And while you’re doing your utmost to expertly, kindly, and preferably quickly serve your guests their refreshments on the terrace, unfortunately, this isn’t always rewarded or appreciated by your guests.
You, as a hospitality professional, adhere to the rules. But do your guests do the same? Because although there’s no handbook for guests – ‘How should I behave on a terrace?’ – we can certainly talk about a number of unwritten rules. An unspoken etiquette. If everyone adhered to these, it would surely make your work much more pleasant. Etiquette expert Reinildis van Ditzhuyzen stands up for the hospitality industry and clearly explains what the customs are.
1. Only the hairdresser can cut
To start with, according to Van Ditzhuyzen, we address everyone we don’t know with ‘U’. And with ‘sir’ and ‘madam’. Even the youngsters bringing us a cup of coffee on the terrace. "I sometimes see people snapping their fingers to summon the waiter. That’s really not on. Or shouting ‘hey there!’ That’s just as bad. You are the customer, but you don’t have to behave like an idiot. He is your host, not your slave. Even if you are the one paying."
2. No musical chairs, please
A free tip for all Dutch people: just leave those chairs where they are. And the tables too. Van Ditzhuyzen: "It’s so Dutch to rearrange the whole place as soon as more family arrives, just to sit in a circle. You really won’t see a French person doing that. Moving chairs without consulting the owner is really not on. The café owner is still the boss, and you are simply a guest. So just ask. That ‘it should be fine’ mentality isn’t always appreciated."
3. Could it be a little more?
For goodness’ sake, leave a little tip, unless you’re really disappointed with what you’ve been served or how you’ve been treated. "In America, waitresses live off your tips, so you really have to add a percentage to the bill there. In Germany, Belgium, and France, it’s customary. If you’re happy with your terrace visit, you should show it. The percentage doesn’t matter much, I think. Just round it off nicely, you’ll feel what’s logical.
And if you choose not to tip, mention it. I was so disappointed with a dame blanche that I didn’t leave a tip. They added fruits and almost no chocolate sauce, that’s not how it should be. The rest was lovely, and I was really looking forward to that dame blanche, so it was a huge letdown. That was my reason for not tipping, and I told them, yes."
Read the full article on RTL Nieuws