Episode 68

Dining Etiquette with Katie Walters & Shawn McManus

About BizCast Greater La Crosse

We bring you news from the business community. From startups to experienced problem solvers, you’ll get in-depth insight on the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Greater La Crosse. Our show is a collaboration between WIZMNews.com and BizNews Greater La Crosse ( GreaterLaCrosse.media ).

Summary / Show Notes

The Makings of Exceptional Restaurant Service: Insights from Industry Experts In this episode of BizCast Greater La Crosse, host Vicki Markussen is joined by Katie Walters of Walt’s Restaurant and Tavern and Sean McManus of Savory Creations to discuss the intricacies of providing exceptional service in the restaurant industry. They delve into the importance of effective communication, gauging customer needs, ensuring consistency in food preparation, and navigating customer interactions and etiquette. The discussion also covers the challenges faced by restaurant staff and the significant role of tipping in their earnings. Attributed to a newfound understanding from the pandemic era, the episode emphasizes the mutual respect required from both customers and servers to enhance the dining experience.

• 00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Etiquette
• 00:22 Meet the Hosts and Guests
• 01:19 The Customer Experience Begins
• 03:35 Handling Wait Times and Communication
• 06:38 Timing and Training in Meal Service
• 11:52 Consistency and Preparation in the Kitchen
• 15:58 Encouraging Customers to Try New Things
• 17:15 Addressing Food Allergies and Preferences
• 23:55 Tipping and Payment Etiquette
• 31:24 Final Thoughts and Advice for Diners

Full Transcript [generated by AI]

[00:00:00] Shawn McManus: what they call your mise en place, meaning everything in its place.

[00:00:05] Shawn McManus: So when we walk in, regardless if it’s Chef 1, 2, or 3, they know where everything is going to be. It’s that clockwork turnaround. Everything stays in its same place even going to the extent of creating legends for coolers until we’re all on that same page. 

[00:00:20] Vicki Markussen: Welcome to BizCast, Greater La Crosse, a weekly podcast from BizNews. We bring you news from the business community. I am your host and founder, Vicki Markussen, and joining me today is Katie Walters. She is with Walt’s Restaurant and Tavern in Bangor, and Sean McManus, he is with Savory Creations, and we’re having one of these conversations because I have two restaurant experts, and the etiquette questions that everybody wants to know.

[00:00:49] Vicki Markussen: So this, I was saying this kind of came from airline and flying etiquette podcasts that I did, but there’s etiquette around being in a restaurant, right? And so rather than make this awkward and just point to the people of what they’re doing wrong, let’s talk about what a restaurant does right, right? 

[00:01:08] Vicki Markussen: So that people recognize when exceptional service is happening or ambiance or whatever that is. So let’s talk about it, and you can, we’ll just, I’m not even going to call on each of you. What, where does the experience begin for a customer? I

[00:01:23] Katie Walters: think the experience begins when you first come in contact with your hostess, your bartender, your server. I think the mark of a great. is being able to gauge your guests. Do they want to sit and talk to you about what they did that day? Do they want to hear the long extended version of how the ribeye steak made it to the menu?

[00:01:46] Katie Walters: Do they want recommendations above and beyond what they’ve already ordered? I think that There are guests that want to come in and they want to interact and they want to become a part of the restaurant. And then there are people that just want to come in, they’re with their date, they’re with their family, they’re by themselves, and they want to eat and they want to drink and be merry all by themselves.

[00:02:06] Vicki Markussen: Okay, and so people should be paying attention to how much is your server. Reading you, right? Are they being talkative? Are they not being talkative based off of the type of experience people are giving signals that they want to have? Sean, anything to add to that? 

[00:02:22] Shawn McManus: Yeah, I agree with with Katie.

[00:02:24] Shawn McManus: It’s right at the front door. Rather being that they’re acknowledged right at the door. And there’s that comfort level for me personally. It may be a great cocktail that I like at a certain place or a particular dish, but it’s also that comfort. So those nice patios. Perhaps it’s the flowers.

