pets
============================================================
WINE WHINING
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: When is it OK to return a bottle of wine?
A: There are two reasons. First, when there's something
wrong with it, and second, when the restaurant has given
you considerable assistance and advice in choosing a wine,
but you just don't like it.
Many people are embarrassed to say they think a bottle is
bad, because they're not sure whether something is actually
wrong or their taste buds just aren't sophisticated enough
to appreciate that particular vintage.
They shouldn't be. The world is filled with people like me,
who have spent a lifetime sniffing the cork when it's
offered by the waiter, without really knowing what I was
sniffing for.
About one out of every 30 or 40 corks contains a bacteria
that, while harmless to your body, creates a musty, "off-
taste" in the wine called "corkiness." It's nobody's fault,
and you should not assume the restaurant did anything
wrong. But you shouldn't pay for the bottle, either. The
restaurant will understand that and should help you without
question.
If the bottle is fine, and you just don't like the wine,
you shouldn't make much of a fuss if you ordered it
confidently, by yourself, and didn't ask the restaurant
for a recommendation. If the restaurant basically selected
it for you, you're within the bounds of etiquette to say
you don't like it and want to order a different one.
Well, that's it for this week, group. Thanks again for
reading, and please keep those comments, complaints and
questions coming in.
You can send me an e-mail message at: Email Pierce
Until next week, thanks for reading.
Your Tipmeister,
Pierce
************************************************************
ARCHIVES: Travel Tips Archives
See hundreds of free Travel Video Clips online at:
Great Free Travel Videos
------------------------------------------------------------
End of Travel Tips - Another free ezine from GopherCentral
(c)2007 NextEra Media. All rights reserved.
 E-Mail this issue
Subscribe FREE to Travel Tips by clicking here.
|