6. Come Evening, It’s all Decaf
In most restaurants, after 8 p.m. or so, all the coffee is decaf because no one wants to clean two different coffeepots.
I’ll bring out a tray with 12 coffees on it and give some to the customers who ordered regular, others to the ones who ordered decaf. But they’re all decaf. –Charity Ohlund, former waitress
(Photo: Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock)
7. I Have the Power to Embarrass You
I’ve never seen anybody do anything to your food, but I have seen servers mess with your credit card. If a server doesn’t like you, he might try to embarrass you in front of your business associate or date by bringing your credit card back and saying, ‘Do you have another card? This one didn’t go through.’ -Charity Ohlund
(Photo: Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock)
9. I Don’t Like Tea
The single greatest way to get your waiter to hate you? Ask for hot tea. For some reason, an industry that’s managed to streamline everything else hasn’t been able to streamline that. You’ve got to get a pot, boil the water, get the lemons, get the honey, bring a cup and spoon. It’s a lot of work for little reward.-Christopher Fehlinger
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10. Think Twice Before Undertipping
In many restaurants, the tips are pooled, so if you have a bad experience with the server, you’re stiffing the bartender who made your drinks, the water boy who poured your water, sometimes the hostess, the food runners, and maybe the other waiters.-Christopher Fehlinger
(Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
12. Knowledge is Power
When you’re with the woman who’s not your wife, you’re a lot nicer to us, probably because you know that we know it’s not your wife. -Caroline Radaj, waitress at a members-only club
(Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
13. Pick Your Day Carefully
It’s much easier to be recognized as a regular on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. Once you’re recognized as a regular, good things start to happen. You’ll find your wineglass gets filled without being put on your bill, or the chef might bring you a sample. -Christopher Fehlinger
(Photo: Comstock/Thinkstock)
18. Don’t Always Accept No for an Answer
If someone orders a frozen drink that’s annoying to make, I’ll say, “Oh, we’re out. Sorry!” when really I just don’t want to make it. But if you order water instead of another drink, suddenly we do have what you originally wanted because I don’t want to lose your drink on the bill.
(Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
19. I’m Not Above Petty Revenge
If you make a big fuss about sending your soup back because it’s not hot enough, we like to take your spoon and run it under really hot water, so when you put the hot spoon in your mouth, you’re going to get the impression-often the very painful impression-that your soup is indeed hot. -Chris
(Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock)