These are the worst people at restaurants, according to waiters

‘People who don’t tip are the human embodiment of a wet sock’

4 years ago

Restaurants are finally going to start opening again from 4th July. Which means if you’ve been cooking for yourself all of lockdown, you’ll finally be able to eat a meal you haven’t made and don’t have to do the washing up afterwards either.

Starters, mains, desserts – you’re lying if you’re not going to properly feast when you get back in a restaurant. Aside from seeing a cocktail menu and your mates again, the return of the restaurants also means encountering the worst people in restaurants. You know the ones I mean?

The loud eaters, the ones who don’t thank the waiters and above all the selfish ones who don’t leave a tip. Those are just a few of the widely accepted bad restaurant behaviours, however according to waiters there’s more than just those three.

We spoke to a bunch of waiters and asked them who the worst and most annoying people are in a restaurant and they had a LOT to say:

The ones who create their own menu

“People who want to customise a dish to the point that it’s wildly different to the original menu item are the worst. Obviously I understand if someone has allergies, or if they don’t like something we can easily take it out, but sometimes people would want about five things changed out. Some people used to get really angry when I had to explain that adding all these extras would make the dish more expensive, as if it was my decision.

“I worked at a dessert restaurant, and there was a surprising number of people who’d be really confused when you explained that no, we don’t do anything savoury.” Zara

“People who try and order stuff you don’t have. This guy couldn’t be arsed to read the menu and demanded chips but we didn’t have a fryer and don’t serve chips. It was a small independent coffee shop – he was so outraged that I couldn’t just make him some chips that he stormed out saying it’s ridiculous.” Amber

People who changed their mind about their order when the food arrives

“We both know they got what they ordered and just changed their mind.” Jake

The people who complain about their food – after eating it all

“I hate it when people are overly picky over something really trivial, if something genuinely is wrong with your food then fine but when there isn’t it’s frustrating.” Emily

“The people who complain about their food and when you ask them what was wrong with it they say something like ‘nothing it just wasn’t to my taste’ but still demand that you take their whole meal off the bill? Like you didn’t like the food fair enough but there was actually nothing wrong with it?” Ellie

“Had some guy eat everything and then complain asking for more.” George

“People who complain about their food after eating nearly all of it.” Megan

People who think you are both the waiter AND the chef

“People who sit there and have a go at you (as the waiter) for problems with their food – I didn’t cook it I’m sorry!!!!” Ellie

“Being rude in general about the food as if it’s the waiter’s fault. It’s never our fault, we literally have no control and if there’s anything scarier than an angry customer it’s pissing off the kitchen who are ALWAYS ANGRY.” Bean

The ones who think they know the menu better than you

“The ones who correct you on their order a lot- once there was this guy that asked for a lamb rump so when I brought him it he was like ‘that’s not a rump’. So I took it back, the chefs kicked off and I basically took it back and forth a million times until eventually the chefs plated the same thing up differently and the guy was like ‘wow well done finally a rump’.” Hannah

“The ones who are annoying are those who say they’ve been before and order something so sure in the knowledge that it’s on our menu, but it actually isn’t. They came once five years ago and now the menu has changed, but they’re adamant that we still serve it.” Tom

The inappropriate commenters

“Customers who try and flirt with you always make for an uncomfortable encounter. One time, a guy left me his number on his meal ticket, with the addendum ‘only in the country today ;)’ I was 16 at the time so definitely didn’t want to take him up on that.” Zara

“Two girls came in and started playing some weird video of a girl making some sexual noises at the bar, was so weirded out. Then they kept asking me if I wanted their numbers.” George

“As a female waiter – any comments on the fact I’m a girl, I’m so young, calling me a ‘little girl’, saying ‘scuse me young lady’ to get me over GROSS.” Bean

The people who literally never leave

“Occasionally there’ll be a group who just refuse to leave even though the restaurant has already closed. There were a few occasions where my shift had technically ended but I had to stick around (unpaid) and wait for them to go.” Zara

Or turn up just before the restaurant closes

“People come into the restaurant 15 mins before it closes.” Georgia

“People who come just before the kitchen closes, because you can’t turn them away but you’re tired and now will finish so much later.” Anon

Messy people

“Some people idly do really messy things with their plates- for example dipping napkins into melted ice cream for the fun of it. It’s me who has to fish that out, and it’s just a bit unnecessary.” Zara

The people who tip so little it just isn’t worth it

“I would rather have nothing than like 23p which is kinda insulting.” Jake

People who don’t tip AT ALL

“When people order so much stuff, really specific things and they have a bunch of drinks, desserts, coffees and stay for so long and then they don’t even tip.

