The first thing I’ll do after quarantine and this pandemic mess is go to a restaurant. I want to see how it feels to be welcomed, seated, asked ‘what would you like to order?’, be showered with ‘excellent choice,’ poured a glass of Chardonnay, and make up my mind what to get for dessert.
Most importantly, it’s the opportunity to be smiled at and smiled to, joyfully and with ease, like nothing else exists in this world except that restaurant, the food, your companion… and the server.
But this is where it gets tricky. In such a lovely environment like a restaurant, servers still have to deal, time to time, with a fair share of serial a-holes. And it’s not a-holes per se that annoy the heck of them, it’s their a-hole behaviors that refuse to abide by unwritten rules.
For those who’re wondering what the unwritten rules actually are, I’d say it’s half common sense, half being polite, patient, and understanding. But let’s hear from the servers themselves who shared honest responses to the “What unwritten rules do restaurant servers wish patrons would abide by?” question posted on Quora.
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Crying Children And Adults Who Ignore It
When children cry and cry and cry and cry in a restaurant, other people find it annoying. Please, take your child outside for a moment to calm him down.
Snapping Your Fingers At Servers
Don’t ever snap your fingers at a server, bartender, anyone. Ever.
I was at a restaurant in Munich with maybe 10 friends and friends of friends. One of the friends of friends drank a little too much of the strong Munich beer before dinner and started snapping her fingers at the server. We were mortified and apologized to him. He was gracious and laughed at off. A few minutes later, he asked her what she wanted to eat. When she didn't look up, he snapped his fingers at her. She got mad. We all thought it was hilarious.
Flirting
Don’t hit on waitresses. Don’t touch waitresses. I’ve cooked in bars where my job included removing such people from the establishment with force.
Also, don't assume that a server smiling at you and being nice to you means they like you. Being. Nice. Is. Their. Job.
Touching Their Servers
When people touch their server. I'm not to be touched. I don't like it, and I'm not your pet. I'm not your buddy, baby, friend, or lover.
The reverse is also true: waiters please don't touch your clients! (Much, much more rare, I know, but it happened to me once. It was just my lower arm, so no sexual intentions, but still not appreciated.)
Coming In Minutes Before Closing
If Google says that the restaurant closes at 11, the right time to order is not three minutes before closing.
The staff are not people willing to work every single day overtime like they had no lives of their own.
They are people with loved ones and hobbies as well.
In the Netherlands you can order all you like, but when the kitchen is closed, the kitchen is closed.
Being Impolite
Please, get off your cellphone when I’m taking your order
I've seen servers just walking away if the customer was phoning and ordering at the same time. I'd always tip these servers extra.
When People Go And Sit At A Dirty Table
PLEASE DO NOT HELP YOURSELF TO A SEAT AT A DIRTY TABLE.
First of all, it’s gross. Why would you sit yourself down in someone else’s mess?
Second of all, if it’s not clean, we aren’t ready for you at that table yet. Now someone has to awkwardly bus the table and wipe it down while your impatient ass just sits there being all in-the-way.
Does this happen frequently in most countries? Because in the two countries I live in, customers usually wait at the restaurant's entrance until a server attend to them. Except for fast food restaurants, but usually all the tables are not dirty because customers normally clean after themselves.
Ordering Something That's Not On The Menu
Do not order anything that isn’t on the menu. I’ve run into so many situations where customers want to make up their own dish that isn’t on the menu (ordering fish and chips at an Italian restaurant). Perhaps it’s because they don’t know how to read, and therefore can’t understand anything the menu says. That menu is there for a reason. Read it. This is not a private chef service
A good restaurant will have waiters who are able to explain the menu, and they will be able to advise in case a customers has certain allergies or disliked. Simply ordering something that is not on the menu is rude, **asking** for something that is not on the menu is just fine in my opinion. Asking for example whether a certain ingredient you do not find in any other dish is available should just be fine – an example would be particularly hot peppers in a place that does not regularly have so spicy dishes. If asked politely, you will just get a polite answer, sometimes even met with gratitude for real interest in what the place can offer.
