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Pet Peeves of Servers about Restaurant Customers!

January 5, 2011 by PDX Food Dude 72 Comments

WaiterMany of you have weighed in with complaints about restaurant servers, now it’s time for them to vent. Front-of-the-house workers, what drives you crazy? Here are a few from a list of 100 at InsideScoopSF; I’ve added a few of my own. Not the best list – I think you can do better.

  1. Don’t walk into a restaurant, and sit wherever you want. Workload needs to be balanced, some tables are reserved. Wait to be seated.
  2. The “I could make this $14 dish at home for $4” comment.   You don’t understand everything that factors into food costs: décor, serving ware, location, etc.  Add in your rent and utilities and time then see if you could sell it for $4.
  3. Not complaining at the appropriate times. ‘The steak was overdone, but we ate all of it anyways.’ Let us atone and make it right. Don’t expect it for free, or short your tip because you didn’t give us the opportunity to serve you well.
  4. The over-sharer. The customer who feels compelled to consume the attention of the server or manager with a very long story or too much irrelevant information about themselves. This defect can be found in poor servers as well.
  5. They ask for salt.  When I deliver, they ask for another plate.  When I deliver, they ask for another napkin.  When I deliver, they ask for an extra glass.  When I deliver, they ask for another menu.  When I deliver, etc.
  6. I hate seeing drinks that are brought in from another establishment.  Finish your damn Starbucks before you sit down at the table
  7. Talking on a cell phone while ordering.
  8. Large parties that come early and camp out on a busy night, thus throwing the rest of the evening’s reservations into flux.
  9. Customers who sit at a table and don’t order because they’re too busy chatting
  10. Some restaurants mandate that servers introduce themselves to their tables and some servers do it at their discretion. If a server introduces herself, skip the sarcastic, My name is Fred and I’ll be your customer…
  11. Never snap your fingers, whistle like you’re calling a dog, wave your hand in the air like you’re hailing a cab, or yell Hey followed by anything, when you’re trying to get your server’s attention. (Pardon me, or Excuse me, when you have a moment please work really well.)
  12. Don’t interrupt a server who is attending to customers at another table.
  13. If you are going to run home and post criticisms, take a moment to post when you have a good experience.

Related

Filed Under: Portland Food and Restaurant News and Discussion

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. valkraider says

    January 5, 2011 at 4:01 pm

    With the exception of maybe two of those, anyone who thinks like this should not have a job as a server.

    Customers are why you have a job, if they want to chat before ordering or ask you to bring things – then good. At least they are in your restaurant and not some other server’s!

    Reply
    • sidemeat says

      January 5, 2011 at 9:19 pm

      Perhaps someone who feels entitled to monopolize a servers time to the detriment of the other guests isn’t really a very good guest?
      I’m certain you receive some pretty poor service when you go out, I’m going to let you in on a secret. It’s called ‘the designated table’
      Yours is it more often than not I’d wager. You see, in a restaurant your server is attempting to provide service to multiple people
      at the same time, sometimes this is quite difficult. Sometimes it’s impossible, if I’ve got eight tables needing 20 minutes of service in the
      next ten, (or more exactly, 7 tables that need 10 minutes of my time, and one that needs 10 minutes as well) then somewhere, someone
      is going to less than stellar service. How to decide? The polite tables? No, not them. The happy
      couple in the booth? That doesn’t seem right…
      the table with the overblown sense of entitlement that’s been running my ass off and going to leave a lousy tip and have a bad
      experience no matter what? Do I actually start to ignore that one table so I can take care of the seven that are nice, and having
      a good time?
      Of course.
       
       
       
       
       

      Reply
    • Food Dude says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:10 pm

      I have to agree with Sidemeat on this one. I’ve had friends that want to have detailed conversations with waiters, and I just sit there watching while people at other tables try to get their attention. If it is slow, that’s one thing, otherwise let them do their job and move on to someone else.

      Reply
    • Thadeous says

      April 23, 2011 at 8:25 am

      Val you are so right. Anyone who thinks people should act with some common courtesy when they are in a restaurant should be fired. Restaurant guests should have free range to be as careless and thoughtless as they want. Wait staff are not people, as we all know, so why treat them as such?

