Going Out For A Nice Meal? This Reservation Hack Could Make It Even Nicer.

In our current economy, it’s important to get the most for your money. So when you decide to splurge on a fine dining experience, you might want to ensure that it’s as memorable as possible.

If you want to increase your chances of receiving the best service (and possibly a free dessert or comped wine), there’s a simple trick you can use.

What are you celebrating?

if you use an app like Resy or OpenTable to make restaurant reservations, you’ve probably noticed a space allowing you to enter a special occasion you’ll be celebrating.

On an ordinary night out, you might instinctively skip over this section … but you shouldn’t.

Choosing the “anniversary” option is an easy way to make it more likely that the staff will provide you with an upgraded dining experience. And there’s no rule limiting the definition of the term.

It could be the anniversary of the date you bought your car or the last time you played billiards — the sky’s the limit!

You might want to come up with a plausible answer in case you’re quizzed on it by the waitstaff. But according to those who have tried this trick many times in the past, it often just results in better service and often a complimentary piece of cake at the end of the meal.

Why not the other options?

Generally speaking, “anniversary” is not only the safest choice … it also comes with some of the biggest perks.

The “birthday” option is pretty easy to disprove, the “business meal” selection isn’t likely to include anything free, and “date” is probably too generic to result in a truly special experience.

But by celebrating an anniversary, you can enjoy the anticipation of wondering what, if anything, the staff will do to make your night memorable.

Chris Agee August 5th, 2024

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