by R. Renee Bembry

Created on: June 25, 2010   Last Updated: July 07, 2010

Customers venturing to restaurants to enjoy meals with friends and family or to grab a bite while conducting business do not deserve to subjection to a rude waiter disrespecting them and ruining their good time. No matter what the waiter is feeling personally, his or her personal life should not spew over to his or her job.

A waiter is supposed to be polite to customers no matter what the circumstances granted circumstances do not involve unruly customers threatening physical harm to the waiter. When restaurateurs or their managers hire waiters, one of the first things they tell them is that the customer is always right and that is the job of the waiter to keep the customers happy.

Since people are people and it is possible to meet all kinds in all occupations no matter where you go, it is a good idea to know in advance how you would like to react should you ever need a few strategies for dealing with a rude waiter.

Strategy Number (1) Although waiters should never act rude toward their customers, if encountering a rude waiter you could give him or her a break and simply decide to have a conversation with the water. If a waiter is having a rough time, a little lighthearted conversing could help break up the monotony in their life. In furtherance, since a little humor could go a long way, injecting a little joke into the situation might help to resolve the problem.

Strategy Number (2) Another strategy for dealing with a rude waiter is to simply ask him or her directly if they are having a bad day. It is possible that a waiter might not realize he or she is acting rude. Bringing the problem to a waiter’s attention could steer the waiter to stop and check him or herself and hopefully then proceed to alter the rude behavior.

Strategy Number (3) Instead of asking a rude waiter if he or she is having a bad day you could simply tell the waiter straight out that he or she is acting rude. Most waiters do not want to lose their jobs and thus if a customer tells him or her their behavior leaves a lot to be desired the waiter is likely to straighten up his or her act. Waiters know that customers telling them to their face that they are not happy with their performance are likely to report the problem to the manager as well. This could be a black mark against the waiter’s employment record the waiter would rather avoid having.

Strategy Number (4) Ask to speak to or simply the summon the manager to report the waiter’s rude behavior. Discussing the issue with manager could be the fastest way to resolve the problem. This would be the most drastic means of dealing with a rude waiter from the waiter’s perspective, however, depending on how rude the waiter is acting, reporting him, or her may be the best choice.

As stated, although waiters should never act rude toward their customers, you could choose to give a waiter the benefit that they may not realize they are being rude, however, if their rude behavior is well over the top, it might be better to bring the situation to the attention of the restaurant manager. Most managers will make certain you are respected when you choose their restaurant to eat your breakfast, lunch, or dinner. After all, the customer is always right!

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