      Hope you picked up on the sarcasm because I was laying it on pretty thick.

      Reply
  2. Mike says

    January 5, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    I guess there are some people that do #11 for everything, but after having had several experiences recently where I’ve simply been ignored for objectively ridiculous amounts of time, I can say that if someone is snapping, waving or otherwise being rude, the server may want to consider that they may have neglected the customer for so long that they’ve snapped . . . Case in point – Alba Osteria – no wonder you went under.

    Reply
    • Foop says

      January 6, 2011 at 12:20 am

      As a server, what I do in this case is: after I’m done with my meal and have paid my check, go up to the host stand, or catch the bartender or someone out of view of the person that waited on my table and request the manager. I state as calmly as possible what occurred, without embellishment and how it made me feel as a customer. If free whatever is offered, I decline and let them know that I’ve already paid, free stuff is not what I’m after, but that the sort of service that I received is unacceptable. Then I leave….usually not to return.

      But I also know that because I am a server, I have a pretty accurate judgement of how discriminating and demanding a guest I am. I’ve had people complain about my service and say that I “was un-empathetic to their needs” in an email. I recall the specific table and can state categorically that, hell yes I was un-emapthetic to their needs, because they one tripped the shit out of me with a full dining room….and I make an effort not to be that customer.

      Reply
  3. barista says

    January 5, 2011 at 11:38 pm

    As a barista I do my best to give the courteous “Hello, good morning. What can I get started for you”. This works well 19 times out of 20, but occasionally that one customer does not realize that there are 10 people behind them, and after giving me the order, decides to continue the small talk.

    PLEASE consider the customers behind you! If you don’t, the rest of the customers will assume that I’m just yapping with you and not taking their time seriously.

    If you are the only one in line, yap all you want. I’d rather have a friendly conversation with you than do those damn dishes.

    xoxo,
    your local barista

    Reply
  4. Superdog says

    January 6, 2011 at 1:04 am

    What shoud I do if #1-#13 all happens at once? Please advice, that indeed, is a weekly occurance…..SOS….

    Reply
  5. cindyloo says

    January 6, 2011 at 9:07 am

    I’m sad to see there’s nothing about the annoyance of
    amateur photography at the table!

    Reply
    • Food Dude says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:10 pm

      I don’t mind as long as they don’t use a flash!

      Reply
  6. Leslye says

    January 6, 2011 at 9:41 am

    I also disagree with #11. If you are at a table that is
    sort of tucked away and the server NEVER seems to wander by that
    area, there is no hope to get their attention without waving. I
    always try to be polite and ask if they have a minute to come by,
    but generally waving seems to be the only resort left. Ditto with
    #12. If they won’t even look in your direction, sometimes the only
    time to catch their attention is if they are a table near yours. So
    you wave while they are talking to another table. Other than those
    comments, I agree wholeheartedly with the rest (from the customer
    perspective).

    Reply
  7. Chef Magana says

    January 6, 2011 at 9:49 am

    I absolutely agree with all of these points. Being in the
    restaurant business, I almost have to “warn” my new servers of
    these things exactly. Another one is the lingerers who just sit
    around when you are obviously trying to close up shop for the night
    or if something is comp’d or discounted, they don’t tip on the full
    price. Thanks for posting for patrons!

    Reply
  8. skraut says

    January 6, 2011 at 10:28 am

    All of the comments are when a restaurant is full. What about when you are one of a few tables and the service sucks because the server is doing prep work or standing around gossiping so they forget about you. I would wave my hand just to get their attention. who’s being rude then?