“People who don’t give tips to waiters are the human embodiment of a wet sock.” Georgia

“When the service had been good and people wouldn’t leave a tip, especially if they’d spent a lot say over £200 because it would be better like it’s not like you can’t afford it!!!! We didn’t charge service either so it really used to annoy me!!!.” Ellie

The ones allergic to literally everything

“They’re literally allergic to absolutely everything and can only eat ice cubes, you have to be on edge all shift.” Jake

The person who clicks their fingers

“They clicks fingers when they want something, no please or thank you.” Jake

Which is very similar to the person who writes the bill in the air

“Before becoming a waitress I used to think that people writing ‘the bill?’ in the air was something that never happened. It does and it really annoys me, men with smelly breath doing it normally and it’s the cringiest thing ever.” Georgia

That person who thinks they’re really funny

“They crack very shite jokes, often at your expense, but you have to laugh along for the dollar.” Jake

People with personal hygiene problems

“They proper stink of absolute shite, infects all the tables around like how do they not notice.” Jake

The people who are so impatient to get their food

“There are people who are really impatient on a busy shift, so when their food takes a bit more time than usual they’re really arsey with you – even though you’re a waiter and have no control over how the food is cooked.” Tom

“The ones that are staring at you when the food is late, every time you walk past they’ll stare at you and give you a sarcastic hateful smile as if to say ‘where’s our food?’. As a waitress you don’t know where the food is, you bring it out when it’s ready.” Bean

Big groups of people

“Big groups of people (I’m talking more than eight guests) who don’t tip after the service. Don’t get me wrong, the service could be awful, so fair play don’t tip them. But when the service has been good, everything went well, and it’s a big table? That’s very good service.

“Plus, the fact that I’ve had to look after a huge table means I’ve had to neglect my other guests – guests whom might have tipped if they had had more attention from me that evening. Some people just have an aversion to tipping, but when we’re busting our balls to ensure you have a great time then we’re clearly doing more than the bare minimum.” Tom

“HEN PARTIES. I HATE THEM So much. they’re so loud, screaming women and you already know they’re weird if they’re spending their hen night in a high street Italian until 11.30 at night.” Georgia

“Had a table celebrating us leaving Europe, and they wouldn’t shut up about it.” George

The ones who ask you to do unnecessary stuff

“I had one customer come in and ask for me to move a massive garden umbrella from one table in the beer garden to another when both were empty – and they weigh a tonne.” Genevieve

Splitting the bill between a lot of people

“Splitting the bill between many MANY people – once when splitting the bill I had some guys ask for one person to get charged 2p more than the other person ! And I had to do it all in my head on the spot (I’m a humanities student!)” Genevieve

Regulars

“When people come in quite often and they automatically think I will remember their entire order.” Georgia

“People who consider themselves ‘regulars’.” Megan

Families with young kids

“Families who are keen on not letting their children sit at the table with an iPad, JUST PLS LET THEM DO IT!! I am willing to spend my entire wages on an iPad for your kid if it means it’ll shut them up from crying, screaming or throwing food on the floor.” Georgia

“I also once worked at a fancy place that was hosting a wedding and one of the waiters had a massive tray of glasses of champagne and this baby was crawling around and he didn’t see and tripped over the baby and dropped the whole tray so any customers that leave their kids to roam around are not great.” Amy

“Really annoyed me when big tables came in with loads of kids who would literally make the biggest mess in the world and then just get up and leave all their shit everywhere – we’re talking baby wipes, dirty tissues, I even had a nappy bag left once!!

“The pub restaurant I worked in had carpet so all the food that kids would chuck everywhere we would have to scrub out which was sooo gross.” Ellie

“Parents who bring their kids but don’t bring anything to entertain their kids and think it’s fine to let them play with sugar packets, salt shakers etc.” Anon

The ones who literally won’t help you at all

“Customers who don’t stack their plates, I immediately resent them. It’s so awkward literally leaning across people with a tit in their face to try and reach their plate!! Just stack them because it saves us both the embarrassment.” Georgia

“People who make unnecessary snide comments when you are trying to be helpful. For example I was clearing a table for two customers and one of them started helping me to which I thanked them while the other customer said directly looking at me with a nasty look ‘oh don’t worry it’s his job to do that’.” Ben

The people who think they’re helpful by loading more plates onto your already filled arms

“When you’re clearing a table and those people that get annoyed that you can’t carry 12 plates at once and clear the table in one go and keep passing you stuff or saying ‘oh this is finished too’ but you aren’t an octopus so unfortunately have to come back and get the rest.

“I worked in a restaurant where we brought out food (and I guess the same applies with drinks) on trays and the worst was when people tried to lift it off for you and it just threw off the balance and you lost have a tray of food or burnt your hand trying to catch it.” Amy

The elderly

“They’re the worst – they argue with you about prices.” George

The ones who ask for more gravy

“Asking for more gravy or sauce and then making a dig about there not being enough on the plate. Like ‘can I have some more gravy because this really isn’t enough’. RUDE I’m about to get you more and I don’t chose how much gravy the chef puts on the plate!!!” Bean