By Ana Nunez

Dining out at least once a week is inevitable for most college students. We tend to eat out when we are bombarded by tasks that leave us with no time to cook a proper meal, when we don’t know how to cook or simply when we get a craving for a specialty item we could never make on our own.
However, we often don’t stop to think about what goes into our dining experience. A restaurant’s goal is for the customer to leave satisfied and return after just one time. But many factors go into your dining experience.
Whether you’re a person who makes strict food choices or one who refuses to speak up when your order is wrong and you receive bad service, your personal habits can influence the type of service you receive.
We have to recognize what kind of diners we are so we can get the most out of our dining experience.
If you’re picky to the extreme, it’s best to avoid an unpleasant experience. Save yourself the money and the disappointment by making time to cook meals exactly the way you want them.
If you do dine out, don’t be a pushover customer. By keeping things to yourself you are doing more harm than good. This leaves you unhappy and could also affect future service issues at the restaurant. Being a passive-aggressive diner doesn’t benefit anyone, most importantly you.
However, recognize good service when it’s offered, and tip accordingly.
The day I became a part of the food service industry as a hostess, my life as a diner changed dramatically. If you have never worked at a restaurant, try it. It will put the issue of customer service in perspective.
Maybe the places where you are dining aren’t the problem at all. Maybe it’s your approach to service.