[00:02:43] Shawn McManus: Mary Cody always says beautiful flowers in front of her restaurant on Main Street in Alaska. It’s, it creates this comfort and bringing back those memories. And I think that’s the etiquette start out, just really walking and being acknowledged and the customer looking for those comfort zones. 

[00:03:00] Vicki Markussen: And so it’s, what is the ambiance that’s happening in addition to just getting people seated?

[00:03:06] Vicki Markussen: Is that a good way to put it? 

[00:03:08] Shawn McManus: Absolutely. That would be it. That feeling. Yeah. 

[00:03:11] Vicki Markussen: So ideally, a restaurant has people waiting for tables or patronizing the bar. Is there some, I’ll just call it etiquette, right? So obviously there’s some people that were surprised that they have to wait for a little bit. They may or may not want to go to the bar.

[00:03:30] Vicki Markussen: And so how can people, how does a restaurant navigate that? Because you obviously, you want to have a full restaurant, but you don’t want it to Hit the tipping point of people getting angry. Communication. Communication, communication. 

[00:03:46] Katie Walters: If I go to a restaurant or I have guests at my restaurant and we know it’s going to be an hour wait, I will always tell my guests we’re on a 60 minute wait.

[00:03:55] Katie Walters: I am generally going to overestimate rather than underestimate so that hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised in half an hour when we have a table for you. If it is a large party. I will tell them, it’s going to be a little bit longer to get that party seated. You’re going to see two tops, four tops go ahead of you.

[00:04:14] Katie Walters: It’s not because we’re ignoring you. If the wait does really get to be egregious, here’s a drink chip. Please go have a drink at the bar on me. But it’s really just constantly communicating. Even when I’ve told them it’s going to be an hour long wait. Every 15 minutes, I’m going up to Mr. Smith and saying, we haven’t forgotten about you.

[00:04:34] Katie Walters: You’re still your third on our list. We’re going to get you seated as, as quickly as we can. But in my experience, for the most part, there’s always going to be grumpy people that you can’t make happy. But just constant communication because people want to know that they have not been forgotten, they want to be acknowledged, that they are not just one of many.

[00:04:54] Katie Walters: That they are special in your mind in the restaurant’s eyes. 

[00:04:59] Vicki Markussen: One of the things honestly I was oblivious to this until someone explained to me that it’s about the, turn around of tables and how many times you can turn a table around in the course of a night. So I’ve become that obnoxious customer where I’m bugging everybody else at the table. 

[00:05:16] Vicki Markussen: Hurry up. They got to turn this table over. Because, you allowed a certain time period, correct. It’s not. To be profitable, you want to be able to have let’s say, two seatings for the evening, and the longer people take, the less likely that is to happen? Is that, am I thinking that through correctly?

[00:05:33] Katie Walters: It’s true, but you know, as a restaurant owner, I don’t ever want anybody to feel rushed. We currently do not set table times. I know of some establishments, and I understand that it’s necessary sometimes during those peak hours. I have at some points, again, when a table maybe is oblivious to people waiting or they’re just so into their conversation and they’re sipping their cocktails, I will offer them a free drink if they wouldn’t mind coming to sit at the bar.

[00:05:59] Katie Walters: Oh, very nice. Also when communicating with people waiting, I will say three tables have paid their check. That does not mean that they’re going to leave in the next five minutes. So I think it is that balance between, yes, we run a business, we want to be profitable, but I, just like when I go out, I don’t want to feel like I have a gun to my head.

[00:06:18] Katie Walters: Like I have to leave at the second that I’ve swallowed my last bite, or maybe I want to get a coffee. Maybe I want to get a second cocktail. So it really is straddling that line of making people feel welcome and not rushed, but at the same time, realistically, We can’t be sitting at a table for four hours on a Friday night, ideally.

[00:06:37] Vicki Markussen: Yes. And so, Shawn, talk about timing of the meal. Obviously, and we were chatting about this before we hit record of, oh my gosh, we have a salad bar. We might have apps and a salad bar that, that can slow down the timing in terms of when people receive their entree. To me, that’s an art. What does that look like delivered well?

