What Waiters Really Wish Customers Knew

When you’re at a restaurant, a waiter becomes your one connection, your one messenger to help you get meals, drinks, and anything else you might need. And the truth is you could probably be doing more to let them know you appreciate their help.

We talked to three waiters to uncover their pet peeves, hear their tips for customers who want to go that extra mile, and learn what they wish patrons knew about their jobs.
Realize that most of the time a waiter isn’t ignoring you ― they’re just busy

A delay in delivery of your food or drink can be annoying, but that isn’t an excuse to be rude to waiters or try to get their attention when it’s clearly a busy day at the restaurant.

“If I’m at another table, and I’m dealing with another customer I don’t need to be yelled at,” said Olivia Sehl, who has more than five years of experience in the food industry and spent about three of them as a waiter in the Hamilton, Ontario, area.

Sehl, who is the marketing manager of The Chef and the Dish, a company that offers cooking classes with chefs all over the world via Skype, told HuffPost her biggest pet peeve was having customers snap at her to get her attention.

“I’m not a dog,” she said.

Hamdy Elamrousy has been a waiter for 35 years and currently works at Gallaghers Steakhouse in New York City. He is also a member of Unite Here Local 100, a union for workers in restaurants, bars, airports, and other venues. He echoed Sehl’s thoughts about just how busy it can get for a waiter.

Source: huffingtonpost