Of course it isn't about asking about recipe, or requesting some change in ingredients. It's about just ordering something that isn't on the menu, and assuming they can make it for you just because they have the ingredients.
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I don’t know. As I feel about a lot of these posts, I don’t see a problem asking, as long as “No” can be an acceptable answer. There are many reasons someone might ask. Often it’s that the group wanted to go to a particular restaurant, but that restaurant doesn’t have anything that appeals to the individual (or the individual has a specific allergy), so it can be ok to ask. If the answer is that the kitchen cannot accommodate this reasonably, then the server should be able to say so politely as well, and the patron should then accept that answer.
When I lived in Birmingham, Al, we would go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. It wasn't on the menu, but they still served it and I would always order this amazing batter fried oyster appetizer, which came with this heavenly sauce. I am not sure how I found out about it, probably word of mouth...they were never annoyed..and I always tip 30%..😉
On a skiing holiday in France the restaurant only did a certain chocolate dessert at lunchtime but they made it for us in the evening - we asked nicely and they were fine to do it. They might have not had enough ingredients or something so we would have been fine with no but they did and we were delighted!
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Oh yes, I remember one time when a customer ordered a picanha cut and I was like: "We don't have that cut" and he was like "Sure you have, just go to the butcher and buy some, then come back and have them grilled" XP
Yep, because you have time to do a spot of shopping during service! 🙄 Never mind anyone else there eh? Some people! 🤨
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Asking a question makes you angry? You can just say no. Sometimes there’s a dish on the lunch menu but not dinner and often times the chef can accommodate. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
Asking for something that's not on the menu is totally fine as long as you ask and don't demand. It's also totally fine if it's a variation on a theme. If they have chicken and beef chow mein, but you'd like pork? Fine so long as they have pork in some other bit of the menu. Plenty of places can do you custom food as long as they're not busy and you're not a d**k about it.
I was a bartender for 15 years. Lost count of how many times I was asked to make a drink that I'd never heard of. "Well, it's on bar XXXX's menu, don't you know it?" Like no dumbass, that's their own specialty cocktail, not a one of the top 100 drinks most of us know.
I ask if something is an option to go with the existing menu item - usually when I get alfredo with chicken I ask for broccoli. Never have been told no. But I never ask for anything crazy.
@Colin sounds like a reasonable request to me. Do you ever make it at home, or only order it at restaurants? Here's a recipe that is one of my family's favourites. (Not quite chicken alfredo but is very tasty and so easy to make!) https://gimmedelicious.com/pesto-chicken-and-broccoli-pasta/. (Disclaimer: I have no connection to this blogger at all. Found the recipe online when we had an overabundance of broccoli last year. We love it and have made it several times. Enjoy!)
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This habit is common among wealthy people — or those pretending to be wealthy. They believe their wealth buys status and that restaurants will cater to their "off menu" whims in order to keep their patronage. And because so many rich people believe they deserve special treatment and special food lesser beings can't have. Because what's the point of being rich if you can only have what others have?
I think this depends a little, mainly on how well you know the restaurant and the staff. I've been to places (a regular, but not that regular), where you can ask what the server recommends (what they recommend is not on the menu or the daily specials board). And/or they might suggest a variation of something they have on the menu (presumably they know they can cook it). Probably though this is just to do with the servers being very good and how well you know them or the restaurant, and is a bit different to asking for something there's no way they might have.
I feel there are exceptions to this. Children might prefer something plainer, older adults with swallowing difficulties might too. I. E carrots and mash and that wouldn't be specified on the menu.
The Goldberg's dinner episode!!! I want shrimp...on the side..
Asking for something that is on the menu but the restaurant has run out of it is just as annoying. I went through quite a bit of a menu in a cafe once before I got fed up and walked out.
This remind me of very known french comedy, a guy is in a "fancy" creperie and ask for a crepe with sugar. The waitress reply "no we don't do that here!" and he replies "you have crepe dough, you have sugar! So with the dough you make a crepe and then you put sugar on it!!!!!". He's kicked out from the restaurant and the waitress husband saw it and ask "what happens?" "Oh it's again a "crêpe au sucre!". DON'T ask a crepe au sucre if it's not on the menu! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjAs79ADEIg
I have many people in my family, with high maintenance food intolerances. As a result, we tend to eat at places with lots of different types of options. There is one family-run Chinese restaurant near my house that has an awesome owner/chef (the waitresses are wonderful too). He doesn't use MSG. You tell him what you can't have, and he will give you several options. He will even make a plate of chicken and certain vegetables with no sauce whatsoever, for my 92yo grandmother - who is allergic to life.
Once, I did that. But ... the restaurant was absolutely empty and I asked the server to ask the chef if he would make it and if not, had another order ready. The chef was very gracious and made what I wanted. Not something I make a habit of and would never, ever do that when it was even moderately busy.
Granted, the fish & chips anecdote is weird but refusal to deviate from menu is a red flag that says, ''Everything we serve has been prepared months ago and frozen''. A Greek restaurant I know prepares excellent Greek potatoes and a good Cesar salad, but they come with a mandatory Coquille StJacques (not Greek at all) that leaves me feeling totally stuffed. One day, I ordered the potatoes and salad only and got billed TWICE the amount of the potatoes, salad and Coquille combo. I will NEVER eat there again.
Don't get mad, just say, "That's been discontinued," and move on.
I worked at a Hard Rock Cafe back in the 1990s. One night, there was a kid who only wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which was not on the menu. They were nice enough to make one, though.
I don't it is fair. I mean maybe I am a picky eater and I d like to ask if possible to have something I have in mind. It will not make me upset or something, if they do not serve it, but at least I should be able to ask
It's fine to ask, so long as you understand the chef is going to some trouble for you. if you get good service you will want to visit that restaurant again.
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This may be OK advice in a chain restaurant, but in upscale restaurants you can certainly ask to speak to the chef and make a request for something special, or ask the waiter to speak to the chef. I have done this many times and it is perfectly fine. Just don’t ask the price because that would be gauche.
Many places do offer this, so instead of acting like it a big thing..say sorry we don;' offer off menu items. As that something a first time customer would ask, and is totally ok since many do offer off menu items. So you legit have to ask to know.
For me, this situation is usually about food allergies. I am allergic to all seafood, but we still go to seafood places on occasion. Thankfully, those places usually have non seafood items, but if they didn't we just wouldn't eat there. We would not go in there and start asking for dishes that they didn't serve.
Always a red flag when the staff don't know their own menu and get arsey when asked..
This isn't about the staff not knowing the menu, this is about customers ordering things the restaurant doesn't even cook. That's what a menu is for. To tell you what the restaurant makes so you can choose something.
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YOu can ask if the place has something and I will help you find something similar on the menu if we don't but don't throw a bitch fit when I tell you we do not have veal scallopini because we don't have veal at all! You will get unclean food
When I lived in the US, I saw people do it. In the UK where I live now, the chef would chase you out with a cleaver.
It is by no means that black and white. I have asked in both countries, politely, and had differing responses and no chef was a git about it. It depends on the chef and the circumstances. Don't make it a UK v US thing when it isn't. We get more than enough of that s h I t anyway and most of the time it is c r a p. A lot of us get very fed up the with country-specific bashing that goes on here.
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Acting Like You Own The Place
This restaurant is not your house. You’re a paying customer. We get that, and we respect that. But do not forget that you are a guest. In addition, you are not the only guest. There are other people here too. So when you request that we turn down the music, turn up the lights, or adjust the heat/air conditioning, you should know that we may not be able to make this accommodation, even if you ask nicely. If you go on to demand such accommodations, you’re not only disrespecting us (because you’re essentially treating the restaurant like your house, and us like servants who run it for you), you’re also disrespecting the other guests (because they may not desire the same accommodations that you desire). This is not your house, and this is a space that you’re sharing with other people - and if you’re the only one asking for something to be changed, we’re unlikely to do it if it will affect other guests.
