When going out for a meal, even if it’s just to your local bistro, there’s a certain etiquette to be expected. Be polite to your servers, consider the other tables around you and if there is a problem, address it without making a fuss.
While waiting staff are right to judge you if you break any of these rules, it turns out that they judge you almost as you walk in the door. Fair enough, who does’t make immediate judgements upon meeting somebody?
What one waitress revealed, though, was enough to make me reconsider my approach to dining entirely — and I thought I was a great restaurant guest!
The first thing a waiter notices when you sit at a table
It will make you feel self-aware, and maybe it should: waiters apparently notice your phone usage and where you put it when dining out.
Sorry.
Speaking to Reader’s Digest, Katie Plowman, a server from California said: “When I see people put their phone face up next to their plate, I think they are trying to multitask and perhaps won’t be as present during the meal.”
She added that some will put it face down on the table to show that they’re paying attention. Which, I know that I do but surely at this point, you may as well put it in a bag or pocket?
Anyway, Plowman revealed that she’s most concerned about people who simply... don’t put their phones down. She said: “the ones who hold their phone in one hand during their whole meal, either taking pictures or looking at it, that worry me—are you really enjoying the experience of eating out? And are your companions enjoying eating with you?”
I’d be willing to wager not so much.