Almost everyone has been to a service restaurant at least once in their life. You walked in, were greeted by an employee at the hostess desk, taken to a table and told that "your server will be right with you." I hope that you are a polite customer that knows how to properly behave while being served by an employee that makes $3.63 per hour and is expected to pretend that she isn't offended by your ill-mannered demeanor.
Points of Proper Etiquette and Waitress Pet Peeves
There are several points of proper etiquette that should be followed by all customers. First of all, be polite to your server and do not treat him/her like they are your personal paid employee. Just because you are socially obligated to tip them 20 percent on your $24.95 bill, does not in any way mean that you can hold the $4.99 tip over their head. They are not there to be your personal butler or servant. That being said, they also have an obligation to serve every customer in the same way. For example, I, as a waitress, will not be paying more attention to the table with a $150 check; however, this does not mean that you will get my undivided attention. Please understand that telling me that you are "ready to order" and then taking 10 minutes to decide while I have six other tables to take care of is not good customer etiquette.
The second point I would like to make is this: do not walk into a service restaurant if you are unprepared to pay for the full amount of what you ordered and a tip. There is nothing more aggravating than waiting on a table, maintaining good service techniques and receiving no, or an insufficient tip for the monetary size of the check. I completely understand if you object to the gratuity system and thus refuse to tip your wait staff. I just ask that you take your express your opinion clearly to your server immediately, if you don't have the respect to do that then, you do not have a problem with the gratuity system, you are just a cheap individual.
The interesting thing about the mental checklist you as a customer conjure up and store in your head is that I, as your waitress, must meet all of them in order to receive that $4.99 tip. The reality that most customers fail to realize, or choose to blatantly ignore, is this: your waitress only has control over one small part of your overall experience. She controls if your drinks are refilled, if you have enough napkins or plenty of ketchup for your $14 steak. Interestingly enough the argument for 'poor service' and a low tip amount rely completely on the individual. If your food takes longer than you want it to, the toddler at the table next to you is screaming or you are unhappy with the total price tag of your check then your server is penalized. Tip your waitress folks and if you feel that you are experiencing real issues, find a manager.