[00:06:59] Shawn McManus: Like Katie said, it’s about communication. It’s also about training. The, whether it be the greeter or the server, I think all of that training there being thorough, being persistent, being a servant for individuals in particular, each table individually, that training there is really going to play a part in that timing.

[00:07:21] Shawn McManus: Again, that communication. So it, especially from the communication. From the server, From the customer to the server to the kitchen. The folks are going to the salad bar. They had talked about ordering an appetizer. Perhaps we’ll know if they’re going to order one when they come back, just so you guys know, we’re going to go ahead and hold off before we start putting out any additional orders.

[00:07:40] Shawn McManus: It’s that communication there. And like Katie said, not that feeling of not being rushed. But being observant. And being trained, and I think that’s kind of key qualities for that. 

[00:07:52] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. And Katie, you were talking about how some chefs are just better at gauging that and sometimes you get a new chef in who hasn’t, doesn’t, isn’t used to a salad bar as a additional complication.

[00:08:05] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. Yeah. So can you talk about how, with your restaurant being newer, how are you training people to time that out well and is there technology that can help with that? 

[00:08:16] Katie Walters: Honestly, this is a constant conversation that we’re having. Technology can be a great friend in this to this issue. There are buttons that can hold an order for five minutes.

[00:08:29] Katie Walters: I have some servers that say, I will just remember to ring it in, in five to seven minutes. Now for me and my ADHD brain, if I don’t ring it in immediately, I’m going to forget. I think it’s knowing your staff. And for myself, I had not worked in a salad bar restaurant. So it’s just not in my brain to think about you’re gonna eat your salad for five, six, seven, eight minutes, and then you want your entree.

[00:08:58] Katie Walters: So I think that it’s just, it’s getting guest feedback as well. That’s how this conversation has come back into the fold. As of last week, we have a new hire and she said, Oh, my friends came in. They love the restaurant. They love the food. But the Got their salad bar and 30 seconds later, their food was dropped.

[00:09:15] Katie Walters: So it’s a different skill set because generally speaking, you want to pump out that food and drink as fast as possible for profitability, but also because people are hungry. But now we have this new element of a salad bar where it’s food on the guest terms when they order their food, maybe they’re sitting and having a deep conversation with their partner and they don’t go up to the salad bar for 10 minutes.

[00:09:39] Katie Walters: So it’s really It’s a constantly evolving, fluid situation that we are still always tackling. But I will say that technology, in my opinion, is the best way to address this, especially when You do not have that salad bar mind. 

[00:09:56] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. For the general public, these are the pieces that they don’t realize are happening in the background, right? 

[00:10:02] Vicki Markussen: They’re, they get there, somebody arrives a little bit later, and they’re talking and the server says, oh, you can go up to the salad bar, but they keep talking, and they don’t realize that there’s a clock ticking in the background that is designed to provide exceptional service, right? So that you can have time for your bar, an appetizer, even.

[00:10:23] Vicki Markussen: and then not have your food coming as you’re just getting started on your salad, right? 

[00:10:28] Katie Walters: Or let us know. We had a couple that came in a few weeks ago and they said, we don’t want you to put our food in until we tell you. We are going to sit, we are going to enjoy our cocktails, we are going to go up to the salad bar several times.

[00:10:40] Katie Walters: So again, that does present a problem sometimes because you have to remember to ring that food in. But as a guest, Just know that if you know that this is going to be a long experience or that this is a business meeting or this is where we’re having a deep conversation, we’re not going to even address that salad bar for another 20 minutes.

[00:10:57] Katie Walters: Just let us know. 

[00:10:59] Vicki Markussen: Yeah, let’s talk about that too because sometimes if someone is having a business lunch, business dinner, and they’re trying to talk business, they sometimes don’t want to get interrupted either. And how can, what does that communication look like so the server is aware of that?

[00:11:17] Vicki Markussen: Any tips? 

[00:11:18] Shawn McManus: In front of the house. 

[00:11:20] Katie Walters: Again, it just has to be communication because part of the server’s job is to serve you. So we want to make sure that you are not waiting on us. I think that a cute little quip just saying, Hey, you know, just want to interject real quick, want to make sure you’re not waiting on me.

[00:11:36] Katie Walters: And just as long as you’re polite, if you say, look we’re here for the duration, we have an important topic to, to discuss please don’t bother us. That’s fine. As long as you’re polite and direct with your serving staff, then I think that’s the best way to go. 

[00:11:50] Vicki Markussen: Fantastic. Sean, to talk about one of the back of the house questions.

[00:11:55] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. In terms of exceptional service that a customer would notice, what would that be? Is it attention to detail in terms of how something is served? 

[00:12:07] Shawn McManus: I’d say consistency, again, food, having that memory they want that same sandwich that they had last week that they just adored and they want to come in and bring a friend and share this this memory.

[00:12:19] Shawn McManus: And I think that consistency is definitely key being consistent on the food, the garnishings and how that’s going to be. And having that training inside the kitchen that everyone’s on that same page. page or that vision of that dish and that consistency of flavor I think that’s key to create that customer service experience.

[00:12:38] Vicki Markussen: So I think that’s something that most people take for granted. So what is the trick? What is the nuances of consistency? Because most people think that’s like a measured scoop of something or like, how do you get that consistency in the kitchen? Katie and I are working on a book Together along with the kitchen manager at Walt’s.

[00:12:59] Shawn McManus: And our goal there is to create the consistency by having the measurements and the portion and serving sizes and also inside the recipe development. So it’d be like the production. So we’re all on the same page and it’s a go to book. So it’s like a tool guide, resource, recipe book, sort of all in one.

[00:13:19] Shawn McManus: And I think that, that tool in itself is critical for that customer experience. 

[00:13:24] Vicki Markussen: So if I’m understanding that, there’s a lot of the prep work before the doors open, let’s just say, that is probably the most important part of the consistency, is that what I’m hearing? 

[00:13:36] Shawn McManus: Okay. And what they call your mise en place, meaning everything in its place.

[00:13:40] Shawn McManus: So when we walk in, regardless if it’s Chef 1, 2, or 3, they know where everything is going to be. It’s that clockwork turnaround. Everything stays in its same place even going to the extent of creating legends for coolers until we’re all on that same page. So the new menus are a little bit of a struggle in the beginning, getting us all together on that same page.

[00:14:01] Shawn McManus: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Just laying that foundation and that, that tool book, the pictures of the vision of what the customer is going to be receiving from the vision of the owners, from the feedback of the servers, from the ideas and suggestions from the chefs and the prep cooks. So it’s really a family orientated decision making.

[00:14:19] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. And it’s funny cause that reminds me, I think it’s. Six Sigma in manufacturing where you go in there and they literally draw outlines of where a tool goes because then you can tell what tool is missing and what it is. And it’s very process for consistency, for safety, for all kinds of things.

[00:14:37] Vicki Markussen: So it’s interesting how there’s that overlap. But then I always remember that I went and ate at a restaurant and I took a picture and put it out on social media and the manager, uh, Apparently went and told the chef, you prepared this all wrong. The asparagus supposed to be at the bottom.

[00:14:53] Vicki Markussen: And I’m like, I thought I was helping, not hurting this poor chef. But that gets to having a visual of how things are supposed to be prepared. 

[00:15:02] Shawn McManus: Yep. And that’s part of that training. It’s getting everyone on that same page. 

[00:15:06] Vicki Markussen: The things that most people don’t realize go into Restaurants. What’s another one of those just best practices that most customers don’t think about?

[00:15:16] Vicki Markussen: Is there, are there more of those? Like, where plates go? Does any of that start to play into consistency and productivity 

[00:15:25] Shawn McManus: we would talk about food, but then to take a break from our menu designing and, and Katie and I’ve been bouncing this back and forth on the different style plates to bring it to that, still that modern trend.

[00:15:35] Shawn McManus: What fits? fits the concept of the building, the historic factors. So that’s also starting to come into play now in terms of dinnerware, plateware services charcuterie board displays, and what’s a good fit. So it’s not just the food it’s the aesthetics of how and who we are providing food to. Yeah.

[00:15:57] Shawn McManus: To our patrons. 

