How To Nicely Order Takeout At A Restaurant
The easiest way to order takeout at a restaurant nicely is to have already worked at a restaurant before. This is about a third of people! You’ve been in their shoes, almost literally, and it might feel like you’re greeting a coworker. The next easiest way is to read this article!
1. Be in a good mood.
The restaurant workers have been on their feet all day and are trying to be polite to customers, and a good mood is contagious, so they’ll appreciate that you’re cheerful!
2. Be prepared to order.
You can even check the menu online before you go to the restaurant. Remember the details of your order. Don’t change your order. It’s your final answer!
3. Say “please” with your order.
It’s one of the magic words you learned as a kid, and it still works! See, the magic saying “please” works on their heart!
4. Tell them if you’ve had it before and that you liked it if you did.
Strings of orders without a human touch makes a restaurant worker feel like a robot. Add a personal touch!
5. Tell them if it’s something new you’re trying and tell them that you’re looking forward to trying it.
A lot of restaurant workers are extremely bright, and they might ask you next time how you liked the new dish you tried!
6. Wait patiently.
If you’re on edge, it’ll be contagious for the restaurant workers. You don’t want to make them feel rushed!
7. Have an organized wallet.
Know where your wallet is. Have both cash and a credit or debit card just in case. Organize the bills by size order. They are being professional to you, so having a dignified wallet is being professional back!
8. Make sure you have the money.
Before you leave the house, make sure you have money in your wallet and sufficient numbers in your bank account. Then you won’t have to put the restaurant workers in an awkward situation!
9. Say “thank you.”
The other “magic word!”
10. Build rapport.
The longer you’ve known someone, the more likely it is that you’ll become friendlier! You can learn the restaurant workers’ names and remember them, notice when they get new glasses, and ask them if they have ambitions outside of this job. Maybe you both have cats!
That summer you were home from school and didn’t have a degree yet, your parents might have nagged you to work at a restaurant, but to anybody who’s applied, you know that it’s actually highly competitive! They hire some brilliant, talented, friendly people who have incredible minds. Has anyone ever remembered your favorite order? You’re not even their only customer. There might be thousands of orders that the restaurant worker memorized. Ordering food isn’t just to fill your stomach, it’s an opportunity to be nice and to have a professional interaction with the very best! Now you’re on your way to memorizing things about them too!