The hostess will seat you when you GET OFF YOUR PHONE! I get extremely irritated by people who walk in while they're talking on their phones. This usually has one of the following outcomes:
1) They give me the 'just a minute' finger until they can pull the phone away from their face to tell me how many are in their party.
2) They use their fingers to show me how many people are in their party; never taking their attention away from the phone.
3) They walk right past me and sit at bar tables (we're not a seat yourself restaurant; they know this but assume I won't say anything to them. Wrong....if people are waiting ahead of them I will interrupt their phone conversation and tell them they can't have the table...silly people think I'm stupid...).
4) If there are customers in line behind them, I will speak to those customers and 'ignore' the one on the phone. Eventually they either hang up or butt in and tell me they were here first. I smile and say, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to interrupt your phone call" and then seat them or take their name...after I've taken care of the others.
We will be happy to take your order when you GET OFF YOUR PHONE!
Equally irritating are the customers who get on the phone the second they sit down (usually it's a person dining alone or waiting for others) because you know what happens:
1) They completely ignore the servers attempt to get their attention (in the hopes that the phone call will end and they can begin service).
2) They order their drink and/or meal and when it's brought to the table they usually ask for lemon, limes, wing sauce, ranch dressing, lettuce & tomato, etc. because they were too busy with the call to order it. At this time they usually assume the server is too stupid to take an order properly.
3) They're ready to order. NOW. The server of course is busy with other tables and hear, "Um, excuse me. We need to order. We're in a hurry."
4) They grab the hostess or the busser and ask for a drink "because I still haven't seen a waiter" because they never actually gave the server a chance to take an order. Trust me, the server tried....see #1.
Excuse me...YOUR CELL PHONE is ruining someone else's meal.
1) Why do people assume everyone around them wants to hear their conversation? It's ridiculous that people have to speak at full volume on the phone when other people are trying to eat at the table right next to or behind them.
2) Wouldn't it be great if everyone put the phone on silent or vibrate mode when dining? I get so tired of hearing annoying ring tones and snippets of rap/teenybopper/whatever music. Of course, they are at full volume...just in case it's loud in the restaurant. *note sarcasm*
I could go on and on of course, but I hit the major points. What are some of the rudest moments you've experienced at work because of poor cell phone etiquette?
