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How to Be: Going Out |
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How to be when you're out on the town not only means your behavior with your date or your friends, but also with everyone around you, including the staff, at the restaurant, bar or club. Use all of those good manners your parents drilled into you when you were a little guy and remember these following tips when you're out in the world, being "The Man": What She Needs. If you're out on a date or anywhere with a female companion, check to see if she needs anything and that she's comfortable. It lets her know that she's important.
What She Needs, Part 2. When you're on a date, keep the focus on your date. Agreed, it's easier if the date's going well, but pay attention regardless. And try not to stare at the cocktail waitress' tattoo. Yeah, we saw it, too, but staring's disrespectful to your date.
Check, Please. Unless she tells you she's paying the bill, the check for the first date is all yours, big guy. Even if she's offering to split it with you, if you asked her out, you close it out.
Check, Please, Part 2. If you're splitting the check with a group, just divide it evenly unless you've had considerably more drinks than everyone else. We've found that it all evens out in the long run. If you find that it doesn't, you need new friends.
Subtlety, My Brother, Subtlety. Getting a waiter's attention isn't tricky. You want to make eye contact and give a slight nod when the waiter's gaze is returned; just enough to be noticeable in a crowded restaurant. Don't flail your arms like a wide receiver open in the end zone or, God help you, snap at the waiter.
Attention, Please! We've been on both sides of the bar and we know getting a bartender's attention isn't always easy — they always respond to pretty girls first, which we are not. Work your way to the ends of the bar and get his or her attention with eye contact. Bartenders won't get to the guys who go three and four deep. Waving your dough over your head or yelling "Yo, we're thirsty over here!" sets you back in line, not forward.
Tender Lovin' Care. A good tip on your first drink or the first time through an establishment puts you on the bartender's radar and you're more likely to get better service as the evening goes on. If you're particularly generous, you may get a round free, but don't quote us on that. We know we gave better service to patrons who gave us more money. Tipping starts at 15% or $1 a drink, so if you leave a $0.25 tip on a $4.75 drink, good luck on getting the bartender's attention next time.Brian and David know that tipping and being pleasant...
to the bartender helps, too, but that guarantees you nothing. Even generous tipping can backfire when you have a puppy-dog crush on the bartender and sit at her bar for hours on end, night after night, forking over your hard-earned cash until last call, when she calls her boyfriend to pick her up and you call a cab. It happened to both of 'em and it still stings to talk about. Tissues, please.Help Them to Help You. Once you get the staff's attention, know what you want. Nothing's worse than an impatient guest who, by the time the waiter shows up, says "Umm. . . I'm not sure what I want." If you need assistance, say so and let them to help you out. They're good at that sort of thing.
No, They Don't Know Who You Are. Over the years, we've seen too many guys behave rudely to people in the service industry for little or no reason. Yes, we know that everyone's special and important (we live in Washington, DC, where people act like they're royalty) but insulting the waiter, the taxicab driver, or the shoeshine person doesn't make you a better guy, it shows you have no class. Remember, you're out to have a good time and their jobs are to make that happen for you. Be polite, be patient, and if there's a problem that you can't work out with the person, speak discreetly to a manager or supervisor. |
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Good Stuff for Better Guys |
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