Helping Without Being Asked To
I hated when customers tried to help me. Don't get me wrong. I appreciated the sentiment, but when a customer took things from my tray or grabbed things from my hand it became dangerous.
Yup, this. I worked in a restaurant for a bit, some years back, and people grabbing things off the tray can really unbalance a heavy tray. If the server removes things from the tray themselves, they can adjust their own balance, but not when people just randomly take things while you're trying to set it down, etc. Especially with lots of drinks. I once had someone plunge their hand into a load of drinks on a tray to get to their one, and they nearly knocked over all the others.
Not Understanding When The Bar Is Full
Understand that when the bar is full, the bar is full. No, I'm not going to go and 'see if anyone's done' at the bar so you can squeeze in for free corn chips at happy hour. I've politely told you you're more than welcome to stand at the bar, but all the seats are taken. And for the love of god, don't try to take other customers' seats while they're in the bathroom.
Being Glued To The Phone
Please do not be glued to your phone, especially if you're in a large party. I work in a tapas restaurant, which means everyone orders small plates to share. We recently had a table of ten do this, ignoring runners and servers that were bringing their food, causing the food to be returned or eaten by different table members, and so the person who ordered the food would finally look up from their phone and start complaining that they never received the food they ordered. Of course, the other table members neglected to tell them they had received it and eaten it. Why? Because THEY were now on their phones. They nearly made a server cry with rude comments about her intelligence and figure (“that skinny bitch probably ate them, she needs to put on weight before her hips cut me”) is just one thing I heard. It's worth mentioning that these were all morbidly obese people.
Not Considering The Hard Work In The Kitchen
Allergies. If the truth is you don't like a food, then just say that. Say you don’t like bell pepper. The amount of work that happens in the kitchen is hardly ever seen in the dining room. Respect the staff by not adding to that amount of work if it’s not necessary.
Clients Who Can't Manage Their Time
Don’t order a well-done steak if your movie starts in 15 minutes.
Being Overly Picky And Making It More Difficult For The Staff
The menu is not a canvas for your wildest imagination, unfortunately. I have come across customers who ask what ingredients do we have, and start building their own portion based on them.
I know the struggle of being a hard customer and not being able to take whatever from the menu due to dangerous allergies, but don’t be picky in vain. The staff is usually crowded with special orders anyway.
Check with the restaurant first perhaps with what they can and cannot do. Leaving out an ingredient isn't always that much of a problem. Let's face it though, if it has a menu where you can't find anything you like or can eat then pick somewhere else.
Disrespectful Behavior
Do not address us as “waiter”/“waitress”, or snap your fingers at us.
This is basic human respect. I will openly ignore such requests for my attention, and you’ll be waiting a while for me to come back.
Wasting Servers' Time
This is a more Spanish restaurant specific thing than anything, but please for the love of god do not order 6 plates and then ask me which are spicy, having me bring back the ones that are. Please. It's a Spanish restaurant, nearly everything is spicy. Stop wasting our time. You wouldn't believe how often this happens.
Complaining That The Food Takes Longer To Come Out When The Place Is Busy
Food takes longer to come out when we’re busy
When a restaurant is busy, it’s usually no secret. It’s loud, it’s full, staff are running around, the whole deal. You can also anticipate when a restaurant will be busy, like on Friday and Saturday nights. If you choose to dine at such times as these, you can expect your food to take longer to come out. Why? More people, more orders, more work for the kitchen to do. So if you’ve just placed your order now, it could take 20, 30, 40 minutes, or even longer than that. If that’s too long for you, none of us have any sympathy for your complaints. You knew it was busy, so you knew it would take long. You chose to dine at this time, so you knew what you were getting into. We don’t care that you’re hungry. Everybody is hungry. That’s why they’re here! What do you think we’re going to do? Bring your food out first before someone else’s, just because you’re complaining? Dream on.
Not Accepting Where You're Being Seated
Please accept where I seat you. I understand you want a booth. But we only have four, and by dinnertime, I've already reserved them for my six other 6:30 reservations. And if you're a party of two, you're going to get placed at a two top. Not a full-size table.
Sitting At An Empty Table Without Asking
If you see a table with no one at it, that is not necessarily your table! There might be a reservation plotted for your table later that night. The restaurant limits how many people can sit in each time-block.
If it's reserved, shouldn't there be a note on the table saying so? If not, and there's no hostess to sit us down, how are we supposed to know which table is free and which one isn't? *Just mentioning that I said if there are no hostess, I did not say, what if the hostess is unavailable. The post makes no mention wether there is one or not, makes no mention of what type of restaurant it is (fancy or not).
Tipping Is Important
Tipping is not mandatory, but servers live off of our tips.
I've been in the industry for 11 years now. A manager now. But started as a busser and worked my way up. A lot of these I agree with. I think people who snap their fingers for waiters should be thrown out on their asses. But other things like ordering off the menu, remember you are in a CUSTOMER IS KING business. My restaurant, if we got the ingrediants will make you anything and the chef loves a challenge. I think some diva servers forget that they are there to serve the customer. And that's the end of it.
I completely agree with you on this, rude and obnoxious behaviour should never be tolerated but some of this nonsense about "don't call me a waiter" stuff is just idiotic. And especially in the USA where you are not being paid by your employer but by the customers because of the sick mentality business owners have there, which essentially means the customers are paying your salary. I know this explanation seems like overkill but I felt was warranted since some people complaining here seem to not understand the concept clearly.
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Respect goes both ways though. If I (politely) ask for water, just because it's free doesn't mean you can ignore me. I'm thirtstyyy T.T
I wish servers would understand this. Just because I order water doesn't mean that I am cheap and won't tip well. (I always tip good service at least 20% and great service even better). I do not like the taste of alcohol, I drink only diet pop and don't have caffeine in the evenings because it makes it hard for me to sleep. Most places do not have any drinks that are alcohol, sugar and caffeine free other than water, but for some reason when we order water there are some serves that we can see a visible shift in their attitude because they somehow judge us as unworthy of good service because ordering water somehow makes us look cheap and like we will be bad tippers.
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Okay so let's now have a thread on how to appropriately treat customers. We've all had our share of rude staff, terrible food, bungled orders, diva chefs and negligent management. You spent hoards of cash on advertising to get us in the door. Just care about us when we get there
It's worse when you're a server, and you know how it should be. It's where I'd rather go to McDonalds than a nice sit down.
Load More Replies... I agree with all of the above, but will there also be an article about things bad waitstaff do? :)
You probably won't want to read that one. Saying this as someone who has been in the industry for 30 years
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Something I've noticed at almost every restaurant I've ever gone to is when I dine alone, the service is nonexistent and 9 out of 10 times, the server completely ignores me. I'm always courteous and I tip very well, so after this continually happening, I always just sit at the bar and the bartender benefits from my tipping. Servers have a hard job, but them assuming lone diners don't deserve to be treated kindly should think again. It's very frustrating when it happens.
I always took my cues from the individual. Some lone diners want, even need to be left alone, others want or even need someone to chat with. I really Started doing this after I had my mother committed, extremely stressful experience. Stop at a restaurant on the 4 hour drive back home, all I wanted was quiet to enjoy my steak and escape into my novel, and the waiter insisted on chatting, got offended when I finally asked to be left alone. Never came to my table after that, although he made sure I saw him look at my empty glass a few times. Which was ok, his manager was very kind. I think it may be that most servers don't know how to relate to us lone diners, so they shy away, kinda how like some don't know how to handle when things go wrong, so never go back to the table because they're embarrassed. Which of course just makes it worse
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Suprised there was nothing on people trying to be clever with their order. I had a friend who instead of ordering her steaks 'as rare as they can legally cook it' she would say 'I'd like it to gently moo when it hits the plate', bout 80% of the time they had no idea what that ment and defaulted the order to 'medium'
Kick off its horns, wipe its ass and put it on the plate
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Legit Asian restaurants in the US will make anything they can if a customer requests it. To them it is good business sense. It is also how it works in places in China and Vietnam from my experience. Though the Japanese don't like to deviate from the menu. On the upside, Japanese will always serve what's on the menu, but I've been to plenty of restaurants in places like Beijing, where I'll ask for something on the menu and then another thing, and then another, until the waiter finally nods, saying they can make it
My other big pet peeve is grown adults who take off their shoes in a restaurant (yes it happens). It's understandable when kids do it they don't know better, that becomes annoying when the parents don't make them put them on when we tell them. But grown ass adults walking around a restaurant without their shoes on, it's a major safety issue, not to mention gross!!
