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Most annoying trend in food service

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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skyhook:
    I find this topic a bit strange.

    Good wait/table staff that have been properly trained, and diners that exhibit some level of basic table manners, shouldn't require the wait staff to utter a word to you when it's time to clear your plate from the table. It is as much the diners responsibility to indicate their intent ( visually ) to the observant wait staff of what your intentions are.

    The photos below of basic table etiquette.



    I am resting, do not take my plate just yet yet.




    I have now finished please take my plate away. With obligatory napkin placed by the left side of the plate. You can also position your knife and fork at the 10 oclock and 4 oclock position which means the same thing.

    Chopsticks placed diagonally across the bowl at the 10 oclock and 4 oclock position means the same thing, signals to the wait staff that you are finished.
    haha, great in theory, but will never happen in Hong Kong. You can't even get people to stand aside on escalators and you expect plate clearing ettiquette to sink into HK culture....

  2. #22

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    Nah what annoys me more is people that have obviously finished and are loitering and the plates haven't been cleared.

    I was at one restaurant where I was waiting for the table of locals to actually stop gossiping and pay up.
    I pretended to be one of the group and asked the staff for the bill for there table.


  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Proplus:

    If my plate was empty, and the server was going to take it away, it is actually polite to ask before doing so.
    Exactly. The question is, strictly, meaningless, the equivalent of saying, "Excuse me."

    - - - -

    But perhaps it's annoying because excuse me doesn't require a spoken answer, but the question does seem to require one.

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by R.O.:
    Exactly. The question is, strictly, meaningless, the equivalent of saying, "Excuse me."

    - - - -

    But perhaps it's annoying because excuse me doesn't require a spoken answer, but the question does seem to require one.
    I'm with you on this. I hate having to acknowledge the existence of people doing their work. Especially when I live in such a crowded place. I can do without that sh1t

  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by jonastainine:
    my plate is now empty but still the service person asks if she can take it away. On the plane I drank that free glass of welcoming champagne and again "may I take that away sir"?
    Still interested in this. I now think we should blame - not the waiters or flight attendants - but the instructors, and the people who wrote the training courses.

    Before there were training courses, empty plates and glasses were removed with the use of common sense and social tact. I can think of three ways it could be done:
    1. silently and unobtrusively, while the diner or passenger is conversing, reading, dozing, and so on.
    2. with tiny movements of the eyes and lips, which convey the question OK? and the answer Sure.
    3. when necessary, with a spoken question.

    The important thing is 'when necessary'. The training courses, disregarding common sense and social tact, instruct the staff to ask the question always. That's why it's annoying. It's like the formulaic sentences spoken by the staff of call centres.

  6. #26

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    How about when 3 staff ask if you want another drink all within 90 seconds of each other?


  7. #27

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    Talking about trends..... I saw something totally funny a few days ago.

    I was in an eatery and the table next to me was with 2 (what seems to be locals). Not sure what they ordered, but then, funny - the order arrived and they started to eat. You read correctly - they started to eat right away - without taking a single picture of the dishes. People are strange.


  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by flameproof:
    Talking about trends..... I saw something totally funny a few days ago.

    I was in an eatery and the table next to me was with 2 (what seems to be locals). Not sure what they ordered, but then, funny - the order arrived and they started to eat. You read correctly - they started to eat right away - without taking a single picture of the dishes. People are strange.
    Had to be BBCs

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by flameproof:
    they started to eat right away - without taking a single picture of the dishes. People are strange.
    This happens in other countries also. Seems almost rude when people don't take a photo

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob2020:
    How about when 3 staff ask if you want another drink all within 90 seconds of each other?
    Rather that than having to go thirsty for beer.