Waiters And Waitresses Reveal The Most Annoying Things Customers Do Without Even Thinking
Being a waiter or waitress can be a thankless and exhausting job. Long hours, bad tips, and rude customers can make the whole thing a pretty miserable experience. True, not all diners hurl abuse at their servers, but sometimes it's the smaller things customers do that waiters hate. It might even be something the patron thought was helpful, like stacking up the empty plates. Unfortunately, they probably didn't do it right, spelling even more work for whoever is clearing the table.
There are so many things customers do that waitresses hate. Think you might secretly be a bad diner? Keep reading, and you'll learn all the ways you're annoying your server. If you've ever worked in the restaurant industry, these stories will be both relatable and infuriating.
- 13,279 VOTES
They Take Drinks Off Your Tray
From [deleted]:
"DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT REACH FOR YOUR DRINK WHILE IT IS ON MY TRAY, IN MY HAND. It will end up either all over me, you and the table if there's multiple other drinks on the tray. It's a balancing act. Chill, I'm here to take care of you. You can wait a second for your micro-brew lager."
- 24,056 VOTES
They Snap Their Fingers
From SaveMarlaSinger:
"DO NOT SNAP YOUR FINGERS AT ME OR WAVE OBNOXIOUSLY! I SEE YOU! I AM CLEARLY WITH ANOTHER GOD DAMN CUSTOMER WHO IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS YOU!
Whew. sorry about the outburst."
- 32,744 VOTES
They Don't Make Their Dietary Restrictions Clear
From macch:
"Telling me your dietary restrictions AFTER you've ordered. The cook had already most likely made the item. We would have to make an entirely new order and my co-workers and managers would think it's my fault we have a wasted order because I forgot to mention a substitution. If you have restrictions or preferences please tell us before or while you're ordering."
- 42,630 VOTES
They Ask For The Manager Before Talking To You
From whyyouchattypatty:
"If I mess up your order don't call my manager, it's not cool to get me fired because your sandwich was missing mayonnaise. Instead you can tell me personally, and I'll make your sandwich free of charge and remake it for ya."
- 54,074 VOTES
They Order Just Before Closing
From Lipshitz2:
"My biggest one is coming in the restaurant like 3 minutes before we close and saying 'Whoo, just made it!' I work for like $2.15 an hour. A double is from 9:45 to 9:00. I grew up KNOWING it is common courtesy to the workers to not go in expecting top notch service at closing time. These people do not make enough, no matter how much your little 15% – 20% tip to concern themselves further than an 12 hour workday. Just know that blindly coming into a restaurant at closing time is a recipe for awkwardness and you're most likely to get a server who isn't laughing your f*cking jokes. It's the worst!!!
Please people, check the times of a restaurant and know that if they close at say 9:00, then 8:50 is NOT a good time for dinner, especially when there are probably other restaurants open in the area. People will force a smile and tell you they'll seat you and it's no problem because they have to, but know that 90% of them are cursing you in the back. Everyone hates this... back of house included. Not saying that it's done a lot but if you worry about people messing with your food or whatever, this is the most likely scenario for that to happen. People are tired and expecting to leave at a normal time, then the inevitable late table shows and everyone gets pissed.
Just be considerate to these people, they work long hours often times and put up with ALOT of sh*t. A little consideration, especially at closing time, is greatly appreciated."
- 62,548 VOTES
They Try To Seat Themselves
From nuclearkumquat007:
"Not a waiter, but a host. There are several things people do that are very much unhelpful. First is seating yourself. You may be trying to save me the trouble, but believe it or not you've just caused me lots of headache. Restaurants usually divide tables into different sections and assign each to a server. We seat you in rotation so servers aren't overloaded with several tables at once. If you seat yourself in a section that I just seated, guess who gets chewed out by the server and manager? It's me.
Also, if we're on a wait list, pointing out tables that are open isn't helping me at all. I know there are two tables open over there, but I'm trying to save those plus two more for a massive party. You're right, there are plenty of seats open on the patio, but I just sat 30 people in 5 minutes and my manager didn't want me to overload severs/the kitchen, so you'll have to wait. Please just be patient and let me do my job."