Here's How You Should & Shouldn't Treat Wait Staff
We're guessing you go out to eat at restaurants on a weekly basis, which means you're interacting with restaurant staff pretty frequently. Have you ever taken a moment to reflect on how you treat them? Because we're not sure why, but waiters often get mistreated. Just because they're serving you food doesn't make them below you! To make sure you act kindly and respectfully, here are 10 things waiters hate that customers do to avoid and 10 things they seriously appreciate.
1. Being Rude To Staff
For some reason, some people love treating customer service workers like they're beneath them. Where this attitude comes from, we have no idea. Waiters absolutely hate dealing with diners who are rude, dismissive, and disrespectful to them. If that behavior isn't acceptable elsewhere, why should it be tolerated in a restaurant setting?
2. Asking To Split The Bill Weirdly
So let us get this right. You want us to split the bill between you and your friend, but make it separate from your three other friends, and oh, your other friend wants to pay by himself? Talk about confusing. Waiters aren't a fan of customers who ask them split their bill in complicated manners - it may sound easy to you, but it takes plenty of extra steps for the person doing it for you!
3. Bringing Loud Kids
As cute as your kid may be, it's important that you keep them in check when you're in public. Whether you're at a restaurant, at the park, in the mall, wherever, no one likes being around a nosy and obnoxious child. And when you're in a small, enclosed space like a restaurant, we swear those cries sound 5x louder.
4. Being Disrespectful To Other Diners
Being rude to staff is one thing, and being rude to other customers is another. Listen, just don't be mean! It makes everyone around you uncomfortable. Even if you're nice to the waiter, they certainly won't appreciate seeing you being disrespectful to someone else.
5. Showing Up Right Before Closing
You might think you made it "just in time" 10 minutes before last call, but trust us, all the restaurant staff certainly won't applaud you. Waiters seriously dislike it when diners show up right before they're getting ready to close. Maybe next time plan your dinner a bit earlier?
6. Leaving Bad Tips
While yes, tipping culture in America is definitely getting a bit out of hand, that doesn't mean you can avoid tipping altogether. If your waiter gave you good service, make sure you tip appropriately. It's not right to think that you're better than them and leave behind a lowsy tip.
7. Snapping Your Fingers
What's with people and snapping their fingers at waiters? It's such a condescending action, we're not sure who started it. Instead of rudely snapping your fingers to get their attention, how about trying to be more respectful by raising your hand and patiently waiting instead.
8. Stacking Dirty Plates
Okay, this one is a little bit of a double-edged sword. While some waiters will appreciate it if you make clearing their table easier, they definitely won't like it if you do it sloppily. If you're going to stack your dirty plates and utensils for them, do it properly. Doing it in a messy manner might just make things worse, not better.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
9. Taking Too Long To Order
While yes, waiters will always give you time to review the menu and ask any questions, taking an incessantly long time is just frustrating. They've got to keep the momentum of the place going, and if you're stalling for 20 minutes just because you can't decide if you want the spaghetti or carbonara, don't expect them to give you a friendly smile in return.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
10. Complaining When You Have No Reservation
There's nothing more annoying than dealing with diners who throw a fit even if they don't have a reservation. Sorry, if the restaurant is full, the waiters can't do anything about it! It's not up to them to accommodate you, especially if you didn't make plans to reserve a spot to begin with. They will especially hate it if you continue to be rude to them about it.
1. Being Friendly With Staff
If you want to receive good service, consider being kind to the waiting staff. It's definitely a "treat others how you want to be treated" type scenario. Waiters will definitely pick up on your kindness and appreciate it. You don't know how many nasty customers they might have already dealt with throughout the day.
2. Forgiving Of Mistakes
Listen to this closely: waiters are humans too! And that means, sometimes, they'll make mistakes. Whether it's getting your order wrong or accidentally dropping something, just don't take it personally. They've got a lot on their plate and might make small errors from time to time. It's your job to show them forgiveness and give them the same compassion you would want to be given.
3. Not Making A Mess
While we understand food can be messy and a couple of spills and splatters here and there are totally normal, making a big mess out of nothing is something completely different. Waiters despise diners who purposely make things more difficult for them, like leaving behind big messes. If you wouldn't do that at home, don't do it in a restaurant.
4. Being Patient
Remember, it's not always the waiter's fault that your food is taking a while to come out. Maybe there was a problem in the kitchen or the restaurant is just too busy. Whatever the reason, do your best to be patient. Don't take your anger out on the waiter - that's something they hate dealing with. If anything, ask them politely about the wait time and they'll do their best to help you.
Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash
5. Keeping To Yourself
For restaurants that have tight seating arrangements, waiters will appreciate customers who keep to themselves and don't take up too much space. Being respectful of others just makes their job so much easier. Because at times, working in the service industry can feel a bit like a babysitting job.
6. Knowing What You Want To Order
Customers who walk in knowing exactly what they want on the menu are a favorite of waiters. That's because this allows them to quickly move on to their next table or get other work done without having to wait on them. So if you're looking to help out, take a look at the online menu before stepping into the restaurant!
7. Not Asking For Outrageous Requests
You wouldn't believe the extent some people go to just to get a meal that fits their every preference. If those people are a waiter's worst nightmare, then you can imagine how they view no-fuss customers. Keeping it simple, diners who make very little requests make a waiter's job so much easier.
8. Saying Thank You
It may not sound like much, but waiters definitely appreciate diners who say thank you. You might think it's common knowledge but working in the service industry will definitely open your eyes. This simple phrase is enough to make a waiter want to give you better service.
9. Following Restaurant Policy
Some restaurants may have certain rules like reservations only, max party numbers, etc. Instead of getting upset at these policies, waiters love it when customers are understanding and polite about it. It's even better if they do research ahead of time so that they're already informed!
10. Wearing The Proper Dress Code
If you're heading to a fancier establishment, don't show up in flip flops and a tank top. There's nothing waiters hate having to deal with than diners who didn't get the memo. Wear clothes that fit the restaurant you're going to. It's as simple as that.
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