A waiter has revealed a common customer habit that, despite good intentions, can actually be quite frustrating.
Many people believe they’re helping by handing plates to staff or stacking their crockery, but there’s one particular behavior that service workers wish would stop, Express reports.
While the gesture might seem considerate, it can sometimes make the job more challenging rather than easier.
A restaurant worker has taken to TikTok to call out a common habit among diners that actually creates more work for staff - stuffing rubbish into cups.
While it might seem like a tidy solution, this practice can make clearing tables more difficult. Scraps often stick to the sides of the cups, making them harder to clean and dispose of properly. Not to mention, it can be unpleasant for staff to handle.
in a viral video, the Spanish waiter said: "Let’s see if with this video we manage to change some things. I know you don’t do it to annoy us, but to help us, or to keep the table clean, but look at this.
"You put all these things inside the cup. I'll never understand if it's to help us or if it's just a habit. Please, if you want to help the waiters, the best thing to do is to leave it in the saucer or plate, so we go to the kitchen and throw it away without any problems.
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"You save us the trouble of having to take out all the little pieces of paper and then throw them in the bin and wash it. This helps waiters a lot. Thanks!"
Reacting to the TikTok, many people expressed their surprise on this revelation. One said: "I do it to make everything look clean and tidy." Another confessed: "I do it at home as well." And a third added: "I will never do it again!"
A survey by Gourmet Society, one of the UK's largest dining clubs, sheds light on what it’s really like to work in the hospitality industry, revealing both the frustrations and the perks of the job.
Bad manners top the list of complaints, with over half (53 percent) of waiters citing rude customers as their biggest annoyance.
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Close behind, 42 percent said they dislike when customers click their fingers to get attention, while 32 percent pointed to noisy or disruptive children as a common frustration.
But there are also positives to being a waiter. Nearly half (47 percent) of waiters said tips are the best part of the job, followed by meeting new people (46 percent) and enjoying the fast-paced nature of the work (41 percent).
For many, the positives outweigh the challenges, making the role a dynamic and rewarding experience.
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