[00:15:58] Vicki Markussen: And what you So Katie, I know you’re trying to like you are launching a new menu and Sean’s helping you with that, but you have these people that don’t like change, right? And so how can you entice people to experiment? I can speak to the bar. I can’t. A universal decision has not been made about food yet.

[00:16:21] Katie Walters: I don’t have to consult my husband, but the drinks that we have. Try it. If you don’t like it, I’m going to replace it for you free of charge. I want people to try new things and if they hate it, that’s fine. You’re not going to like everything. Sean and I have talked about we’re going to be testing out our menu.

[00:16:39] Katie Walters: Granted, it’s not always the same 50 people in our restaurant, but we’re going to give you free samples. We’re going to let you taste this stuff. This stuff that you’ve never heard of, or this spice that is a little off putting color to you. We want you to try this stuff because we stand by our product.

[00:16:55] Katie Walters: We serve fresh, high quality products that OutSource locally that we have put a lot of time, effort and attention into choosing those different flavor profiles. Pairing the wines and the drinks with the food and we want to give you an opportunity to taste them. And if you don’t like it, we’re gonna replace it for you.

[00:17:14] Katie Walters: Yeah. 

[00:17:15] Vicki Markussen: And how about food allergies? Is there a cure for that? Etiquette. Etiquette, that’s not even the word, but how about communication on food allergies? There’s certain things that I’ve seen other restaurants put right on the menus in regards to temperatures cooking things under from the raw state.

[00:17:34] Shawn McManus: Also noting some of that inside the menu, whether it be a star or a simple two letter GF for gluten free. Now that allergies. Vicki Markussen, BizCast, Greater La Crosse, La Crosse, Vicki, Markussen, Vicki, Markussen, Also putting down like Kitty had mentioned, you know, the local sourcing. So that farm, you’re reading that in the description that we’re getting our burger or our tenderloin from Creamery Creek.

[00:18:14] Shawn McManus: But also gluten free buns are available perhaps for that burger. And I think those keynotes and having that, so it’s less conversation, less. I guess confusion for the customer and for the server if it’s noted in the menu. It’s being very transparent in that sense. 

[00:18:32] Vicki Markussen: How much communication or taste testing happens with the staff?

[00:18:36] Vicki Markussen: Because obviously I know I’m one of these people going, how spicy is this? Or does that happen of, okay, here’s a new menu item, here’s the taste testing? 

[00:18:44] Katie Walters: Every feature that we have, even prior to our new menu launch, we always make it for our guests. for our servers and bartenders to taste because we want you to be able to accurately describe it.

[00:18:55] Katie Walters: I will always make the joke, I am a wuss when it comes to spices. I like them, but they don’t like me. So if somebody says, oh, is that spicy? Well, no, I can handle it. And then most people can handle it. 

[00:19:06] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. 

[00:19:07] Shawn McManus: Yeah. And when you say the word etiquette, I think that plays a really large part. The honesty of the person who’s serving you had tried that item and can honestly say we had an alley rally right before my shift started here.

[00:19:23] Shawn McManus: All of us servers, bar managers, we all tried that feature and I can honestly tell you the cream sauce is fantastic and all those little details and I think that really builds not only the trust between the customer and the server, but it’s part of the experience. Oh really, oh yeah, they tried it.

[00:19:40] Shawn McManus: Or maybe it’s like a wine pairing suggestion or a cocktail suggestion. I think that’s really encapsulate the word, uh, experience. dedicated to me. 

[00:19:49] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. And the other thing that I do still appreciate too, is I didn’t like the server saying I didn’t like it, but I also don’t like bla ingredient. Oh, okay.

[00:19:58] Vicki Markussen: That makes sense then, but I do like that, but I appreciate them still saying they didn’t prefer it just because they’re understandably, their taste is different than someone else’s. That first salmon 

[00:20:09] Katie Walters: dish made me, I don’t care for salmon, everything around the dish. I loved, I love the tabbouleh salad. I love the Tzatziki on top.

