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Being a waitress/waiter is a very thankless job and so many people tend to treat them as servants rather than a person doing their job. Having been a waitress/waiter and having had several other food and customer service related jobs I am always careful not to be to hasty to get angry with the waitress that is waiting on me. People don't take the time to stop and think about issues they may be getting angry about.

Things customers can get angry about are valid and many, but they have to remember these are things that the waitress/waiter can control.
1)If the waitress/waiter is rude the customer has every right to be annoyed. Someone who is not a people person, or can't keep their personal life at home should NOT be in customer service in any way. The person who is waiting tables is the first person the customers come in contact with and can drastically impact the customer's dining experience.
2)Dirty tables and booths are also another thing that annoys customers and is definitely warranted. Although it is the bus boy's duty to clean the tables and make sure that all the crumbs are swept out of the booths it is the server's job to ensure that the table they seat their customers at is clean.
3)One more thing that irritates customers causing them to be unpleasant is a waitress/waiter that is not on top of her job. It is definitely alright to blame the waitress/waiter when glasses aren't refilled, plates aren't removed, and they don't ask, "Is there anything else."
OK, now to the real topic of conversation,when its not OK to blame your waitress/waiter. And these things should not determine the tip you will leave behind. There are circumstances that are out of their control and its degrading and unfair to have a customer jump from their chair and yell, "Let me talk to your manager."
1)When your food isn't cooked the way you wanted it how can you possibly blame your waitress/waiter? Its the cooks fault not the servers and it is very unfair to ridicule her for this problem. It is the same with a drink that may have been ordered from the bar. Is the server suppose to taste it before she serves it? Blame the bartender.
2)Don't blame the waitress/waiter when your food isn't served as promptly as you think it should be. If the restaurant is busy they have other tables to wait on and if the cook is not doing their job the server can't get the meal out any faster.
3)And now for the last thing, be realistic. The waitress/waiter can NOT be blamed for items the restaurant doesn't serve such as salad dressings or vegetables. They should not be blamed for the prices or the portions.
When dining in a restaurant always remember that the waitress/waiter's job is to take your order, serve you your meal, and ensure you have what you need. Don't be rude because they don't have control over every aspect of the restaurant.

Learn more about this author, Angela Gouchenour.
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