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Original poster

Was I rude to the waitress?

124 replies

ohdingo · 02/01/2025 12:06

So we booked a table at all bar one
We were going for the tapas and cocktails
Now it's a 2 for 1 cocktail deal so we're getting 4 (2 each )and also 5 of the taps to share.
We walk in and it's probably 1/4 full.
She shows us to our table and it's a tiny 2 person table .
I ask "do you have a bigger table just we plan on having tapas and cocktails and there won't be room on her to move "
She rolled her eyes and took us to a bigger table.
The rest of the night she didn't look at me and you could tell she was annoyed.
Was I rude to ask to move tables?

OP posts:
Original poster
ohdingo · 02/01/2025 12:06

*on here to move

OP posts:
Wendolino · 02/01/2025 12:16

No you weren't rude, but she was if she rolled her eyes at a perfectly reasonable request.
Maybe she is knackered after Christmas!

Original poster
ohdingo · 02/01/2025 12:27

Potentially just dealt with lots of people over the festive season.
I just don't understand the logic of squeezing us on to a tiny table when it's 3/4 empty

OP posts:

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Wendolino · 02/01/2025 12:30

ohdingo · 02/01/2025 12:27

Potentially just dealt with lots of people over the festive season.
I just don't understand the logic of squeezing us on to a tiny table when it's 3/4 empty

Me neither. It doesn't sound as though you were rude at all.

YesThatsATurdOnTheRug · 02/01/2025 12:31

No you were fine, she was rude.

RabbitsRock · 02/01/2025 12:34

Maybe “ Do you have a bigger table please?” might have been better but she definitely shouldn’t have rolled her eyes.

Shetlands · 02/01/2025 12:35

She was extremely rude and I would have asked her why she was rolling her eyes at a perfectly reasonable request. I can't stand rude service in shops or restaurants and I don't tolerate it. I'm very polite and speak quietly but I always call it out.

When I was a student I worked in shops (like many of us) so I know it's easy to be polite to even the most difficult customers.

HospitalitySux · 02/01/2025 12:45

I mean no you weren't rude to ask to be moved. A please might have been a decent addition to the sentence though.

Although that said, us hospitality workers surely need to understand our place as second class citizens who don't garner enough respect for simple manners.

And if you book a table for 2 then that's what you are allocated. No great mystery there unless you decide it's got to be a nice little drama where hospitality staff are picking on poor old you.

I'm at a complete loss as to why hospitality is struggling for people to work in the industry. That one's a complete mystery 🤔🙄

Snowmanscarf · 02/01/2025 12:46

Sounds like a polite request. She sounds like the rude one.

Waterboatlass · 02/01/2025 12:46

Your tone might've been rude but the request definitely wasn't

WellsAndThistles · 02/01/2025 12:50

Maybe a 'please' somewhere in the sentence would help.....

Original poster
ohdingo · 02/01/2025 12:50

@HospitalitySux oh get a grip!
The place was 1/4 full
I asked for a table which was big enough for all the small plates /cocktails
You seem like you have a bad attitude
Maybe you need a new job

OP posts:
battairzeedurgzome · 02/01/2025 13:00

She was rude. I hope you didn't tip her.

Zebedee999 · 02/01/2025 13:01

HospitalitySux · 02/01/2025 12:45

I mean no you weren't rude to ask to be moved. A please might have been a decent addition to the sentence though.

Although that said, us hospitality workers surely need to understand our place as second class citizens who don't garner enough respect for simple manners.

And if you book a table for 2 then that's what you are allocated. No great mystery there unless you decide it's got to be a nice little drama where hospitality staff are picking on poor old you.

I'm at a complete loss as to why hospitality is struggling for people to work in the industry. That one's a complete mystery 🤔🙄

Edited

When I am shown to a table the waiter person normally asks "is this alright for you". I'm quite fussy! I don't like to be near an outside door on a cold day. I don't like to be sat in the sun on a hot day. I like a bigger table than a standard two seater when I know I'll be ordering a few differnt drinks (water/beer/wine) and sides as well as mains and so on.
So it is normally a simple conversation to get moved to a different table before sitting down. I have never had an issue with any waiting staff on this front, they normally happily accommodate and I always tip well and very polite as I imagine most people are.
OP did the right thing asking for a bigger table, no harm in it.

DazedAndConfused321 · 02/01/2025 13:04

Never had a good experience at ABO, and I've unfortunately been to a few. Staff are useless and rude! Yours was a reasonable request. Too many hospitality workers complain about being asked to do their job. I know they deal with awful people all day but their job is literally to find you a table and bring you what you ask- if they can't even do the first step properly that's on them.