Remember the ultimate rule: Don't mess with the people who handle your food!!!!!!!!!
I've worked in a non-chain restaurant for 10 years, from my experiences this whole customer is king nonsense allows some people to be unreasonable and rude. Is it so wrong to want to be spoken to or treated decently? That said, I agree with @Sam Kunz that servers shouldn't be divas. You have to be the bigger person and face down people's rude behavior with professional charm.
I humbly ask servers reading this: my sister stacks the plates on the table when we are all done eating. I ask her not to, and she says that she is "helping out the waitress". Is this a no-no?
If you mean is it the done thing? Not in a posh restaurant no. If you mean is it helpful? Mixed. People don't do the way the staff are trained to. They'll have their own quick systems in the kitchens for getting the plates, glasses and silverware dealt with. I've had to re-order things because it's been done in a way that's just a nuisance. I've not let on because people mean well. People often make things worse and it's just best to let the staff do their job.
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I don’t understand adults being picky with their orders if they know they’re going to a specific restaurant ahead of time. There’s this wonderful thing called the internet, and there’s this wonderful thing called a phone. I’m vegetarian, and I’ve had to go to my share of steakhouses and seafood places for business or events. When I find out where we’re going, I tend to call the restaurant and ask what they can do. They appreciate it because they can prepare, and then I’m not stuck with just a salad.
I have never done any of these. There was this one time my mother yelled at the manager because they were taking food and not letting the kids eat( Me, my sister, and my 2 friends). Yeah my mother was pissed..
Yeah. No. The answer to assholes is not to act like one yourself.
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I've been in the industry for 11 years now. A manager now. But started as a busser and worked my way up. A lot of these I agree with. I think people who snap their fingers for waiters should be thrown out on their asses. But other things like ordering off the menu, remember you are in a CUSTOMER IS KING business. My restaurant, if we got the ingrediants will make you anything and the chef loves a challenge. I think some diva servers forget that they are there to serve the customer. And that's the end of it.
I completely agree with you on this, rude and obnoxious behaviour should never be tolerated but some of this nonsense about "don't call me a waiter" stuff is just idiotic. And especially in the USA where you are not being paid by your employer but by the customers because of the sick mentality business owners have there, which essentially means the customers are paying your salary. I know this explanation seems like overkill but I felt was warranted since some people complaining here seem to not understand the concept clearly.
Load More Replies... Respect goes both ways though. If I (politely) ask for water, just because it's free doesn't mean you can ignore me. I'm thirtstyyy T.T
I wish servers would understand this. Just because I order water doesn't mean that I am cheap and won't tip well. (I always tip good service at least 20% and great service even better). I do not like the taste of alcohol, I drink only diet pop and don't have caffeine in the evenings because it makes it hard for me to sleep. Most places do not have any drinks that are alcohol, sugar and caffeine free other than water, but for some reason when we order water there are some serves that we can see a visible shift in their attitude because they somehow judge us as unworthy of good service because ordering water somehow makes us look cheap and like we will be bad tippers.
Load More Replies... Okay so let's now have a thread on how to appropriately treat customers. We've all had our share of rude staff, terrible food, bungled orders, diva chefs and negligent management. You spent hoards of cash on advertising to get us in the door. Just care about us when we get there
It's worse when you're a server, and you know how it should be. It's where I'd rather go to McDonalds than a nice sit down.
