When restaurants go wrong somewhere, it’s all over social media but when customers piss the staff off, servers and chefs have nowhere to go. It’s unfair, to say the least.
In order to level the playing field, we decided to list down 10 most annoying things people do at restaurants so you don’t have to tiptoe around a minefield of unfamiliar rules once you learn the basics!
1. Finding a seat
It’s normal to go and grab a seat when the restaurant is empty but if you walk in during peak hours, leave it to the pros and their hospitality. 2 people on a table for 4 not only leads to wastage of space, it also pisses off the restaurant staff.
2. Asking silly questions
Asking about the dishes, serving and drinks is acceptable. More often than not, servers would happily explain all about it. Asking questions like “what’s the best dish on the menu?”, however, is not okay. If you really want to know what people like to eat the most, a better way of framing the question is – “what’s the most popular dish?”
3. Cancelling reservations last moment
When you make a reservation, there’s a lot more that happens after a simple phone call. Scheduling of staff, preparation of food, keeping the table vacant – it all goes to waste when you choose to be a flake. The same goes for people who walk in early or super late. If, by any chance, you can’t turn up, have the courtesy to call and inform us.
4. Flash photography
Your Instagram posts would look as dull as other people in the restaurant if you use flash to click photos. The chef makes sure your dish looks like it’s straight out of heaven but that doesn’t mean you kill the ambience with strobes of light to get a decent photograph.
5. Stacking empty plates
You might think this is a very noble thing to do but trust us, the servers have their own way of cleaning up. It’s best to let them do their job and not mess with the rhythm they’ve created for themselves.
6. Not getting up after the meal is over
If you’ve been to parties back in your college days, you’d remember there was always this one person who drank way too much and refused to go home despite the host giving every form of body signal that exists to communicate that it was time to leave. You may sit for a few minutes winding up a conversation after you’ve paid the bill but to overstay your welcome is never appreciated. This is especially the case when the restaurant is busy and others are waiting in line for a table.
7. Walking in 5 minutes before the last order is taken
It’s certainly your right to walk in before the last order is taken but this would surely piss off the staff. While you think of what to order, place the order, the dish gets prepared and the waiter brings it to you, you’ve already added 90 minutes, to say the least, to the chef’s and waiter’s day.
8. Not knowing your order
We’ve all been there, done that. And oh, my god, it’s super awkward. You think you know what you and all others want to eat so you call the server to take the order. Just then, in that exact moment, everyone decides to sound confused like it’s the first time they’ve seen the menu. Second thoughts, it’s not the right time for you to arrive!
