We've all heard stories from the restaurant staff about horrendous customers. Those are the clients who are merely looking for things to complain about and make a fuss. But, many restaurant guests are quite the opposite – even trying to help or engage with their waiters. Sometimes, no matter how good the intentions, that's just going to end up getting in the waiter's way.

So, what are these things we do with the best intentions? Keep reading to find out!

How To Annoy Restaurant Staff Without Knowing It

Bussing your own table

Some feel the need to play their own waiter by taking care of the empty dinnerware on their schedule once they finish up the meal. What’s so wrong with that? A common habit for people is to stack their plates together once they are done eating and think they are saving their waiter some time. In reality, the waiter knows how to stack their own plates best, and any other way of messy stacking could annoy them.

Helping Yourself With the Drinks

So you're thirsty, and you need a refill, but you don’t want to bother your waiter with asking, so you decide to make your way to the bar and pour it yourself. It is nice you want to save your waiter some precious time and take care of this little request yourself, but when the manager sees it, it creates the impression your waiter is not attentive to your needs. You don’t want them to have any trouble because of you.

How To Annoy Restaurant Staff Without Knowing It

Paying Before Anybody Else Is Ready...

… when you and your party of six go to a restaurant and ask for separate checks. That’s not a problem, although you probably know it’s not ideal for your waiters, either. The real issue is when your server hands down the multiple checks to your party, and you offer your credit card in return before anybody has had time to figure out how much they owe. Your waiter should handle the payment process when the whole table is ready.

Letting Your Child Get In The Way

Kids are adorable but completely unpredictable. Sometimes parents don’t realize that their children’s temperaments can hinder the job of a restaurant staff member. If you see your waiter approaching the table carrying a few handfuls of dishes, make sure your little one is nowhere near them. Especially if they are excited and too tired - because that’s when they end up knocking off things off the table.

Grabbing Things From Their Trays

Maybe it looked like the dish you are eagerly waiting for was slipping off the tray, or you just reached your hand in an automatic response. You may think that this lightens the tray and helps your server, but in reality, it probably just annoys them. Besides, you risk whacking the plates or drinks off their hands, and that’s not pleasant for anyone involved.