Load More Replies... I agree with all of the above, but will there also be an article about things bad waitstaff do? :)
You probably won't want to read that one. Saying this as someone who has been in the industry for 30 years
Load More Replies... Something I've noticed at almost every restaurant I've ever gone to is when I dine alone, the service is nonexistent and 9 out of 10 times, the server completely ignores me. I'm always courteous and I tip very well, so after this continually happening, I always just sit at the bar and the bartender benefits from my tipping. Servers have a hard job, but them assuming lone diners don't deserve to be treated kindly should think again. It's very frustrating when it happens.
I always took my cues from the individual. Some lone diners want, even need to be left alone, others want or even need someone to chat with. I really Started doing this after I had my mother committed, extremely stressful experience. Stop at a restaurant on the 4 hour drive back home, all I wanted was quiet to enjoy my steak and escape into my novel, and the waiter insisted on chatting, got offended when I finally asked to be left alone. Never came to my table after that, although he made sure I saw him look at my empty glass a few times. Which was ok, his manager was very kind. I think it may be that most servers don't know how to relate to us lone diners, so they shy away, kinda how like some don't know how to handle when things go wrong, so never go back to the table because they're embarrassed. Which of course just makes it worse
Load More Replies... Suprised there was nothing on people trying to be clever with their order. I had a friend who instead of ordering her steaks 'as rare as they can legally cook it' she would say 'I'd like it to gently moo when it hits the plate', bout 80% of the time they had no idea what that ment and defaulted the order to 'medium'
Kick off its horns, wipe its ass and put it on the plate
Load More Replies... Legit Asian restaurants in the US will make anything they can if a customer requests it. To them it is good business sense. It is also how it works in places in China and Vietnam from my experience. Though the Japanese don't like to deviate from the menu. On the upside, Japanese will always serve what's on the menu, but I've been to plenty of restaurants in places like Beijing, where I'll ask for something on the menu and then another thing, and then another, until the waiter finally nods, saying they can make it
My other big pet peeve is grown adults who take off their shoes in a restaurant (yes it happens). It's understandable when kids do it they don't know better, that becomes annoying when the parents don't make them put them on when we tell them. But grown ass adults walking around a restaurant without their shoes on, it's a major safety issue, not to mention gross!!
Remember the ultimate rule: Don't mess with the people who handle your food!!!!!!!!!
I've worked in a non-chain restaurant for 10 years, from my experiences this whole customer is king nonsense allows some people to be unreasonable and rude. Is it so wrong to want to be spoken to or treated decently? That said, I agree with @Sam Kunz that servers shouldn't be divas. You have to be the bigger person and face down people's rude behavior with professional charm.
I humbly ask servers reading this: my sister stacks the plates on the table when we are all done eating. I ask her not to, and she says that she is "helping out the waitress". Is this a no-no?
If you mean is it the done thing? Not in a posh restaurant no. If you mean is it helpful? Mixed. People don't do the way the staff are trained to. They'll have their own quick systems in the kitchens for getting the plates, glasses and silverware dealt with. I've had to re-order things because it's been done in a way that's just a nuisance. I've not let on because people mean well. People often make things worse and it's just best to let the staff do their job.
Load More Replies... I don’t understand adults being picky with their orders if they know they’re going to a specific restaurant ahead of time. There’s this wonderful thing called the internet, and there’s this wonderful thing called a phone. I’m vegetarian, and I’ve had to go to my share of steakhouses and seafood places for business or events. When I find out where we’re going, I tend to call the restaurant and ask what they can do. They appreciate it because they can prepare, and then I’m not stuck with just a salad.
I have never done any of these. There was this one time my mother yelled at the manager because they were taking food and not letting the kids eat( Me, my sister, and my 2 friends). Yeah my mother was pissed..
Yeah. No. The answer to assholes is not to act like one yourself.
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