Are you on the naughty list? Former MasterChef judge Matt Preston lists the WORST things you could do at a restaurant.
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Food critic and former MasterChef judge, Matt Preston, has compiled a list of the most terrible behaviours he’s witnessed from patrons in restaurants.
Image Credit: Mypos.eu
Collated by Delicious, here are the 23 examples you should aim to never follow.
1. Refrain from clicking your fingers or whistling at the waiter. Need I say more? Sure, you’ll probably get their attention immediately but you’ll be just as angry if someone tried to call you over the same way, right?
2. Don’t abandon your booking. If you can’t make it, cancel it. Think of it this way— if you’re planning a trip with your friends, what would you do if something came up and you had to change plans? You’d inform them about it. Besides, cancelling on short notice (or with no notice at all) will only result in more restaurants switching to charging a non-refundable upfront fee when booking.
3. Don’t ask for split bills. If maths isn’t your strongest suit, every smartphone nowadays has calculators for our convenience. If it matters that much, you can always do it yourself at the end of the meal and sort it out between the group.
4. Don’t argue about customising the dishes. Most restaurants try their best to accommodate every special request but there’s only so much a couple of chefs running a small kitchen could take to be able to handle a crazy service with unsuspecting dishes. Therefore, there may be times when making an entirely new version of a menu item isn’t feasible.
5. Don’t blow your nose on your napkin! This is surprisingly more common than you might hope in a civilised society.
6. Don’t have a shouting match in a romantic restaurant. It disturbs the ambience and we need to be considerate of the other customers trying to make the best out of their dining experience. Save the squawking for when you’re both in a private space.
7. Don’t book for six, without letting the place know in advance, and only turn up with half of the group. Most restaurants would be relieved if you warn them in advance that the numbers have changed so they can adjust immediately and use it to maximise their efficiency.
8. Don’t claim you have allergies when you don’t. Allergies can be life-threatening and the staff will go through great lengths to make sure you won’t go into an anaphylactic shock.
9. Don’t do a runner. Obviously, that’s theft and it’s illegal. But also remember that in some cases, it won’t be the head office that will be covering your bill— rather the person serving you.
10. If for any reason you bleed, take the blood-stained tissues home with you to get rid of. Don’t leave them on the table for someone else to pick up.
11. Don’t order the under-10’s kids meals… if the kids dining with you are wearing their high school uniforms…
12. Don't finish half the plate and then complain that it’s not cooked to your liking, it’s cold, or it’s disgusting.
Image Credit: Tablein
13. If you had a bad day and you’re feeling extra frustrated, don’t take it out on the poor person trying to serve you to the best of their ability.
14. When dining in a big group, don’t ‘offer’ to split the bill— telling everyone the total with service and then nastily using these service contributions to pay for your share.
Side note: If you see the floor staff flicking their collars as you leave, it indicates they’ve been short changed!
15. Don’t dry your hand on the waiter’s apron…that’s just gross!
16. Clean up after your kids. We know kids can be a handful sometimes! But if all hell breaks loose and there’s food flying across the room, at least try to make a show of reducing the chaos before leaving. If that’s not possible, tip heftily and apologise profusely.
17. If you got carried away with the drinks and are cut off, it’s time to pack up and bounce. Don’t even think about or attempt to throw your glass at the staff member who cuts you off.
18. Please take your baby’s soiled nappies with you to dispose of yourself. Don’t leave them in the toilets or under the table even if they are in a bag.
19. Don’t crowd or block toilets… Just don’t…
20. If local rules require you to, don’t refuse to wear a face mask. For the love of god, don’t argue with anyone for wearing a mask too.
21. Don’t turn up claiming you booked a table when you don’t have a booking.
22. If you go to a no-bookings restaurant and you’re made to wait for half an hour for a table, don’t start screaming at the staff after waiting 15 minutes.
23. Don’t bully the waiter. Yes, they are there to serve you but these people are trying to make a living and they are NOT your personal slaves.
