Some people I know do this. I just wanted to hear from others if there is anything wrong with it.
2007-12-17 08:16:50 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Yes, usually a small wave is enough, if they aren't looking in your direction then an 'excuse me' or 'waiter!' is much nicer. Snapping fingers does indeed call to mind servants, slaves and dogs.
2007-12-17 08:42:02 · answer #1 · answered by Sheriam 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Well... I'm going to take a bit of a different tact here.
I have been in restaurants where it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to catch the eye of the wait-staff when you want something. I have sat at the table for 5 minutes attempting to catch the eye with a "polite" wave or a nod of the head. There I am, sitting there, staring at just about every staff person going by and they all are seeming to ignore me completely ... regardless of how busy they are, the wait staff should be WATCHING for the "polite" gestures of their customers.
In such cases, I feel the rudeness is on the part of the wait-staff, and a finger-snapping as a last resort is not rude whatsoever.
Now... if the customer simply raises his/her hand the first time, EVERY time, they want assistance, and starts snapping away, that's at the very least annoying. But, again, it is the wait-staff's responsibility to be watchful of their customers and respond quickly to any gestures of attention.
I work in a restaurant, and I know how busy things can get sometimes for the wait-staff, but regardless... it is still THEIR responsibility, not the customers. Frankly, when a customer comes over to the counter with their empty glass wanting a refill, that is a total failure of the wait-staff to tend to their customers. The customer should not be needing to have to "bus" themselves in order to get service.
Have a polite day.
2007-12-17 09:42:07 · answer #2 · answered by wyomugs 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think it is very rude, I dated a guy years ago that snapped his fingers at the wait staff and yelled about every little thing, needless to say, that was the last date I had with him. People that work in restaurants work hard and do not deserve to be treated rudely.
2007-12-17 08:33:45 · answer #3 · answered by Don Drapers woman 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I find it incredibly rude. I would never do that. It's not really appropriate to wave either. Usually when you are looking for a server to come and assist.. they can usually spot you looking for them.. so they will come on over. If it's a nice restaurant anyways. Best Wishes!
2007-12-17 08:34:44 · answer #4 · answered by Cupid 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Yes it's rude. People like that piss me off. My dad used to own a restaurant and had farmers come in and lawyers come in. The farmers were the most polite and actually left the waitresses bigger tips. The lawyers would bang their glasses on the table when they wanted something. They were the rudest customers I had ever seen.
2007-12-17 08:23:50 · answer #5 · answered by wrjones559_1999 3 · 5⤊ 2⤋
It is rude unless they have tried other methods many times and they have been ignored for more than 10 minutes.
2007-12-17 12:28:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes it's extremely rude, like someone else said, they're there to serve you but they are not servants.
be polite and courteous, just like you would expect them to be to you.
i was out to a restaurant with a big group of friends and the gf of one of them spilled her water on herself, then snapped her fingers at the waiter and was rude to him for something she herself did! it was embarassing to be with her. i would never snap my fingers at anyone, i always just wait until they're at my table or close and say excuse me, could you please..etc
2007-12-17 08:28:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
As a former waitress, I can tell you that this is very very rude and demeaning to the server. Servers and other restaurant staffers are people and are able to respond to polite verbal attention getters such as "excuse me" just like other human beings. Makes me angry just thinking about how people used to do that to me....
2007-12-17 08:22:22 · answer #8 · answered by ashnperry 3 · 7⤊ 2⤋
This is rude, tacky and classless, and if someone ever did that to me I would ignore that table until they finally got up and left. (I used to be a waitress, and I have actually done that before, with no regrets either)
2007-12-17 08:25:35 · answer #9 · answered by No Shortage 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I found it rude when I waited tables. What are we DOGS to them?
I always try to either raise my hand slightly or casually wave the waiter over when he/she is nearby OR ask another waiter to find them.
2007-12-17 08:35:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