"Lock down" seems like a particularly McQueenian phrase, which works for him, but not for everybody.
For a lot of people, this is just called 'being a regular."
When I have been a regular at places, I always talked to the staff, asked them questions about themselves and didn't talk about myself, remembered what they told me and asked about it next time I came in.
I have had friends (bartenders) in local bars who had many many complaints about some of the other regulars, and from what I could observe, the main thing you don't want to do is to get overly comfortable and start thinking you own the place, a particular table, etc..
You don't want to take advantage of your status as customer, and I have seen 'regulars' starting to get overly cheap with the tips, feeling like they are almost part of the staff, and that they have somehow attained a seniority that allows them to demand tables, special service, and whatever they can think of.
I once worked at a place where some dude who I am sure thought of himself as a habitue, or a boulevardier, would walk uninvited back into the kitchen, tasting soups and basically bothering everyone.
So, just be a good dude, remember what the boundaries are, talk to the staff, but don't get too comfortable, remember they are busy, and chatting their ears off when they need to run back to the kitchen makes you a burden and not a cherished customer.
A lot of it has to do with being reasonable, enjoyable to be around, sensitive to other people, not overdoing anything, remembering your obligations and not just your rights.
Having worked as a waiter, I can tell you it was very very seldom that I ran into a patron who had any consciousness whatsoever of what I was dealing with or what would help me, and I was always happy to see these people show up.
Never act like you own a table, just because you use it often. Ask for it, but don't demand it.
Don't talk someone's ear off when you know the restaurant is packed and they are running their asses off. They may be smiling at you, but they are dying inside, thinking of all the shit they have to do, but can't because they are being polite to you.
Never score points with your date at the expense of an employee.
This stuff is just common sense, which isn't always so common, particularly if you live in a culture that claims the customer is always right.
The customer isn't always right.
This started off as a motivational poster hidden away in the kitchen to inspire the staff.
The customers should never have gotten a hold of it.
For a lot of people, this is just called 'being a regular."
When I have been a regular at places, I always talked to the staff, asked them questions about themselves and didn't talk about myself, remembered what they told me and asked about it next time I came in.
I have had friends (bartenders) in local bars who had many many complaints about some of the other regulars, and from what I could observe, the main thing you don't want to do is to get overly comfortable and start thinking you own the place, a particular table, etc..
You don't want to take advantage of your status as customer, and I have seen 'regulars' starting to get overly cheap with the tips, feeling like they are almost part of the staff, and that they have somehow attained a seniority that allows them to demand tables, special service, and whatever they can think of.
I once worked at a place where some dude who I am sure thought of himself as a habitue, or a boulevardier, would walk uninvited back into the kitchen, tasting soups and basically bothering everyone.
So, just be a good dude, remember what the boundaries are, talk to the staff, but don't get too comfortable, remember they are busy, and chatting their ears off when they need to run back to the kitchen makes you a burden and not a cherished customer.
A lot of it has to do with being reasonable, enjoyable to be around, sensitive to other people, not overdoing anything, remembering your obligations and not just your rights.
Having worked as a waiter, I can tell you it was very very seldom that I ran into a patron who had any consciousness whatsoever of what I was dealing with or what would help me, and I was always happy to see these people show up.
Never act like you own a table, just because you use it often. Ask for it, but don't demand it.
Don't talk someone's ear off when you know the restaurant is packed and they are running their asses off. They may be smiling at you, but they are dying inside, thinking of all the shit they have to do, but can't because they are being polite to you.
Never score points with your date at the expense of an employee.
This stuff is just common sense, which isn't always so common, particularly if you live in a culture that claims the customer is always right.
The customer isn't always right.
This started off as a motivational poster hidden away in the kitchen to inspire the staff.
The customers should never have gotten a hold of it.
“The greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of its parents.”
Carl Jung