    Reply
  9. Irene says

    January 6, 2011 at 11:36 am

    1) Agree with the push back on 11 and 12 (especially 12 actually). I would never whistle (well I can’t whistle, that helps), or say “hey you/dude/boy/lady”, etc., nor do I recall ever having witnessed that. However, to invoke the old saying, desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe it’s not even the server’s fault, maybe they are the victim of #4, but if I need to get the server’s attention, and I just can’t do it any other way . . . which brings me to a corollary “peeve”. I CANNOT STAND, being at a table with someone who is trying to get a servers’ attention and failing to do so. You’re trying to have a conversation, and your companion keeps looking over at the server, leaning to see if he can spot the server, making half-assed gestures, not eating the food in front of him so you feel awkward eating yours, etc. I’m sorry for the server, but frankly, there have been times where I wanted to get up, walk across the room, grab the guy (or girl) by the shoulder and drag them back to our table just to get this to end!
    2) re: #6, give it up. If I didn’t finish my latte before I got to the restaurant, why the heck does it matter to you if I finish it there? It’s one think if I bring in a drink as a substitute for whatever I might order at the restaurant (and I admit to being guilty of this; I’m in the wrong, I know it), but if I just erred a bit on the timing, lighten up, you have better things to worry about.

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      January 6, 2011 at 1:06 pm

      The fact that anyone has to explain why you can’t bring your own drink into a restaurant makes me sad, so very sad.

      Also, I have never had a desperate time at a restaurant.  If I found dining out to cause desperation I would probably stop dining out.

      Reply
    • Food Dude says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:12 pm

      I think it’s tacky to bring a drink from somewhere else into a restaurant. I wouldn’t want someone to do it if I owned the place.

      Reply
    • mostly_running says

      January 6, 2011 at 5:53 pm

      It is against OLCC policy to bring outside beverages into a restaurant. The restaurant faces a fine and the server could lose his or her livelihood. Do I think your latte is laced with booze? Not really, but I’m also not going to ask you if I can have a sip to prove that you didn’t spike it.

      Reply
    • sidemeat says

      January 6, 2011 at 6:44 pm

      It’s a bit like showing up with a half a bag of fries, even though the place you’re walking into doesn’t serve fries… still don’t see it? O.K. it’s as if your date showed up with lipstick prints on his/her neck, but it’s not your color! Restaurants are a little insecure is all…

      Reply
  10. Cochino says

    January 6, 2011 at 11:45 am

    Separate checks: Takes up huge amounts of time that could be spent on other guests. Do the math
    “Foodies” If you can cook it better yourself then do so.
    If possible…. make a reservation
    If you come in at the last minute and the place is empty…be empathetic.
    Food allergies are fine…food phobias are not.
    Kids are lovely..brats are not.
    I’m not a bank teller.
    Tea drinkers
    Foreigners who pretend not to know about tipping in the U.S.
    Punishing the waiter for things he/she has no control over.
    Vegans
    Separate checks

    Reply
    • pdxyogi says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:04 pm

      Cochino: With your attitude, I pray to never be your customer.
      What’s wrong with drinking tea???
      If it’s a few minutes before closing and the place is empty, what would you have me do to demonstrate “empathy”? Leave and spend my money (and usually generous tips) elsewhere? In those situations I order fast, and eat at a reasonable pace. If you’re open you’re open. If not, be closed.
      I’m “punishing” you by complaining about the kitchen taking an abominably long time to get the food out? Tough shit! It’s your job to be the front man for the kitchen and act as my advocate when things go wrong.
      You are most certainly in the wrong business.

      Reply
    • Food Dude says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:13 pm

      Yeah, what’s wrong with tea? I don’t tend to drink it at restaurants, but it seems a perfectly valid choice to me.

      Reply
    • spare_wheel says

      January 7, 2011 at 6:34 am

      “Food allergies are fine…food phobias are not.”

      I *always* ask for substitutions at restaurants with this kind of attitude. If burger king can do it so can you…

      Reply
    • polloelastico says

      January 7, 2011 at 10:21 am

      When I waited tables in college tea service was the biggest pain in the ass. Tea sucks.

      And the people that tended to order tea were fussy as hell. Always asking for extra water for re-steeps, re-heats, lemon, honey. All for a fucking $2.00 beverage. Kill me.

      Reply
  11. culinarykitten says

    January 6, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    The world is generally divided into two types of people – those who have waited tables, and those who have never waited tables. I think it is nearly impossible for people who haven’t waited tables to fully understand why so many of these things are annoying.

    I think that this entire list is reasonable, except maybe for the item about people being too busy chatting… i see the point, especially in certain circumstances, but really  – unless you’ve come back more than once to try and get an order, let people chat. hanging out and relaxing and enjoying each other’s company is a part of why they are there, anyway. as far as i’m concerned, customers like this are preferable to poor tippers, people who see nothing wrong with running you back and forth around the dining room with consecutive requests for single items, or people who actually believe that they have paid for the privilege of treating you like crap.

