Restaurant Servers Hate This 1 Rude Habit

As many states ease their social distancing restrictions, restaurants are able to open to dine-in guests again. Some people are so eager to get the restaurant experience they've been missing that they're waiting hours for a table. Diners should be especially patient with servers during this period of adjustment — and there's one behavior in particular that you should avoid.

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While a server's top priority is to make sure you're having a pleasant night out, there are certain things guests do that make their lives more difficult. After talking to over 50 servers about the worst etiquette mistakes people can make while dining out, the habit that seems to unnerve them most is guests who snap or clap at them. 

Servers are extremely busy, and while you'd like to feel as though you're the only table they have, the reality is quite different. At any given time, your server is likely helping at least four other tables. Even at the best restaurants in America, the wait staff has endless tasks they're struggling to efficiently accomplish. And while getting you a refill on your cocktail is important to them, it's simply not the only thing they have to do.

According to the servers who weighed in, it feels extremely demeaning — or as though they're being summoned — when guests snap or clap at them to get their attention. Instead, if you find that your steak is undercooked, or you dropped your utensils on the floor, try making eye contact with your server to signal that you need them. It's a great way to get their attention without making them feel incompetent. In addition to snapping and clapping, there are many other things servers believe are the worst mistakes you can make while dining out.