I just got a nice note from an editor at one of the companies I enjoy working with once or twice a month, asking me to please remember to use the employees' names in the narrative instead of referring to them as "the server." Fair enough--this particular company makes that preference clear in their training materials, which I read a year ago when I started shopping for them.
Of course, it's the direct opposite of several other companies that I work with more often. Things like this are not generally in the guidelines for individual shops, so how do I make sure I don't forget again? Do you have a system? A spreadsheet, or a place where you keep notes? Do you review the training materials before you do each shop? What works for those of you who don't have perfect photographic memories?
Some things can be determined by looking at the wording used on the form ("team member" vs. "associate," for example). But other things, like whether to refer to your co-diner as your "companion" or your "guest," arenot. When I worked with fewer companies I was able to rely on my brain to remember, but that's obviously not quite enough anymore.
We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.
--W. H. Auden