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Fine Dining Restaurant Service Standards

July 10, 2009 by Cathy Stucker Leave a Comment

waiter1Fine dining restaurants typically have high standards for service. If you have ever done a fine dining restaurant mystery shop, you know how detailed the questions can be.

The four-star Le Bernardin restaurant in New York City has exacting standards for service. In fact, they have a list of 129 “sins” that staff are to avoid when serving customers.

Many of the these will be familiar to mystery shoppers, as they are the kinds of things we are asked to evaluate in our reports:

  • Not acknowledging guests with eye contact and a smile within 30 seconds. First impressions count!
  • Not thanking the guests as they leave. Last impression!
  • Forks with bent tines.
  • Chipped glassware.
  • Burned-out lightbulbs.
  • Lack of eye contact.
  • Not refilling water or coffee.
  • Soiled or ill-fitting uniforms.Continue Reading

Mystery Shopping and Money Resolutions

December 29, 2008 by Cathy Stucker Leave a Comment

piggybankThe new year is almost upon us, and that is the time many of us make resolutions. This year, in addition to the usual resolutions about losing weight or getting organized, there will be an emphasis on resolutions to spend less and save more money. That is where mystery shopping can help.

Mystery shopper jobs allow us to earn extra money that can be used to build our savings, or pay down those credit card bills. And, by choosing assignments wisely, we can also get many things for free, or at a reduced price, that we would normally have to pay for.

In my career as a professional shopper, I have been reimbursed for meals, haircuts, eye examinations, dry cleaning, car oil changes, groceries and much more. In addition, by using a rewards credit card for many of my reimbursed purchases, I have received gift cards and other perks from my credit card company.

We can even splurge a little now and then, thanks to mystery shopping.Continue Reading

How Waiters See Customers

October 23, 2008 by Cathy Stucker 3 Comments

waiter.jpgAs mystery shoppers, we are in the business of evaluating the service provided by waiters and other service providers.

Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip–Confessions of a Cynical Waiter, a new book by someone called “The Waiter,” (but since publication, identified as Steve Dublanica) tells the other side of the story: what happens behind the scenes at a restaurant and what waiters really think of the customers.

“Waiter Rant” is often wickedly funny, such as in the descriptions of the various types of tippers, or the 40 tips on how to be a good customer. Those tips include, “Do not snap your fingers to get the waiter’s attention. Remember, we have shears that cut through bone in the kitchen,” and “Never say, ‘I’m friends with the owner.’ Restaurant owners don’t have any friends.”Continue Reading

Mystery Shopping Companies

Updated 4/20/18! Access my free curated list of more than 150 legitimate mystery shopping companies.

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