MyGreatDeals.com - Travel & Leisure

Over the past 20 years, there’s been a steady increase — close to 20 percent — of personal income spent on eating away from home. And as a direct result of the shift in spending habits, thousands of new restaurants continue to open up across the country. But in that same time period, with more restaurants for consumers to choose from, people seem to have forgotten how to behave appropriately while dining out in public.

When a customer chooses one restaurant over another, they feel that they’re doing the restaurant a favor by offering their patronage. But this mindset — the clichéd “customer is always right” philosophy — has led to the lax behavior and poor manners being witnessed at chain, fancy, and local restaurants throughout the United States today.

No one wants to fall into the category of people who frustrate other customers, restaurant staff, and servers with unpolished manners. And luckily, getting your manners back into shape — although it may seem like a difficult challenge to some — doesn’t require a whole lot of effort. Make dining out a more pleasant experience — for everyone — with the following suggestions, on how to avoid the most common types of poor restaurant etiquette today.

1. Don’t be late. Restaurant reservations aren’t any different than a doctor’s appointment or a scheduled meeting at work. Barring any extenuating circumstances, when you make reservations at a restaurant — especially at a fine dining establishment — stick to them. If you do happen to be running late, call the restaurant more than 15 minutes in advance to cancel your reservations or make other arrangements.

2. Dress appropriately. Jeans, sneakers, and T-shirts, which have become the new casual-chic, are commonly seen at all venues in the restaurant world today. And interpretations on what type of dress is acceptable can vary across the board, usually depending on the type of restaurant. To avoid looking out of place when you go out, prepare in advance. If you’re headed to a new restaurant, call ahead to ask what the dress code is. And when in doubt, dress on the more conservative side.

3. Stay off your cell phone. Would you answer the phone if it rang during a family meal at home? Well, hopefully, your answer was no. And the same concept applies when you’re out to eat at a public restaurant. Put your phone on silent or vibrate, or just turn it off before sitting down to eat. We all know the person who annoys everyone around him by talking loudly on his cell phone — like he’s the only person in the world. Don’t be that guy!

4. Treat the server with respect. The old saying, “treat others like you want to be treated,” applies to nearly every aspect of life, but especially when dining out. If you want excellent service, communicate and treat your server with respect. People who are polite and pleasant to serve have a better chance of resolving any potential complaints or concerns that could arise.