7 signs that these restaurant guests are truly awful
Some guests are a pleasure to serve, while others are downright irritating. How can you, as a member of the serving staff, recognize the absolute worst jerks?
You can’t always predict it: some people come into the restaurant where you work and at first glance don’t seem very nice, but they turn out to be your favorite table of the entire evening. And vice versa: people who initially seem very friendly still end up behaving like a bunch of idiots. According to Thrillist, you can recognize the real nasties by this behavior:
They talk over you
‘Besides what’s on the menu, we’re also serving…’ ‘Two beers.’ You continue your spiel, while your guest talks right over you with their drink order. Rude, and the first indication that you’re dealing with a jerk.
… or they say nothing
‘And what may I pour for you?’ You ask a question, and the answer is… deadly silence. You hear crickets chirping, the clock ticking and your heart beating audibly. What’s going on? This guest has no manners, doesn’t answer and keeps staring fixedly at their menu—that’s what’s going on.
They completely ignore ‘Wait to be seated’
The host or hostess by the door is completely ignored, and the guests walk in a straight line toward an empty table. And that ‘reserved’ sign? Oh well, just a detail—they push it aside. This is getting off to a lovely start.
They ask you to ‘arrange’ all sorts of things
Can you quickly arrange a high chair? Move an extra chair to this table? Fold up the parasol, or unfold it? And make sure a few carafes of water and some bottles of house wine are placed on the table? A bowl of water for the dog? A breadstick for the baby to start with? Hold on—you’re a guest here, and you’re immediately starting to give orders.
Bragging about the tip you can expect
People who say about themselves that they’re always very generous with tips usually really aren’t. Usually, they promise a nice, fat tip in advance if all sorts of requests are taken care of—see the previous point.
Saying: I work in a restaurant myself
Fasten your seat belts, this can get very annoying. Some fellow professionals are super relaxed when they’re in your neighborhood, but there are also others, grrr… And especially when they immediately let you know that you’re colleagues, or competitors, however you want to look at it, and share all kinds of well-intentioned tips with you, you know it’s going to be a long evening.
Waiter! Waiterrrr!
By all means, shout ‘waiter’ across the restaurant—that’s sure to make everyone lose their minds. Add finger-snapping and the picture is complete.
Read also:
- 7 things serving staff really shouldn’t do
- What expats and tourists think of Dutch serving staff
- Serving staff reveal: these are the strangest orders ever
Source: Thrillist