    Reply
    • sabernar says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:49 pm

      The world is generally divided into two types of people – people who divide the world into two types of people, and people who understand that things aren’t always black & white.

      Reply
  12. sidemeat says

    January 6, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    My uncle Frank was a complete and utter horror in restaurants
    he’d grab the waitresses, wave his coffee cup in the air, yelling for a refill,
    demand the lunch menu at dinner,
    make loud racist comments in ethnic restaurants
    ‘so solly!’ was a favorite in Chinese places
    he had his usual haunts, and staff knew him.
    He insisted on picking up the check, and leaving 10%.
    My usual self imposed duty was to run around with small bills, apologizing to everyone.
    once, in a Red Lobster I think, they put us in an otherwise closed section, I mean,
    they actually pulled back an air wall and turned on lights. For a table of three.
    and we observed a rather spirited conversation amongst wait staff, at the end of which a server
    dutifully approached our table.
    ‘What the hell was that about?’ Uncle demanded.
    ‘Only an argument sir, over who was going to have the pleasure of serving your table.’
    ‘Ha!’ said uncle Frank.
    ‘A private room, and our own waiter! I told you they knew who I was around here!’
    There is no point to this story, no moral, no lesson either for diners or for the people that
    serve them. except, perhaps, that in this small shared world that we call the dining zone,
    nah, who am I kidding.
    There is no point to the story.
    check please!

    Reply
    • Food Dude says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:16 pm

      Years ago I went to dinner quite a bit with someone, who I found out after many meals was only tipping 7%. I was mortified, and started dropping cash on the table behind his back when we walked out.

      Reply
  13. Cochino says

    January 6, 2011 at 4:22 pm

    Nothing wrong with tea..but tea drinkers seem to be very picky people.Dunno why.

    Reply
    • sidemeat says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:40 pm

      yes, that, and the fact that in most restaurants you can’t find a tea pot with a lid.

      Reply
    • Cochino says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:42 pm

      Yep…it takes up a hell of a lot of time with very little reward. Tea service takes about 3-4 minutes..often not time I have available.

      Reply
    • Cochino says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:48 pm

      Pdxyogi, if you knew what almost any server thought you wouldnt want them serving you.

      Reply
  14. onetart says

    January 6, 2011 at 4:34 pm

    I once observed a sad and hilariously flagrant violation of the “don’t bring your drink into another establishment” policy. A realtor was meeting with clients at Coffeehouse NW and brought in her very own Starbucks venti whatever-the-hell-kinda-drink it was. The baristas were amused more than anything, until the point at which she finished her meeting, walked up to one of them and handed her the empty container, saying “Would you take this?” I kid you not. The woman didn’t spend a dime there. Most of the coffeehouse observed this going down, and had a good guffaw about it after she left.

    My complaint with folks bringing their own drinks into the shop has more to do with the disposal of the empties than with the fact that I lost a small amount of beverage revenue. If you brought it in with you, please take it away with you.

    Reply
    • Irene says

      January 6, 2011 at 6:09 pm

      Okay to circle back on the drink issue: 1) as I said in my comment, there is a difference (in my mind) between bringing your own drink as a substitute for ordering one and just bringing one in because you happened to be drinking it and weren’t finished when you arrived at your destination (but ordering one as soon as you are done if not before). The former: tacky, mildly rude, etc. A restaurant is not your kitchen; if you’re gonna eat out, eat out (and drink out too). As for the latter, I just don’t see why it’s that big a deal. Most of the other peeves mentioned are things that are either directed toward the server (mode of address, complaints, snide comments) or that affect the server’s ability to do his or her job (taking forever, endless requests, etc.). The four sips of latte (soda, tea, whatever) don’t affect anyone else in any way. Of course, I would be lying if I said that I am never annoyed by things that don’t affect me (ankle boots come to mind) . . . I just feel the need to defend my position.

