Current Events > American waiters suck compared to waiters in Asia

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American table-waiting

You have a waiter assigned to your table.The waiter will try to make some unwanted awkward human connection with you because it's considered good service.

In return, you need to remember their name because it's respect".

No. I'm not here to make a personal connection with Berlynda with a y. I'm here to eat my food and perhaps have some casual conversation with my friends.

You can't wave at your waiter because it's considered rude.

You have to rely on making eye contact with your waiter, which is completely ridiculous when most restaurants would use dim lights for that cosy family feeling.

Your dining experiences solely rely on your waiters good eye sight and attentiveness. If they're tired and/or busy, there's nothing you can do, other than trying to stare your eyes out.

Your waiter will come to check in on you because it's considered providing good service.
Except they almost always come at the bad moment: when I'm chewing food; when I'm talking to my friends

Because there's NO GOOD MOMENT TO CHECK! I would either be chewing or talking to my friends! Waiter checking in will always be intrusive.

And if I do indeed need water or napkins, I'll be either waiting for it for a while already, or not really need it but hey, let's have some anyways.

And if I really do need something, and somehow get the attention of a random waiter, they'd politely say I'm not your waiter" and walk on. OK, I get it, you're not my waiter, could you at least pass the word to my waiter that I need stuff?!
No? fineback to the glaring game.
And after all that, I need to give a 20% tip because Im not a fucking monster, knowing these poor wait staff get paid way below minimum wage and rely on tipping to survive.

The entire US style wait-table style is annoying as hell.

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And on top of that, since I mostly eat out by myself, I've noticed that I usually get less service than a table of two or more. Everything comes slower, and the waitresses usually aren't nearly as attentive to me as to the table right next with two people eating.

It could be that I'm a lone diner, and the wait staff automatically assume minimum effort would be enough, since my tip wont be nearly as good. Once again, if we get rid of the tipping, everyone would get good service regardless.

Asian table-waiting

There's no assigned wait staff to table. So you don't need to fake smile at waiter and try to remember their name.

Waiters will not come bother you unless you wave your hand and call them.

Because there's no assigned staff to your table, you can wave at the waiter who's just walked by, or look at your direction.

If you need to order, wave your hand and call someone to take your order.
If you need more water, wave your hand and call someone to add more water
If you need to order more, wave and call someone
If you need the check, wave and call someone
And most importantly, wait staff are paid regular wages, and there's NO TIPPING.

only thing that bothers me about American waiters, is they come and check on you way too often.

like to the point where you want to tell them to leave you the fuck alone.

Also, they just randomly bring you the check without you asking for it. Always makes you feel like they want you to leave.

from a European perspective.
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Not sure what kind of restaurants you're going to, but I've never in my life been expected to remember my waiter's name for any reason at all, waving to get your server's attention is completely acceptable, and in my experience no one really gives a shit if you flag down a different server in the event you can't find yours
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I disagree. Waiters in Thailand and China are too busy starring at their fucking phones to bother serving you. I don't like having to sit their with my hand raised like a child for 5 minutes trying to get their attention when they finally look up from their phone for a half a second.
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ALIEN_WORK2HOP posted...

Also, they just randomly bring you the check without you asking for it. Always makes you feel like they want you to leave.

I actually appreciate not having to ask for it. 9 times out of 10 when the server sets it down they say "no rush" to indicate they aren't trying to hurry you out the door.

Contrast that to my dining experiences in Italy where you have to ask for the check no less than 5 times. It's considered normal to sit around for an additional 30 minutes just to get the check.
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ALIEN_WORK2HOP posted...

only thing that bothers me about American waiters, is they come and check on you way too often.

like to the point where you want to tell them to leave you the fuck alone.

Also, they just randomly bring you the check without you asking for it. Always makes you feel like they want you to leave.

from a European perspective.

They are probably trying to get you out faster. Or they have already judged you as one of the people that is going to tip badly [black, Asian, tourists, families, church people, etc.], hence the poor service.

eston posted...

Not sure what kind of restaurants you're going to, but I've never in my life been expected to remember my waiter's name for any reason at all, waving to get your server's attention is completely acceptable, and in my experience no one really gives a shit if you flag down a different server in the event you can't find yours

Went to a diner on Friday and raised my hand ever so slightly because we were waiting for the check for a while. I even mouthed check, please. The waitress nodded and proceeded to go to the kitchen. Had to flag her down again to get it. Some waiters do take offence.

People itt have issues with wait staff being attentive? Would you like to hold your hand up like a child in elementary school? Being attentive is a hell lot better than being completely forgotten about.

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Calm down. Lol berlynda with a y.

even if they aren't trying to get you out faster, it's weird because maybe you still want to order something?
yet they have already brought the check (often) without you even asking for it.

and yes in Italy it takes longer, because they actually have a dining culture.
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blame boomers

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ALIEN_WORK2HOP posted...

even if they aren't trying to get you out faster, it's weird because maybe you still want to order something?
yet they have already brought the check (often) without you even asking for it.

and yes in Italy it takes longer, because they actually have a dining culture.

Yeah, god forbid you need to order dessert or a last drink.

eston posted...

Not sure what kind of restaurants you're going to, but I've never in my life been expected to remember my waiter's name for any reason at all, waving to get your server's attention is completely acceptable, and in my experience no one really gives a shit if you flag down a different server in the event you can't find yours

This. I've never been expected to remember their name.

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DirkDiggles posted...

People itt have issues with wait staff being attentive? Would you like to hold your hand up like a child in elementary school? Being attentive is a hell lot better than being completely forgotten about.

As an American who traveled to Europe last year, this threw me off. I had to wait so long to get my check and I didn't realize I was supposed to be waiving them down. I feel rude interrupting waiters--something Boomers and soccer moms do in America.
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Another interesting article if you guys want to read.

Dining out as a person of color

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/43dybb/the-shitty-reality-of-dining-out-as-a-person-of-color

This is why I always go to a buffet alone in the US, you ask for a table that'll sit 4 so that you can pile up the plates in case they don't come by and pick it up, you get your own food, your own drink, you leave a $1 tip cause you don't want to be that guy and you leave with a full belly, Merica. Also if you're French and are used to saying garcon, who'll it be bad manners if you got your waiter's attention if you called him boy, and he was black.

bknight posted...

This is why I always go to a buffet alone in the US, you ask for a table that'll sit 4 so that you can pile up the plates in case they don't come by and pick it up, you get your own food, your own drink, you leave a $1 tip cause you don't want to be that guy and you leave with a full belly, Merica. Also if you're French and are used to saying garcon, who'll it be bad manners if you got your waiter's attention if you called him boy, and he was black.

lol

bump

Dude you can wave your hand. Wtf you talking about.

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This topic reads so much like a Beveren_Rabbit or Sunhawk topic that I had to do a double-take to see that you weren't either of them.
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