[00:20:16] Katie Walters: So I think that. And I will tell people I don’t prefer salmon because it has more of a fishy taste. So if you then are like me, then maybe my suggestions are going to ring a little truer with you. Yes. Now I just want to go back to etiquette for a second. Yes, please. With allergies. So we’ve listened to our guests and a lot of our guests have mentioned gluten free.

[00:20:36] Katie Walters: We are going to provide more gluten free. I know it can be frustrating as the server, the bartender, the owner, if you have an allergy, but don’t know what foods might have that, it scares me because God forbid I don’t want to give you any food that’s going to make you ill. But if you Truly have an allergy or just a preference.

[00:20:59] Katie Walters: Some people just don’t like gluten. That’s fine. Gluten has become so ubiquitous now, but I remember when it first came out people say I have celiac disease. What is gluten free? And I’m 22 years old. I don’t know what gluten is. Yeah, you should probably know some of the major big ticket items that you can’t So I think it’s helpful if you do have dietary restrictions or even just dietary preferences, it’s helpful to be able to share what foods would have that element with your serving staff.

[00:21:30] Katie Walters: Good suggestion, so that we can we don’t have to run to the to the chef on a Friday night when they have a million things because they probably know whatever element you’re talking about. But you should, I would think, have a general understanding of what you cannot or don’t want to consume.

[00:21:46] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. So 

[00:21:47] Katie Walters: that’s very helpful. 

[00:21:48] Vicki Markussen: So don’t assume that the server knows what that is to know what foods would contain it. Got it. That’s a great suggestion. So I’m going to go to a few more etiquette things. So in terms of, like I was telling you guys, I always teach my boys, put your napkin on your lap right away and put it on your seat when you have to get up and go somewhere.

[00:22:11] Vicki Markussen: Are there other pieces to etiquette that, I know we’re Wisconsin, we’re a little casual, but are there other pieces that people go, I never knew. I find with, like, when you when the server puts the bill down toward the end you hear things like there’s no rush, I’ll just go ahead and set this right here.

[00:22:31] Shawn McManus: Uh, the etiquette on, in terms of the diner themselves, I’ve noticed through my travels to the United States that, uh, To give that indication that you’re ready as well, then at that point, sliding that book slightly off the table, an inch or two, then tells, and also that indicator of having either like a linen napkin or a paper napkin actually on the plate itself is also an indicator of that silverware.

[00:22:56] Shawn McManus: Ah, yeah. Yes. And that really helps out the servers to help you with that timing as well. So those are two that I can think of off the top of my head that can help smoothen that experience. 

[00:23:05] Katie Walters: So I’m going to take the payment one step further. Let your credit card or cash hang out of that book so that we know for certain.

[00:23:14] Katie Walters: Because again, you may have just sent it. Slid your booklet over with no payment and then as the server we come and we say, oh are you ready? Oh, no, I’m not and then you’re futzing with your purse and now I feel oh my goodness I’ve rushed you and I’m taking away from that experience.

[00:23:28] Katie Walters: Mm hmm. So when you’re ready And try to do it in a timely fashion as well, again, just to avoid that the server feeling like, oh my goodness, I don’t want to pester them, but maybe they do have money in there and now they’re going to be annoyed with me because I haven’t gotten there fast enough. Just let it hang out a little bit so we can see.

[00:23:44] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. Especially because of cash, it’s hard to like the cardholder. Usually it sticks out, but cash. Just so we can see that. Yeah, right. 

[00:23:54] Shawn McManus: Yeah, exactly. 

[00:23:55] Vicki Markussen: Okay. The awkward one tipping. So some of this I think comes from, I don’t know that most people, if they haven’t, if they haven’t seen the pay chart, so to speak, a lot of people don’t realize there is a lower way hourly wage for people who receive tips.

[00:24:12] Vicki Markussen: I don’t even know what that wage is anymore. It used to be like 3. 00 in some sense and then At one point it was 2. 33. We don’t know where it’s actually at. It’s really low. When I worked on the East Coast, I got paid 2. 13 an hour. Now, I don’t honestly know what it is in Wisconsin. 

[00:24:26] Katie Walters: We pay more than that, but it still is less than what we’re going to be getting. If you’re working at Target or a job where you’re relying completely on your paycheck. 

