I’ve been working at a diner on campus for about four months now as a server and I can say that it’s given me a whole new view on customer and dining services. In these past four months, I have found many habits that customers do that grind my gears as a waiter.

1. Walking in 10 minutes before close

We’ve all heard this one before, but I don’t think anyone truly understands how frustrating it is until they’ve experienced it as a server. I’m not sure how other restaurants work, but we have a whole list of duties we must do after we close before we can go home. We have to take back sauces to the fridge, bring out all plates and cups, sweep and restock our section, mop the floor, etc… If it’s a busy night, we cannot really start our duties until all our tables have left. So when you decide to come in 10 minutes before we close and stay a half an hour, you’re now making servers, dishwashers, and cooks stay longer just so you can have some chicken tenders.

2. Talking softly when ordering

You might not realize you do this, you might just be a quiet person in general, but when the server can’t hear you, it makes it harder to write down your order. As a server, all I want to do is write down what you want, relay it to the cooks, and then bring it to you. I don’t want to ask “what?” for every other menu item you want. Then I have to lean in and get closer to you than I actually want, which can be awkward sometimes. I don’t want to mess your order up because when I bring it to you, you will be very upset. Getting the order wrong can all be avoided by speaking clearly.

3. Asking for something after I already asked if you needed something

Every time I bring the food to a table, I always ask “Can I get you anything else?” I’ll be more than happy to go and get you something you don’t have, (syrup, ranch dipping sauce, butter or a refill). If someone asks for one of these things, and I go and get it, then come back and you ask for something else that I could have easily gotten when I went the first time, I’ll want to rip my hair out. Just listen when the server is talking to you to make everyone’s life easier.

4. Not paying attention

This usually happens in bigger groups, but it is beyond frustrating when I’m trying to write down everyone’s order and I’m looking at you and you’re on your phone or talking to someone else. Help me help you get your food by simply giving me your order. The same goes for when I bring the food to your table. So many times I have a heavy tray of food on my shoulder and I’m trying to pass out everyone’s food and I ask whose food it is, and everyone is talking to one another and/or just staring blankly at each other. Then I have to raise my voice which is something I don’t really want to do, because I don’t want to sound mean.

5. Ripping up straw wrappers or napkins for your enjoyment

This one is a little nitpicky, but it is so annoying when I’m bussing a table only to find a million little papers all over the table that I have to clean up.

6. Not handing back the menus after I’ve taken your order

I don’t want to have to reach across the table and intrude on your personal space to grab the menu from you. Plus, if I struggle to pick up the menu, then I’m just making the situation even more awkward.

7. Having a new member to your table after I already took orders

I understand that everyone is busy and has different schedules. But if you could just pick a time to meet up and then come to the restaurant, it would make servers’ lives a lot easier. The tables I have are organized in my head in the following files: just sat down, need more time, waiting on food, eating, has checks. It makes the job so much more stressful when the whole table has food, but one or two people have yet to order because they came late. Or if half the table’s food is about to come out while the other half’s order just got to the cooks. It’s like adding another table into my head that adds unneeded difficulty.

8. Ordering a milkshake when I ask for drinks

Another nitpicky item on the list. At the diner I work at, under DESSERTS, are milkshakes. Milkshakes and drinks are technically two separate items on the menu. If you ask for the check, I’m not going to bring you a bottle of mustard. In my restaurant, milkshakes are made in the dessert shop. When you order a milkshake as your drink, I have to put into our system, rather than quickly get you your water, soda coffee, etc. I can’t go to the soda gun and get a milkshake for you.

9. Not saying the options you want that the meal comes with

For example, one of the menu items we have is called the “American Classic.” It consists of your choice of meat (bacon, sausage links, sausage patties, vegan sausage), hash browns, two eggs cooked to your preference, and a choice of toast (white, wheat, rye, sourdough, seedlicious, country biscuit, or muffin). When all you say is “I’ll have the American Classic” and then fold up the menu expecting me to know what you want, we have a problem. Now I have to ask you which individual item that you want, slowing down this whole process.

10. Seating yourself

This is by far one of the rudest things you could do at a restaurant. Unless there is a sign that says “Please seat yourself,” never do this! The host/hostess has an order he/she goes by to make sure that each server gets seated equally. Not only that, it’s possible that there are people on the wait list waiting to be sat that arrived much sooner than you did. So don’t just go and sit somewhere because you’re hungry and you see an open table. Not only are you being rude to the staff, but also to the other customers.