Have you ever had a really negative experience with a restaurant server? Maybe they had an attitude or seemed a little less than friendly. If you've ever worked in a restaurant, you probably already know how hectic of an atmosphere it can be. If you haven't, then here's a look into the mind of an everyday server, and some of the things they want their customers to know.
1. You are not the only customer in the restaurant
Though your satisfaction with our service is important to us, you’re not the only customer we’re serving! Be considerate and know that we’re doing the best we can to satisfy all of our tables’ needs.
2. Leaving your table a mess when you leave makes our work ten times harder.
Have you ever left your table a complete mess after eating out at a restaurant? Of course you have! We all have. However, your server might actually hate you for it. The more time we spend cleaning up your mess, the less time we have to cater to our other customers. You feel?
3. Each server has their own section and are sat in a certain order
There is a line-up of servers with their own designated section. People are sat according to the order of the line-up so that all the servers get a fair amount of customers. So please, do not try to pick where you sit. Leave that to the host.
4. Yes, actually it is an inconvenience when you ask to move from a table to a booth
We get it. For some reason sitting at a booth is inexplicably better than sitting at a table. However, if your server sat you at a table, that’s probably because they didn’t have any booths open in their section. If you ask move to a different section after you’ve already been sat, then that server misses out on their turn and it becomes a big ordeal.
5. If your children don’t know how to behave respectfully in a restaurant, maybe you shouldn’t bring them to a restaurant.
What’s better than a screaming child running around the restaurant wreaking havoc and disturbing others’ meals? Anything. Literally anything.
6. If you come in with a party of 8+ and expect your server to split the bill 8+ ways, you better be patient.
When your server has three other tables to wait on, two other tables to serve, and one table to bus, splitting your check into a million different directions is only going to take more time. Please patient while we accommodate your needs.
7. A server’s paycheck is almost entirely made up of tips.
Think about that for a second. Your server gets 0% of the money you spend on your meal, so if you’re not tipping, and no one else is tipping, your server isn’t making money. You’d be surprised how many people just leave without tipping. Fifteen percent, people!
8. Your friendliness is appreciated.
A big part of being a server is just being nice! No matter how hard it is to crack a smile or put their chipper tone in their voice, your server wants you to have a pleasant and happy experience! Don’t be a crabby pants! Let them be nice to you.
9. If you’re coming in with a large group of people, call ahead!
This one seems kind of obvious but still needs to be said. If it’s 6 p.m. on a Tuesday night and you’re finishing up with your intramural frisbee league and you think you’ll just be able to swing in and get a quick booth for 10 people without having to wait then you’re wrong. Save everyone the trouble and give us a 30-minute heads-up.
10. Don’t linger!
As much as we love serving you and making sure your experience was a good one, if it’s a busy night and you’re done eating, there’s probably another family waiting in the lobby who’d be thrilled to take your table. Also, your table might be the last one left in a section of a server who’s trying to finish their shift! Your courtesy will be greatly appreciated.