[00:24:37] Vicki Markussen: Yes. And it’s significantly lower if people are paying that. So it’s three, maybe 4 an hour. And so people are relying on those tips usually.

[00:24:48] Vicki Markussen: And so people have to keep that in mind that that experience that they are being provided, all these things that we just got done talking about are all part of someone wanting to earn a great tip. Because that is how they pay the bills. And so I’ve seen it and I’ve even talked about, okay, you’re a counter service and they’re asking for a tip, right?

[00:25:06] Vicki Markussen: And so it skews everything. And so I’ll just ask the question, what is tipping like these days? What is a great tip? What is 

[00:25:16] Katie Walters: Well, I, I will say, I, I do find it frustrating that we didn’t make the rules that restaurants are a tipping industry, but it, it is what it is. It is frustrating and it really waters it down when I go to Subway and they’re asking for a tip. 

[00:25:34] Katie Walters: So I would say 20%, if you’ve had a great experience, is what I would recommend tipping. Now, I’m not suggesting that you throw money at people if you’ve gotten subpar service. I hope that if that happens that you find a manager and you explain what’s gone on. Maybe we can mitigate that. Maybe there’s a reason that your server is having an off day because their grandma just died or but again, you, it is not required to tip.

[00:26:02] Katie Walters: We are not going to make you tip. but our employees are relying on those tips to pay their bills, and we instill in them, we want to give our guests great service. So for me, being a restaurant industry person, I will tip 20 percent unless you spit in my face, basically. And anything above and beyond. I love to go out to lunch, where It’s not super busy for lunch.

[00:26:27] Katie Walters: My bill is 25 bucks. I leave you 10 or 15 bucks because it’s a great surprise when you’re working that day shift and you’re not expecting to make a lot of money. But I think a good rule of thumb is it’s not 15 percent anymore. It’s 20 percent is what the standard for good service is. 

[00:26:42] Vicki Markussen: Yes, yep. And it’s, I would imagine that person, if they don’t get a tip at all, which some people consider is, that was terrible, I’m not going to tip at all.

[00:26:53] Vicki Markussen: That’s a major statement for that server. 

[00:26:56] Katie Walters: And if you don’t tip or if you tip very low, my servers are tipping out their bartenders because they’re making their drinks. Depending on the establishment you go to, there’s food runners. So their tips are not just going into their pockets. So you have to realize that if you don’t tip For whatever reason, that is not bad service.

[00:27:19] Katie Walters: I’m not going to defend bad service. If you feel like your service was subpar, then I understand, but if you received good service and you don’t tip, you’re potentially putting your server in the hole now. 

[00:27:30] Vicki Markussen: Right, because they, and it’s the ripple effect, too. 

[00:27:34] Katie Walters: They’re tipping off of the services that they’ve gotten from other people within the restaurant.

[00:27:38] Katie Walters: I tried that, too.

[00:27:44] Shawn McManus: And as I mentioned the credit card sales, and the credit card charges now that you’re starting to see, that are increased so, I guess I would try to bear that in mind when I go out as well. Being in the service industry, I tend to tip on the 22 25 percent because I feel like we know each other in a 

[00:28:02] Vicki Markussen: sense.

[00:28:02] Vicki Markussen: Yeah, right. You don’t want to gain a reputation as a bad tipper, Sean. Absolutely 

[00:28:07] Shawn McManus: not. And even when I’ve had what I would consider to be horrible service, and to me I’m just, I’m easy going. I’m not going to be sending that stake back on. Typically just eat it anyways, I’m not, I’m not that person in particular, but I’ll still tip knowing that this person showed up, they’re still attempting to do their job, perhaps it wasn’t their fault, perhaps it wasn’t the cook’s either, so I’m not really passing that blame, so I’m still going to tip it that, you know, the 18 to 20 percent on sometimes even when that service wasn’t that great, but if I’m using my credit card, then I add a little bit more of a percentage to that as well, knowing that that’s been increasing.

