Not clearing own table at cafe

[BallandBoe]

I always, as a general rule, clear my table - and will continue to do so unless I have been given reason not to (poor customer service, bad meal, etc).

There is a couple sat next to me discussing whether or not that they should clear their table. He says yes, she says no.

Does it depend on how much you paid for your food? Does it depend on the setting? Just curious!

YANBU - You should clear your table
YABU - That's what the staff are paid to do.

I don't clear my table after use at M&S as they do have staff for that. However if they are pushed at peak times, I will clear away and wipe a dirty table to have somewhere clean to sit. McDonalds (not that I have been for years) is definitely a clean your own shit up place.
Tbf, our M&S are usually very good and if they see you clearing for them they hurry over and spray and wipe your table.

I do always keep wet wipes in my handbag for greasy fingers which come in very handy for situations such as this.

@MooMooSharoo, the condiments were on a tray. Only the tray touched the chair.

TBH I'd never seen that done before, which was why I thought ds was pranking.

Like pretty much everyone else, I clear if there’s a place to clear things to. For example in IKEA or department store cafe’s where there’s a station with racks for trays etc.

In a regular cafe, no I don’t clear. It’s not helpful for the staff. You end up getting in their way or interrupting them in other tasks by returning dirty things to a serving counter. I also don’t stack up all the plates and dishes as that can make it harder for them to carry later.

It sounds like you’re in the sort of cafe where you aren’t actually meant to clear the table, so I wouldn’t. Nothing to do with how much I’ve paid for the food and everything to do with not interfering with how the staff do their job.

Exactly this, if there is tray/plate area, then I put my tray/plate there. If not, it's not necessary.

If there is no tray/plate receptacle do usually take my glass back to the bar/coffee cup back to the till, but I don't feel pressure to do so.

Yes, I do if the place fits me doing it

It depends if there are facilities to stack. If there are then definitely clear your own table. I used to work in cafes and people meant well but it sometimes was more work unstacking. Especially annoying when customers brought their dirty cups etc to you on the counter!

How do you think germs/“stuff” is going to transport itself from a chair surface, through a wooden/plastic tray, and through glass into a salt or pepper pot? And if it can do that, it can do that whether the salt and pepper is on a chair or a table.

If there is a sign up saying please clear your table, then you should reasonably expect to clear your table. If there is no sign and its just an 'expectation' or 'something we've always done' then there is no actual need to clear your own table.

Generally if there is one of those tray trolley things in view and people are putting their stuff there, then I'd just do the same. If not, then id assume tables got cleared as where else are you supposed to put the dirty stuff?

Neither of them are wrong. There is no actual rule in M&S cafes to clear your own table, its just something people have been conditioned to do from years ago. I've been in a couple reasonably recently and it did not appear to be a thing to clear your table in those ones as there was staff actively doing that, and no where to put your dirty stuff anyway.

I often wonder this. I usually try and tidy/stack everything onto the tray as best I can and then leave the tray on the table. I sometimes think if you take away the tray it’s less obvious to the staff which tables need wiped down and so a new customer might come and sit down at it before it’s actually ready 🤷🏻‍♀️

My two nearest M&S cafes have no facilities for you to clear your own table. I usually see staff coming around clearing and cleaning tables when I visit. So, in M&S I wouldn't.

If it’s a cafe where you are supposed to clear your table - I.e. bins available, generally self service type places then I clear it. If it’s a waiter service type place or a pub then it’s cleared for me.

I might in a cafe in a supermarket. But wouldnt otherwise.

Self service and bin/tray rack available - yes. Table service no unless there was signage requesting this.

You often to "have" to. My local tesco (a large tesco extra, often doesn't have any till staff off, it's all self service. Many supermarkets are the same 😐

Why? If Im in a cafe for a drink then Im being waited on and that includes clearing the table afterwards. Also if you start clearing the table then the next people may sit down and complain to the staff the table hasn't been wiped - which they've probably missed as a customer cleared the table

Depends on location, and in some places where it would not be expected, I'll do this if the staff are pleasant.

Depends on the place.
some places have a designated area where you can unload your trays/ plates/ throw rubbish.
other places don’t. Went to a cafe and there was a lady working there who cleaned up the tables. So I stack everything, put rubbish together and leave it in a respectable manner for the staff member to remove with ease.

btw, I don’t think you shouldn’t do it because of poor customer service or bad meal. We’re all human, doesn’t hurt to be a decent person even if you’ve not got exactly what expected. If ur meal was bad, tell them. If the service was awful, tell them.
the person cleaning isn’t going to necessarily be the person at fault for those things.

Always clear your table. Always

How odd for her to have got annoyed. The customer has saved her the job of going out into the cafe clearing the plates and cups and mugs and knives and forks and spoons etc. Popping it aside while they serve a customer will surely take much less time than having to faff about collecting the stuff from the tables.

This friend of yours sounds like the type who would probably grumble if the customers left the stuff too!

I sometimes do it, particularly if there are racks, but I don't think there's usually any expectation.

If they have provided the facilities for you to dispose of your rubbish then yes if they haven’t then no it’s obvious they don’t expect you to. If I’m in Ikea or places with similar disposal areas then I would definitely clear up my table. Sometimes there’s literally nowhere for you to put your debris so leave it for the staff.

If there is nowhere obvious to take the dirty plates/cups then I do try to leave it as tidy as I can e.g. plates scraped onto 1 and then stacked.

Having worked in cafes, can I ask people please not to do this? If it’s not the system for customers to clear, it’s just annoying and unhelpful when they try to do it (although meant nicely, I’m sure). Just follow the system of the place rather than imposing your own.

I will if there are racks, it’s obvious what they’re intended for. I go to a small cafe run by one awesome cake baker and I will clear tables there as she’s often run off her feet and put the plates on the counter by the kitchen. In other places if I can’t see a rack I’ll make sure you everything is stacked neatly.

I never understand how people just walk away from their table and it’s absolutely manky and a state.

I agree with the majority.

If it’s obvious that you tidy it away yourself then I do it but if not then I scrape off the food onto one plate and stack them etc.

I’ve never been to M&S and I’ve never eaten at IKEA so I can’t comment on how obvious it is to do it at these places.