HospitalitySux · 02/01/2025 13:04

ohdingo · 02/01/2025 12:50

@HospitalitySux oh get a grip!
The place was 1/4 full
I asked for a table which was big enough for all the small plates /cocktails
You seem like you have a bad attitude
Maybe you need a new job

You're not exactly coming across as having a great attitude yourself really.

I'm not at work right now, but commenting on an anonymous forum, so I'm allowed to say what I really think, which you might not like, but as you're not my customer and I'm not dealing with the situation, doesn't have any bearing on my employment.

I wouldn't roll my eyes at a customer, in front of them anyway, but I'm quite at liberty to do so in my personal life, as here. It's my job, not a calling from God meaning I must behave like I'm in any customer anywhere's service for my entire life.

Did you book a table for 2? If you did why are you so surprised to be allocated one? It's not rocket science to work it out. Or to add please onto the reasonable request to move, or indeed treat it like the total non event that it is (the table allocation).

BrightonFrock · 02/01/2025 13:05

HospitalitySux · 02/01/2025 12:45

I mean no you weren't rude to ask to be moved. A please might have been a decent addition to the sentence though.

Although that said, us hospitality workers surely need to understand our place as second class citizens who don't garner enough respect for simple manners.

And if you book a table for 2 then that's what you are allocated. No great mystery there unless you decide it's got to be a nice little drama where hospitality staff are picking on poor old you.

I'm at a complete loss as to why hospitality is struggling for people to work in the industry. That one's a complete mystery 🤔🙄

Edited

Oh FFS. She asked for a different table, not a kidney.

Original poster
ohdingo · 02/01/2025 13:06

@HospitalitySux I'm not surprised to be allocated one.
My surprise was the fact moving to a bigger table was such an issue.
Not sure how we were meant to stack 6 plates ,4 cocktails on a tiny table,
I don't think asking to move was rude
Pretty common sense really

OP posts:
susiedaisy1912 · 02/01/2025 13:07

It all depends on your tone. Your words were fine but it's the tone that matters. However she still shouldn't of rolled her eyes at you.

LuckySantangelo35 · 02/01/2025 13:07

YANBU, OP

Billydavey · 02/01/2025 13:07

ohdingo · 02/01/2025 13:06

@HospitalitySux I'm not surprised to be allocated one.
My surprise was the fact moving to a bigger table was such an issue.
Not sure how we were meant to stack 6 plates ,4 cocktails on a tiny table,
I don't think asking to move was rude
Pretty common sense really

Did you say please?

HospitalitySux · 02/01/2025 13:09

Zebedee999 · 02/01/2025 13:01

When I am shown to a table the waiter person normally asks "is this alright for you". I'm quite fussy! I don't like to be near an outside door on a cold day. I don't like to be sat in the sun on a hot day. I like a bigger table than a standard two seater when I know I'll be ordering a few differnt drinks (water/beer/wine) and sides as well as mains and so on.
So it is normally a simple conversation to get moved to a different table before sitting down. I have never had an issue with any waiting staff on this front, they normally happily accommodate and I always tip well and very polite as I imagine most people are.
OP did the right thing asking for a bigger table, no harm in it.

Show quote history

Also quite simple to add a please to the request and not be so dramatic about being allocated a table for 2 when you've booked a table for 2 and getting that changed.
There's ways of addressing it that means it's pleasant for all involved.

SaffronsMadAboutMe · 02/01/2025 13:09

You're giving this too much thought.

You came across a member of staff with a bit of a rude attitude.

Why is it still on your mind? 🤷‍♂️

Deesmond · 02/01/2025 13:10

Oh god, not rude at all. Don’t even think about it again. She was just having a bad day. Probably knackered. Rude waitresses apparently get tipped more, too, or so I once read somewhere (possibly in a book like Freakanomics). So maybe she’s learnt it pays to be rude.

NameChanger91736 · 02/01/2025 13:10

ohdingo · 02/01/2025 12:06

So we booked a table at all bar one
We were going for the tapas and cocktails
Now it's a 2 for 1 cocktail deal so we're getting 4 (2 each )and also 5 of the taps to share.
We walk in and it's probably 1/4 full.
She shows us to our table and it's a tiny 2 person table .
I ask "do you have a bigger table just we plan on having tapas and cocktails and there won't be room on her to move "
She rolled her eyes and took us to a bigger table.
The rest of the night she didn't look at me and you could tell she was annoyed.
Was I rude to ask to move tables?

I just dont think this woman spent the rest of her night avoiding looking at you and being annoyed because you asked for a bigger table 🤣

She probably rolled her eyes because you booked a table for 2 and then asked to be moved to a bigger table. If you knew you were ordering lots you should of booked a bigger table

🤣🤣 at a waitress spending her evening "sulking" at you over your table hahaha. More like she was ran off her feet from the holidays and wasnt thinking about you at all

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