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?

Views: 207

Tags: cell, customers, etiquette, hos, hostes, phones, rude

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Comment by Wanda D Waitress on August 29, 2012 at 4:15am

You are right! Going to a table when someone is on the phone is quite irritating. I just go to the table with a smile ppour the water and leave. Then when they try to get my attention I do what they do, I give them the wait one minute finger and continue about my business. I don't do this to be rude I do it to say,"Oh well, you missed your turn now you WILL wait until I finish with the guest who are here and present and are able to communicate with me when I come to the table. If your call is sooooo im,portant that you couldn't place the person on hold when you see me approaching the table, then I take you out of rotation. Because the reality of the situation is you are in my house and you came here for a reason and if you think that Wanda D is going to stand there and wait for you to finish your call or acknowledge her, they quickly find that isn't going to happen. When I leave I make sure that I don't go back to the table until either one of two things happen, 1) they are no longer on the phone or 2) another guest has arrive until then I won't make eye contact or make any other attempt to go back. Why should I?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comment by FOHMIstress on May 12, 2012 at 6:55pm

I love that story!  Good thinking on your part.

Comment by Do You Do That at Home? on May 12, 2012 at 12:46am

Once, when I was both the cook AND the server I had a woman come in with a large party.  Everyone ordered except her since she was busy talking on her phone.  Her husband asked her to get off the phone and order and she snapped, "She can wait!"

Uh...guess again. 

I went to the kitchen, cooked everyone's food, brought it out, then asked if she was ready to order.  All of her dinner companions thought it was hilarious when I returned with her order all boxed up, as in, "you can leave now."

She never pulled that crap again.

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