[00:28:42] Vicki Markussen: Yeah, because that’s three to four to five percent, depending on the type of card that’s used. Yeah, people forget about that. So even tipping, like paying by credit card and tipping by cash is even ideal. So yeah. Going back to 

[00:28:55] Katie Walters: that credit card charge. So we have had to start doing that. Every fiber of my being hates doing it.

[00:29:01] Katie Walters: Are you saying you add it on? We add, we have a 3 percent hospitality charge that is removed if you pay cash. We have an ATM. Granted, you’re likely going to be charged a charge from your bank. We try to make it as easy as we can. Credit card fees have more than doubled over the last few years.

[00:29:21] Katie Walters: It is thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars that restaurants are paying just for those fees. 

[00:29:27] Vicki Markussen: Yep. 

[00:29:28] Katie Walters: And I get it. It’s not great. People don’t love to see that extra charge. But please remember, first and foremost, it is not your server’s fault. They did not make that decision. If you really have a problem with it, again, a manager, an owner would be happy to talk to you.

[00:29:42] Katie Walters: But I think it’s those things where maybe your steak is cooked incorrectly. You’re upset about a service charge. Your server or bartender did nothing to cause that. And I’m not Invalidating your frustration, but when you have people that are counting on your tip to pay their bills, just please remember that.

[00:30:01] Katie Walters: And there’s usually a good reason for things, again, like the credit card fee. I will gladly explain to somebody, unfortunately, this cost has doubled or tripled, and now we have to, and we don’t even pass the entire charge on to the guest. So we are going halves on it. So we are just doing what we can to provide the services and the the food and the drink and keep our doors open as well.

[00:30:27] Vicki Markussen: Yeah. And it’s tough because we are a cashless society. Let’s face it, the number of people that pay with cash is probably a small percentage in your restaurant. And so it feels like a penalty. Oh, I’m using my card and it’s a penalty. It’s smart that you actually discount it for cash because then it feels like a reward for using cash.

[00:30:44] Vicki Markussen: Is it? should be, so yeah, tough spot to be in. And then it’s coming at the time that that person’s being asked to tip, right? And so they’re taking it away, hopefully not taking it away, from the server, as well as then the bartender and the busing and everyone else who gets paid out of that. So it’s a great point.

[00:31:03] Vicki Markussen: It’s tough times. I know that trying to find the right people is challenging, getting them trained properly. I know I have been to many restaurants, especially as we were coming out of the pandemic and I felt like the food and beverage industries are the ones that just got pillaged by everybody else’s shortfall.

[00:31:20] Vicki Markussen: Cause you couldn’t ramp up and it was interesting times. And so if you have Each of you, if you have one word of advice for the customers as they enter a restaurant and are looking for a great experience, what would you say they should be taking, that they should be paying attention to? 

[00:31:41] Katie Walters: I think everybody wants to be respected and that goes for your server and your bartender.

[00:31:46] Katie Walters: I think a running joke is, Hi, how you doing? Diet Coke. That’s not an answer to, Hi, how are you doing? And that’s something that, as the guest, you’re not even thinking. You probably didn’t even realize that you did it. But you have now set the tone for the experience on the server end that I don’t even see this person as a person.

[00:32:04] Katie Walters: I can’t answer the question, Hi, how are you doing? And again, you might have 100 things going on in your head, but just taking that time to show the respect. To your service worker that you undoubtedly expect from them? 

[00:32:16] Vicki Markussen: Yes. I always make a point of saying, and what is your name? And they seem surprised that I even asked what their name is.

[00:32:20] Vicki Markussen: Mm-Hmm? . Yeah. So, Sean, what do you have? I think food has became very, very personal now. Katie and I had talked about this before in terms of just. Vicki Markussen, BizCast, Greater La Crosse, La Crosse, Vicki, Markussen, Vicki, Markussen, 

[00:32:57] Vicki Markussen: I think everybody was so hyper aware of not being able to go out and eat.

[00:33:04] Vicki Markussen: Now we’re starting to slip into some interesting habits great advice. You have been listening to Katie Walters with Walt’s Restaurant and Tavern and Sean McManus with Savory Creations.

[00:33:14] Vicki Markussen: I am your host, Vicki Markussen. We’ll catch you next week.