What They Notice When You Dine Out

“There’s that saying, ‘Your lack of time management is not my problem.’ … That is how I feel about people who are in a rush,” Cardosa said.

When he worked in Times Square, he frequently had customers come in and say they were in a hurry to get to a show. 

“You knew the show was at 8 o’clock. It’s not my responsibility to make your food take precedence over other people because now it’s 7:15 and you’re just getting here,” he said. 

Another example of poor time management: When customers show up at a restaurant a few minutes before it closes, even though they know it’s about to close. 

“The last thing you want … is to have this [last-minute table] that orders three things and then lingers for two hours,” Simon shared. “Working at a restaurant is literally the most tiring job … people want to go home.”

They CAN’T judge how you’ll treat them based on your appearance.

Whether customers are in a full suit or wearing a grungy T-shirt and shorts, servers told HuffPost that you can never really tell how they’ll treat the waitstaff, how much they’ll spend, or how much they’ll tip just based on looks. 

In fact, Ennis remembers one of her regular customers came off as crotchety by appearance but was actually one of the best tippers.

“[I’ve learned to] never judge a book by its cover,” she said. “It could be the best book that you’ve read.” 

The most important thing servers pay attention to: Are you treating them with respect?

If you’re ignoring your server every time they come by your table or are snapping at them to get you your food and drinks faster, they’re probably going to feel disrespected. 

“We always had this … ‘I’m a server, not your servant’ mindset,” Anderson said. “I think [customers] need to remember that this is a lot of people’s livelihoods … And being aware of who’s [serving] you and extending a little bit of grace will allow you as the patron to have a better dining experience.”

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.