      Reply
    • kayakcream says

      January 7, 2011 at 12:05 am

      That sucks. Though, I wonder how FOH folks that work at
      breakfast joints feel about customers bringing in coffee drinks
      into their restaurants. My experience from brunching with friends
      is that we will choose the restaurants with cafes close by. We will
      put our names on the list and then walk to the local coffee shop,
      grab a quick capp or whatever, and walk back. One or two in our
      party will invariably get a 16oz americano or some other drink that
      takes a while to finish and bring it to the restaurant and finish
      it there with their breakfast. e.g. Gravy/Fresh Pot, The Screen
      Door/Heart Roasters, Tasty&Sons/Ristretto. I’m sure many of
      you can make your own list. Now, to me, I would hope that the
      servers wouldn’t mind this behavior because standing outside of
      their establishment for 30 minutes in 38 degree rainy weather would
      otherwise deter us from visiting them. Any servers care to share?
      xoxo

      Reply
    • Food Dude says

      January 7, 2011 at 1:06 am

      So kayakcream, if you owned a coffeehouse, and I brought in some Danish to have with my coffee, would that bother you?

      Reply
    • kayakcream says

      January 7, 2011 at 12:56 pm

      if i owned a coffee shop and had such a long line of customers that someone had to buy a danish somewhere else to survive the wait, I’m sure I could get over it.

      Reply
  15. Cochino says

    January 6, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    Also, people who drink coffee with their dinner..eww…..

    Reply
    • sidemeat says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:56 pm

      uhmm, in the spirit of brotherly service,
      why don’t you take a smoke break now?
      I’ll watch your tables for you…

      Reply
    • Cochino says

      January 6, 2011 at 4:58 pm

      I quit.

      Reply
  16. sidemeat says

    January 6, 2011 at 5:02 pm

    grab a couple of beers and pull the escape chute,
    we’ve all wanted to do it,
    and some of us have seen it done.
    any last words?

    Reply
    • Cochino says

      January 6, 2011 at 5:09 pm

      Bill? Is that you?

      Reply
    • sidemeat says

      January 6, 2011 at 5:44 pm

      well now, to fill the vacuum of Cochino’s departure, I have another story,
      some years ago, when many of you were yet to be born,
      sidemeat worked in a very popular restaurant.
      So popular in fact, that it’s popularity became its very concept.
      The food was very good mind you, and it had a lovely beverage selection,
      but it was so good, so popular, that going when it was busy became its
      very own thing.

      On some days the line that would form prior to opening would exceed the seating capacity
      of the very popular restaurant.

      This put a great deal of strain on the staff of the very popular restaurant.
      Servers, bartenders as well as the kitchen would have to ramp up quickly, from 0 to 65
      in 3 seconds you might say. If you had 3 seconds to say such a thing.

      One of the servers, we’ll call him Marvin, had difficulty with the pressure.
      He would see the line forming by the door, he would buff and polish his section over and over…
      Most of the front of house would deal with the pressure somewhat by meeting in the alley behind
      the very popular restaurant and sharing a joint just prior to opening.

      Marvin didn’t approve of this, he thought it took away from the seriousness of the very
      serious situation.

      Which it did, of course, that was the entire purpose…
      One night, perhaps 15 minutes into several hours of very deep weeds, the usual weeds, Marvin
      started to, shall we say, come unglued?

      Quickly assessing the situation, our manager attempted to calm him down behind the scenes…
      ‘HOLY CRAP MARVIN! Would you just chill the hell out?’

      This had an immediate calming effect, which was such that Marvin calmly snatched his apron off, threw it onto the floor and stormed out.

      Those of us what was stoned took this in calmly.

      The chef, Gordy, antennae tuned to problems on the floor, thrusts his head thru the service window and wonders what the hell is going on?

      ‘No problem chef’ I reply as I take the tickets out of Marvins apron (this, in the day of hand written tickets) and divide them among the remaining staff.

      ‘ listen, we’re probably going to be real stupid for a while, asking a lot of dumb questions,
      could you cut us some slack for a little bit?’
      he did, and you know,
      one of the best nights I ever had.

