Why treat waitstaff like personal servants?

Question

my wife and i go out to eat ... a lot. we like to sample a wide variety of foods. the one thing that never varies is that at every restaurant, there is always one patron who treats the servers like dirt. even to the point where i, as an unrelated party have felt obliged to say something. what gives?

(incidentally when i was single, this was a good litmus test to see if someone had character. if the girl treated the waiter or waitress rudely then usually they were not worth the time of day)

Answer 1

Not really sure why people do this.  But it doesn't only happen in restaurants.  I work at a gas station, and they do it there too.

Answer 2

We have to take the good with the bad!! That's what I always tell myself. Now days most of the customer's get upset with the prices, which is beyond my control. I too, no matter how rude they are still treat them with respect. That's all I want too!!  Wish I had more customer's like you where I work. Were you a waiter at one time to feel this way?  I must admit, I don't too have many that are rude though. I'm from a small town, and the only waitress when I work. So the locals all know me.

ET

Answer 3

First of all, from a former server let me say THANK YOU! It's so nice to hear other people acknowledge rude treatment and not liking it and not wanting to be w/ someone who would treat a waitress badly.

I wish I knew why people treat servers like dirt sometimes. It's a very little of the population, but some people might feel they are a lot better than the server so they can treat them like that. It could be because they come from money, they have an excellent job, or that they just have everyone take care of them and they refuse to work. Also, just no matter what you do there is no pleasing some people.

However, even though they might think their "better" than the server... the server and everyone else around them are going to have a much different opinion about that!

Answer 4

People who treat sevrvice employees poorly do this because they feel a lack of power in their own lives. The server-guest interaction is the customer's way of asserting their importance in the world.

Even things as subtly rude as, "bring me this" or "get me that, will ya?" proves that the customer has power issues and needs to be in control. They get off on putting down the "lowly server", who in many cases is making just as much money as them.

Basically, it becomes from a person's own insecurities and shortcomings. If anyone who is reading this treats servers like this, please remember, they are people too. They are not a "lesser being" than you because they serve for a living. As a former server, I've often gone into the bathroom and cried after customers reemed me out for things that are so small in the scheme of things.

I remind restaraunt patrons this: we're only hear to dine, it's not life or death. Don't sweat the small things. With a more laid-back attitude, you'll start to notice how service improves.

Answer 5

I agree, that is so rude and theres always someone give a server a hard time...    I personally always say thank you and smile and treat them how I would like to be treated and its nice you do the same :)

Answer 6

People feel their below that in which they are not because without them you would be making your own dinner at home!