All the Ways You Annoy Your Server Without Knowing It
Catering service is physically demanding, requiring a person to be on their feet for long periods of time carrying carefully balanced and heavy trays of food. It is psychologically difficult because they have to deal with a wide range of personalities. So when you go out to eat, the restaurant waiters deserve your sympathy, especially considering they work to make your meal enjoyable and enjoyable. Most of us are aware of this and that making life easier on your server will, in turn, improve your experience, so we try to express our gratitude. But how can you do it (besides leaving a thick tip )?
Stop stacking plates and leave the trash
Many of us try to be helpful to the waiter by cleaning the table after eating, including arranging plates and cutlery. It seems like a way to make the waiter’s job a little easier, but many waiters would like us to stop because we don’t arrange the plates properly, which makes their job difficult. The worst sin, however, is to dump rubbish like used napkins and straw wrappers on the plates, because now the waiter has to scrape the stuck rubbish off your plates or fish it out of the glasses, which is much rougher and more difficult than just clearing them off the table.
Make room for food
However, one way to make your waiter adore you is to make room when he comes in with an incredible amount of plates for your table. This is especially true for things that shouldn’t be on the table at all, like your phone or kids tablet. While most waiters will happily arrange dishes on your table to make sure everything is placed correctly, getting your things out of the way really is a lot easier.
Talk about any problems
Waiters and waitresses are hardworking people, but mistakes can be made. One way to make them hate you with the power of a billion suns is to keep quiet when you’re unhappy about something, especially if you then give a 10% tip as passive-aggressive punishment for forgetting the ketchup. It’s one thing if you point out a mistake and you are ignored or paid attention to; it’s quite different when you don’t even give the jaded server a chance to fix the bug.
But be polite
Saying “please” and “thank you” may seem like common behavior, but many people forget this when sitting in a restaurant. The idea that a waiter should serve you – and get paid for it! sometimes gives people the idea that they don’t have to play by the normal rules of society. There is some deep psychology behind social dominance , but that’s an illusion – servers aren’t inferior to you, they’re just people doing work. If you are polite to them, it will go a long way towards improving the quality of service and having a better experience.
Be ready
Waiting for tables is often insane and exhausting. Your waiter is dealing with multiple tables, all with specific requirements and different paces. It’s perfectly fine to ask questions about the menu and take a few minutes to figure out what you’re about to order, but nothing makes a waiter grind their teeth like a table that can’t assemble and just order. The best way to win your waiter’s heart is to ask concise questions and be ready to order in a timely manner. This is especially important when the restaurant is very busy.
Don’t be too friendly
It may seem like it’s polite to chat about your server and show interest in them, but it’s often not appreciated. Your server is busy, and while friendly chatter is always nice, it’s very easy to go too far. If you’ve kept your waiter at your table for a few minutes, having a conversation that doesn’t advance your food order in any way, that means all of his other tables feel ignored and plates pile up waiting for someone to take them. into your own hands. Limit friendly conversation to a few light exchanges, and then move on to a pleasant pastime.
Don’t wander
In a busy restaurant, it can get a bit frustrating when your waiter seems to disappear and you need to refill your coffee or you’re ready for the bill. But grabbing any random person and asking them to serve you is a surefire way to piss off a waiter or waitress. Unless you’re experiencing seriously bad service, involving other servers (or even waiters or joggers) will simply create confusion and make your server look bad.
Avoid unexpected separation
Splitting the bill between parties is common and not a big deal, but if you want to get more specific information – for example, each one only pays for what they ordered – you need to let your server participate in this complex agreement from the very beginning. Asking them to figure out how to split the bill to reflect what everyone literally ordered is hard enough if they can keep track of how the food is going, but making a last-minute request is especially rude.
Read the menu
If you didn’t notice that the Swiss burger comes with caramelized onions when you order it, that’s your fault. Restaurants usually offer pretty clear descriptions of the food they offer, and suddenly realizing that you hate everything that’s just been delivered to your table is one of the worst sins a diner can commit. Take a moment to make sure you know what you’re getting so you don’t have to ask the waitress to magically turn your meal into a completely different meal.
advice good
Finally, it’s worth reiterating that servers do their job – they put up with your bullshit because they’re paid to do it, but often not particularly well . The number one way you can become your server’s ally is by giving them an appropriate tip. It means knowing what a proper tip is, and these days tips start at 15% for regular service, with 20% expected for exceptional service. This is the minimum, and if you don’t like it, you shouldn’t eat out.