      Reply
  17. Anonymous says

    January 6, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    After sitting through many excruciating meals with my parents, who are horrible patrons and terrible tippers, I finally got smart: I arrive at least 10 minutes early, to be sure to get there before them. I let the host or server know what they’re in for, and give a preemptive tip. Now they’re not surprised, they’ve already been tipped, so the server doesn’t have to spend the next hour seething. I know they’re taken care of, so I can shrug off my parents terrible behavior (which I’ve tried to change, trust me). My parents are delighted that they’re getting friendly service, when they used to complain about it. Everyone wins! I recommend it.

    Reply
  18. Cochino says

    January 6, 2011 at 5:47 pm

    Oh Billy..I’m still here.

    Reply
  19. tapioca_pearl says

    January 6, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    Calling the bartender from your cell phone to order a drink because your server couldn’t get to your table fast enough.
    Calling the waitstaff, “tootsie, tootse, little lady…”
    Having the 10% tip ready on the table, in change, before you even order your food.
    Ordering, say, a Reuben, then getting it, deciding it is not what you wanted, ordering something else, and getting upset when you have to pay for both sandwiches. It’s not that the Reuben was bad, it’s just that you changed your mind. “Yes, I understand you changed your mind, but this is what you ordered.”
    Tipping your server, then 10 minutes later deciding you tipped too much, then not tipping at all.
    Fingering/footing your partner under the table. Like your server, and everyone else in the establishment, can’t see it!
    I could go on for hours, but I will stop now.

    Reply
  20. pdxyogi says

    January 6, 2011 at 9:30 pm

    If it is a dimly lit house, there are tablecloths, and we’re in a corner booth, what, pray tell, is wrong with a little fingering/handing/footsie action? Especially if the moaning and screaming are kept to a discreet minimum…

    Reply
  21. Some guy says

    January 6, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    To follow up briefly on the “TEA DRINKER” comment.

    It truly is much more about the person over the actual beverage.

    I’ve worked in many coffee shops and the “tea drinker” is a common label for folks who:
    1) are never ready to order,
    2) need extra assistance with all the free aspects of a shop (cream, sugar, wifi, air, etc),
    3) sit for hours and take up lots of space,
    4) do not tip (because after all “its just tea”),
    5) regularly ask if its okay to eat whatever food they brought from home,
    6) and really just don’t understand all the coffee hype.

    Many people drink tea, but are not “tea drinkers.”

    Reply
    • Food Dude says

      January 7, 2011 at 1:03 am

      I have a feeling that someday all the cool kids will be drinking tea. Just sayin’.

      Reply
    • mzwong says

      January 7, 2011 at 10:20 am

      I used to work in a coffee house where people would come in with their own tea bag and ask for a cup of hot water, use our cream and sugar and sit there for hours. Unbelievable.

      Reply
    • jimster says

      January 7, 2011 at 10:44 am

      I grew up in a house where tea was the hot beverage of choice. Mother grew up in India, father’s parents were Scottish. There was a lot of tea. I also grew up in a place and time where had I wanted coffee I am pretty sure Maxwell House would have been the only option 99% of the time. I didn’t start drinking coffee until about 7 years ago and I did so precisely because I realized I was a pain in the ass at restaurants. Not because I was but because the tea service thing is for the servers in most places. I still drink tea but only in the comforts of my own home.

      Reply
    • pdxyogi says

      January 7, 2011 at 9:15 pm

      Some Guy: Your description of “tea drinkers” describes the many solitary non-eating coffee drinkers camped out with their laptops hogging tables for hours at Crema, Random Order etc.

      Reply
  22. PDXzers says

    January 7, 2011 at 12:43 pm

    Verbal tippers, diet soda drinkers, the entitled type (“where’s my free bread? I want more free bread. Refill my coffee; now do it again. Where’s my free birthday dessert?”), those who ask my opinion and then ignore me and go with the cheapest option, those who order well done, those who touch me, those who throw fits over 86ed items, those who allow their small children to scream and scream and scream…

    Reply
  23. jimster says

    January 7, 2011 at 2:07 pm

    “diet soda drinkers”? How does that make serving harder? Are you talking about a personality trait I am not clued in on or is serving diet soda somehow harder than serving regular soda?

