As a customer, you know the things that immediately give you the ick about a restaurant or a server, like if they have their thumb on your plate of food when they bring it to the table. But have you ever thought about what you do as a customer that can give that feeling to your server?
BuzzFeed asked restaurant workers to share red flags that signal customers will be a whole thing and they didn’t hold back. Their responses may even have you thinking what you do and say when you sit down in a restaurant.
- "When someone orders a water with two lemons and a straw. It may seem simple, but I can guarantee you, you are in for so much more than two lemons and a straw. It’s a tell every time."
- "When they say they know the owner and, before even ordering, ask where he or she is 🙄."
- "When they respond to 'Hi! How are you?' with 'I WANT A....."
- "Customers that get mad at me for doing my pitch. At my restaurant, we HAD to ask if you wanted an appetizer with the drink order. If people were rude then, you knew the meal would go about as smooth as an earthquake."
- "If they ask if an item is still on the menu. Usually, THEY SEE it is not on the menu, and it is almost always followed by asking if we can make it. "
- "When they spend the first few minutes at their table inspecting the silverware and/or asking for a cup of hot water to sanitize their utensils."
- "If they walk past the 'please wait to be seated sign' and seat themselves wherever they want. Bonus points if they choose the only dirty table in the whole place when I’ve got multiple clean tables they can choose from."
- "Anyone who asks my name the second I arrive at the table, without giving me the chance to speak or introduce myself first. They’re trying to assert dominance, and those same people will overuse my name the whole time they’re there."
- "I love answering questions about the food! How it's prepared, ingredients, etc., but when the customer starts asking questions like 'How crunchy is your lettuce today?,' I know they're going to be unhappy for some reason. I cannot control the crunchiness of lettuce, ma'am!"
- "When customer starts by telling me what a great tipper they are. They absolutely never are!"
- "If they have one person who does ALLLLLL the ordering, guaranteed they're going to be a pain."
- "The second they start snapping at you. I’m not a dog, I don’t respond to snapping at me. Better believe that tip will be sh*t, if any at all."
Source: BuzzFeed