Eight ways to not be a dick when dining

BELIEVE IT OR not, the hardest part of any hospitality professional’s life is us, the diners. Here’s our guide to dining out without making anyone else’s life a living hell.

1 Make a booking

You can’t just turn up and expect to get a table.

2 Honour that booking

You showing up could be the difference between the venue’s doors staying open or not.

3 Don’t snap your fingers

People are not circus animals. In fact, don’t use your hands to signal anything.

4 Say please and thank you

Servers, bartenders, managers and chefs are professionals, not servants.

5 Order the dishes as they are unless you’re invited to change something

Kitchen crews are not your personal chefs.

6 Don’t stack your plates

More likely than not, plates are stacked incorrectly. It’s understood that you’re tr ying to be nice, but this usually ends in smashed plates.

7 Tip!

A lot of hospitality staff don’t get paid properly, and their jobs kind of suck. We’re not asking for 20 per cent, but please leave a few dollars.

8 Get off the table once you’ve paid

Let the venue turn the table and make some money so that next time you want to dine there, the restaurant still exists.