Let’s just face it, the customer isn’t always right. If you’re guilty of being on the list, it’s never too late to learn from your mistakes! Try to make an effort to treat everyone around you with respect simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Get to know the legend, Matt Preston, by watching the video below:
Image Credit: Mypos.eu
Collated by Delicious, here are the 23 examples you should aim to never follow.
1. Refrain from clicking your fingers or whistling at the waiter. Need I say more? Sure, you’ll probably get their attention immediately but you’ll be just as angry if someone tried to call you over the same way, right?
2. Don’t abandon your booking. If you can’t make it, cancel it. Think of it this way— if you’re planning a trip with your friends, what would you do if something came up and you had to change plans? You’d inform them about it. Besides, cancelling on short notice (or with no notice at all) will only result in more restaurants switching to charging a non-refundable upfront fee when booking.
3. Don’t ask for split bills. If maths isn’t your strongest suit, every smartphone nowadays has calculators for our convenience. If it matters that much, you can always do it yourself at the end of the meal and sort it out between the group.
4. Don’t argue about customising the dishes. Most restaurants try their best to accommodate every special request but there’s only so much a couple of chefs running a small kitchen could take to be able to handle a crazy service with unsuspecting dishes. Therefore, there may be times when making an entirely new version of a menu item isn’t feasible.
5. Don’t blow your nose on your napkin! This is surprisingly more common than you might hope in a civilised society.
6. Don’t have a shouting match in a romantic restaurant. It disturbs the ambience and we need to be considerate of the other customers trying to make the best out of their dining experience. Save the squawking for when you’re both in a private space.
7. Don’t book for six, without letting the place know in advance, and only turn up with half of the group. Most restaurants would be relieved if you warn them in advance that the numbers have changed so they can adjust immediately and use it to maximise their efficiency.
8. Don’t claim you have allergies when you don’t. Allergies can be life-threatening and the staff will go through great lengths to make sure you won’t go into an anaphylactic shock.
9. Don’t do a runner. Obviously, that’s theft and it’s illegal. But also remember that in some cases, it won’t be the head office that will be covering your bill— rather the person serving you.
10. If for any reason you bleed, take the blood-stained tissues home with you to get rid of. Don’t leave them on the table for someone else to pick up.
11. Don’t order the under-10’s kids meals… if the kids dining with you are wearing their high school uniforms…
12. Don't finish half the plate and then complain that it’s not cooked to your liking, it’s cold, or it’s disgusting.
Image Credit: Tablein
13. If you had a bad day and you’re feeling extra frustrated, don’t take it out on the poor person trying to serve you to the best of their ability.
14. When dining in a big group, don’t ‘offer’ to split the bill— telling everyone the total with service and then nastily using these service contributions to pay for your share.
Side note: If you see the floor staff flicking their collars as you leave, it indicates they’ve been short changed!
15. Don’t dry your hand on the waiter’s apron…that’s just gross!
16. Clean up after your kids. We know kids can be a handful sometimes! But if all hell breaks loose and there’s food flying across the room, at least try to make a show of reducing the chaos before leaving. If that’s not possible, tip heftily and apologise profusely.
17. If you got carried away with the drinks and are cut off, it’s time to pack up and bounce. Don’t even think about or attempt to throw your glass at the staff member who cuts you off.
18. Please take your baby’s soiled nappies with you to dispose of yourself. Don’t leave them in the toilets or under the table even if they are in a bag.
19. Don’t crowd or block toilets… Just don’t…
20. If local rules require you to, don’t refuse to wear a face mask. For the love of god, don’t argue with anyone for wearing a mask too.
21. Don’t turn up claiming you booked a table when you don’t have a booking.
22. If you go to a no-bookings restaurant and you’re made to wait for half an hour for a table, don’t start screaming at the staff after waiting 15 minutes.
23. Don’t bully the waiter. Yes, they are there to serve you but these people are trying to make a living and they are NOT your personal slaves.
Let’s just face it, the customer isn’t always right. If you’re guilty of being on the list, it’s never too late to learn from your mistakes! Try to make an effort to treat everyone around you with respect simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Get to know the legend, Matt Preston, by watching the video below:
Credit: BFM 89.9
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