    Reply
    • Food Dude says

      January 7, 2011 at 3:01 pm

      I wouldn’t date a diet soda drinker, but wouldn’t mind serving one ;)

      Reply
    • PDXzers says

      January 7, 2011 at 3:06 pm

      diet soda drinkers drink ALOT of diet soda => lots of steps, very little compensation

      Reply
  24. Cochino says

    January 8, 2011 at 12:04 am

    Diet soda drinkers are annoying because they think that they are on a diet. Almost universally, they order the fattiest foods and need refills of everything. In short, they are fooling themselves and nobody else. It can be rather revolting to watch.

    Reply
    • CO says

      January 8, 2011 at 12:46 am

      no one eats free bread quite like diet soda drinkers.

      Reply
    • JRD says

      January 8, 2011 at 4:57 pm

      Sounds like you have a rough gig.  Perhaps you should
      consider a new line of work. 

      Reply
    • Cochino says

      January 9, 2011 at 11:55 am

      JRD, this thread is about servers pet peeves. Were you expecting something different?

      Reply
  25. JM says

    January 8, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    Have to agree about tea drinkers. Not everyone who orders tea is a “tea drinker”, but there is a reason for the cliche.

    Fussy, orders very little if anything at all, spreads out all of the accessories over a wide space, needs lots of hot water refills and attention (“can I get milk, not half and half?” “Do you have raw sugar?”) but tips AT MOST 15% in exact change.

    This is, of course, also the reputation of the Group of Older Ladies – and there is a lot of overlap in that ven diagram. But I don’t resent older ladies – metabolism gets slower, we all could eat less, and they are not universally fussy or bad tippers. In fact, usually just one of the group (usually the tea drinker) ruins it by insisting on splitting the tab exactly and then tipping nothing. Older Ladies, dump that tea drinking friend!

    Reply
  26. Rebecca says

    January 11, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    Lars Ulrich is a tea drinker and a bad tipper.

    Reply
    • pdxyogi says

      January 11, 2011 at 7:22 pm

      See, there you go: all the proof you need! Servers, you now have it definitively: if a filthy rich Scandinavian heavy metal drummer drinks tea and is a bad tipper, you now have free unfettered reign to mistreat and ignore tea drinkers! Why not? You have nothing to lose. After all, you now have it on good authority that you’ll get a lousy tip no matter what.

      Reply
    • sidemeat says

      January 11, 2011 at 8:48 pm

      Yogi,

      You don’t seem to enjoy going out much at all.

      You post often and long on the food sites.

      You seem overly aggrieved, some wrong is done with each visit.

      Other than what must be a socially crippling air of superiority,

      a sanctimonious miasma,

      a vapor of vapidness,

      a willingness, or need, to feel put upon

      by those you deign to serve you

      what do YOU bring to the table?

      oh, right, your consumer dollars.

      Well, step right up good sir!

      And what would be your pleasure today?

      just don’t begrudge the service thinking,

      in private mind you,

      that you might be a bit of a prick…

      Reply
  27. Cochino says

    January 12, 2011 at 11:15 am

    Who said ANYTHING about ignoring and mistreating ? Professionals dont get visible annoyed by almost anything. Thats part of the job. We do have opinions tho. They are based on years of experiences.

    Reply
  28. The Wizard Tim says

    January 12, 2011 at 12:10 pm

    I am going to have to say people that split the tab between cash and credit. Often times it is just the kiss of death when you are handed $100.00 in cash and told to put the balance on the card. Sooooo many times, i receive a great 20% tip on the card, but everyone seems to have forgotten that there is another unaccounted for $100.00. It generally leaves the server with a 5-10% tip, which can kinda ruin the servers night if it was a big tab.

    Reply
    • The Wizard Tim says

      January 12, 2011 at 12:14 pm

      Also, please don’t walk into a restaurant right at opening and exclaim, “Looks like i didn’t need that reservation!!”. It makes me fantasize about just putting that person on our door for the night…….

