What do waiters/waitresses think of this?

[Teenagehorrorbag]

Just posting for views really.....

DH always stacks up the plates when we've been out for a meal. I've always found this a bit odd, but some of the people clearing up do seem grateful, and I suppose it makes sense.

I never did this before meeting him. I think if we ever went anywhere really smart then I would suggest he didn't do it - although I'm not sure why (and we don't anyway, with two young kids and an eye on the budget)!

I think if I were clearing up I'd prefer to do it 'my way' - which might not mean wobbly piles of different size items. But then again, if they are in a rush and trying to get tables cleared rather than fussing about technique - I could be wrong.

Anyone any views? Thanks.

I probably wouldn’t, certainly not more than two or three plates in a stack, because you don’t know how many the server would want to carry at once, and they probably have their own system. But I’m always very pleased when people pass plates over to me. And I hate scraping plates in front of the customers personally like “decent” waitresses do. I’ve only worked in first class on an airline though, so I know nothing!

No didn’t like it. There is a proper method.

I think if someone scraped plates at the table I would gag. That's really not nice or necessary
Take them to the kitchen and do it

I don't stack if I'm somewhere posh. I do if it looks like it will help, or if we've been sat with dirty plates for any length of time.
But I remember when I was a student, in the student cafeteria, one of the staff used my empty plate as her scrape-and-stack base, while it was still in front of me. I moved to the next chair, which was empty, and carried on chatting to my friend sitting opposite. Dish- scraping woman said to me "I've had my hands in worse shit than that, love" and stomped off with the plates. We just sat there staring after her with our jaws hitting the floor.

@WayneKorr

I think if someone scraped plates at the table I would gag. That's really not nice or necessary Take them to the kitchen and do it

You don’t do it at the table! You are holding the plates in your left hand, which in silver service will be the furthest point of your body away from the table.

Bear in mind if you are doing a wedding or something, you have a ten-person table to clear single-handedly, and the kitchen could be miles away depending on the venue (if it’s a fucking marquee you may have to traipse across a field). No trolleys like on an aeroplane. So you can’t carry individual plates back and forth, and if they aren’t scraped they don’t stack safely.