Six Signs That You’re A Really Annoying Customer In A Restaurant

The vast majority of us are so quick to give out about restaurants, chefs and the waiting staff that serve us on nights out, but have you ever wondered how annoying you are?

Having worked in hospitality for six or so years, there’s a few things that customers do time and time again that are guaranteed to piss restaurant staff off.

How many of these are you guilty of?

1. Ordering something super complicated

Look, we get it, you want what you want. But if you’re making such extreme changes to the menu it makes the chef’s lives SO much harder. Why not just go to a restaurant that has a menu you actually like?

2. Saying you’re allergic when you just don’t want something

You may absolutely hate onions, and that’s grand, but please don’t tell your server you have an allergy to them when you actually just don’t want them to be on your plate. Chefs have to change chopping boards, knives, and often pans just to make sure there’s no cross contamination.

3. Sending back perfectly cooked food

Irish people are divils for this. While your local restaurant might serve a fillet steak sizzling on the stone, the majority of good spots will let the meat rest for a couple minutes to absorb the juices. A.K.A it won’t be piping hot, but trust us, this is the way it’s meant to be eaten.

4. You ask to split the bill between 10 people

Sometimes it’s grand when it’s not busy, but you’ve no idea how stressful it is calculating 10 different bills for one table and then taking 10 painfully slow credit card payments while the rest of your tables glare at you for being held up for 15 minutes. Just sort it out between yourselves like civilised folk please.

5. You say you don’t like the food but you’ve eaten it all

This is usually a shitty attempt to get a free dessert. Fair enough if nobody came over while you were eating to check all was okay, but if you smiled and nodded and then gobbled up your pasta only to complain about an empty plate? Just don’t.

6. You stroll in five minutes before closing time

Yep, those are death stares you’re getting from the entire staff. Your only hope is to order quickly, stick to a main course, and don’t even think about lingering over that last dregs of wine. Let the people go home.