      Reply
  29. SaltyCod says

    January 22, 2011 at 1:43 pm

    I am frequently guilty of not being ready to order at the first pass. But from my perspective, I feel like I haven’t been given nearly enough time to get settled, finish the end of a conversation my partner or friend and I were having before we sat down, and then look thoughtfully at the menu. At nicer places, that don’t rush the service, I’m always ready to order, so I think it’s a function of the restaurant and not my fault.
    In a lot of cases in general, I find that I hold moderate-good quality restaurants to the standard of good-very good restaurants and that is where I get into trouble. I have lived in Portland and New York, and while the food in Portland is often equal or better, the service is almost universally a few to several notches worse. My standards may be off.
    (Most of the other initial complaints at the start of this post are things so obvious… I hate it when customers do them as well, and I’ve never been a server)
    The thing is, sometimes one fault is another blessing. While I may take a little longer to order, in 20 years I’ve never sent something back because I just didn’t like it. I take the advice of the server on what to order more than 50% of the time that I ask for it (usually after I’ve narrowed it down to two choices), and while I expect not to be approached and asked questions while my mouth is full, I’ve never called out or waved aggressively to get the servers attention. I try to exhibit the same level of patience that I expect.

    Reply
    • Thadeous says

      April 23, 2011 at 8:54 am

      I don’t think there is anything wrong with not being ready after the first pass. Often servers are told to greet the table with in the first minute or so of being sat, and to return after only two minutes have passed. This is to make sure that those who are in a hurry can be taken care of quickly or drinks can be ordered for those who need to calm the shakes.

      The problem arises when after 5-10 minutes go by and the menus are still on the table and have not been touched. Or the guest gives the server the classic “we are ready to order” and promptly looks at the menu for the first time asking multiple questions about each item listed. Nothing has mad me want to shake the stupid out of a person more than this when it occurs in a busy dinner rush.

      Reply
  30. Thadeous says

    April 23, 2011 at 8:48 am

    I know I’m late to this discussion but I’m surprised to see that no one has mentioned the word “please.” Nothing bothers me more than a table who demands much from me and never once gives me the courtesy of saying please.

    Once while serving at a more casual store I had a mother constantly tell her child to say please every time he asked me for something. But when it came time for the mother to order she simply stated “I’ll have” or “I want”; no please to be found. In short her child learned that please is something you have to say when yo are a child and mother is around but adults have no use for the word.

    Please say please, its just nice and it can go a long way.

    Reply
  31. Thadeous says

    April 23, 2011 at 8:56 am

    One last thing, please never call and ask me to read to you our entire menu and prices. I would be happy to email, fax, mail you a copy. There is also a copy of our menu online for your convenience.

    Please tell me this has happened to someone else I don’t want to be alone on this one.

    Reply
  32. jayhawkbartender says

    September 17, 2011 at 10:51 pm

    I’ve been a bartender & server for over 15 years now, & sadly enough, have had everything on this list happen to me @ 1 point in time or another…more than once! But I also have to say that my biggest pet peeve isn’t mentioned here…

    Please, people, TRY to remember that when you go out to eat, I am not “just” a server & bartender because I’m too damn stupid or lazy to be anything else. Has it EVER occurred to you that not only do I LOVE what I do (despite the random irritations), but I’m good @ it & take pride in it? Consider this, PLEASE, before you decide to treat me like I’m some sort of indentured servant, not even good enough to scrub your floors. I am a human being, I have feelings, & if you want me to be decent to you, please try being decent to me!

    Just sayin’…

    Reply
  33. Wendy says

    July 3, 2017 at 12:47 am

    Some of the complaints are valid, but some of the ones being whined about in the comments are ridiculous. One–if someone takes a while to decide what to order–GTF over it. Some of the menus have PAGES of items from which to choose. If I’ve never been to your friggin’ restaurant before, I’ll take as long as I need to decide what to order. I WILL not be RUSHED–so deal with it.

    Second–if you can’t deal with some minor issues such as people asking for sugar with unsweetened tea–better quit your job. I personally want to control the sweetness level of my tea, which is why I don’t want it pre-sweetened. It comes too sweet sometimes. That DOESN’T mean that I don’t want ANY sugar in it, jack hole. If that’s a foreign concept for you, find a new occupation, because your whole attitude about the service industry sucks.

    Whether you like it or not, or if you have a problem with the idea of “the customer is always right”, sorry–the customer is the reason you have a job in the first place.

    Reply

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