17 restaurant workers share things they wish customers did to make their lives easier.
Working in a restaurant can be an exhausting test in your faith in humanity as your feet throb and your cheeks hurt from fake-smiling at some of the most entitled hanger-fueled people you've ever seen...
So, when a Reddit user asked people who work in the service industry, 'what can we, as customers, do to make your lives easier?' people were ready to share the small things customers can do to avoid getting their faces taped to the 'Wall of Karens' in every kitchen. No, we can't split your $20 check on 13 cards.
1.
I spent much of my adult life working in pubs (UK) and something that I always wished people wouldn't do was put empty crisp packets, tissues, and any other general rubbish into their empty glasses.
I get that they were trying to be helpful, but it's such a misguided gesture. It is so much harder and more gross to scrape now-wet tissue out of a pint glass than pick up dry tissue off a table. - elalmohada26
2.
Have self/spatial awareness, I have no control over ticket times, no control how long it took you to get sat. My only pet peeve about customers is attempting to pull me away from another table. I promise I see you waving I'm just trying to give this table my undivided attention just as I will give you the same when I am done with them - Alacak
3.
Be kind? I can honestly say, if you’re a genuinely kind person and you are nice to me, I will go out of my way to make sure that your food is made correctly and is out fast. I won’t care if you want it made some super special way, honestly, I’ll go to the ends of the earth cause your genuine niceness is such a fresh feeling - jeezlouise21
4.
If you have a baby, please... for the love of god, do not leave your dirty rolled up diaper on the table for me to dispose of. Gross. That’s what bathrooms and change tables are for. - galenhithwen
5.
Please don't complain to me about our prices, Its not like I'm the one deciding them and yes the guac is extra. - bardboozled
6.
Honestly be nice. It's insane how many times I ask people, 'how are you guys doing tod-'
'sweet tea' - [deleted]
7.
Stop. Sitting. At. Dirty. Tables. I work at a cafe with about 25 tables. It's very fast paced, and as one person having to run food and drink, and clean the tables, some tables will be dirty. Around 2-5 tables a time. That means there is 20 tables clean. 12 of them will be taken. That's still 8. So why can't you sit on them instead of sitting on a dirty one and looking at me as if I had completely neglected it? - zoroarrkk
8.
Please have a little bit of grace. We are all trying to do our best at our job and sometimes, people don’t offer ANY grace what so ever. I have a regular who asks me every two seconds where his beer is without giving me a chance to even run it. “Where’s me beer I’ve been waiting for it.”
If the food doesn’t taste good, let us know and we can fix it for you, but we aren’t the cooks so it’s not our fault if something doesn’t taste the way you like it. Overall, just be kind and gracious. I know I do my best to provide great service. - JPino97
9.
I'm a busboy not a waiter, but when customers rip up beverage napkins, straw rappers, etc. into a bunch of little pieces and leave it on the table, it can be kind of a b*tch to pick up. I'm a big fidgeter so I used to do it too until I started working in a restaurant. - iamyournewdad
10.
If you have a large party call ahead for f*ck's sake - RonaldJosephBurgundy
11.
I absolutely hate it when someone comes in with their small child and lets them mess with EVERYTHING on the table. Sugar caddies, salt pepper shakers, basket of crackers.
All taken out and slobbered over. Kids are dirty and that is gross. I'm not talking about the parents who give them a couple a crackers and let them play with them and smash all over. I'm talking about complete analiation. It is super gross and now I have yo throw all that stuff away because your kids spit is on it. Please stop. - anotheralias85
12.
If you have an infant child who goes under the table and takes off his diaper and takes an actual sh*t on the floor, don't just say 'oh sorry about that' and leave. Servers are there to serve you food, not to clean up human sh*t left on the floor because you are a terrible parent. True story. North Miami AleHouse, circa 2005. - stufff
13.
I worked at an Italian restaurant when I was younger, and one night it was my job to clean out all the bread baskets. I was brushing them out first using my bare hand, to get the napkins and shit out, and in one of the baskets was someone’s used glucose needle. And it stuck me in the finger tip. I had to go get an AIDS test along with other blood borne viruses.
So please don’t throw your medical waste in the bread basket along with your napkins. It’s disgusting to begin with, to have to fish out all your nasty a*s used napkins, but finding a needle this way is incredibly trashy. - Argercy
14.
Don't take things off the tray. I get when people do that they are trying to be helpful, but it's not. It throws off the balance of the tray and if I can't catch it in time you may end up with drinks and food in your lap. - 330393606
15.
Write a note on the receipt! I can't tell you how many times my night is immediately made better by someone just writing me a small note saying they enjoyed the service. I've kept a couple notes that aren't on a restaurant copy. - AnotherGin
16.
Read the menu. Don't complain that your food has something on it you don't like if it is clearly stated in the description. - Fr0stwiz4rd
17.
It’s never too soon to tell your server you want separate checks. - cyainanotherlifebro