April 2, 2026, 1:32 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
For most people, dining out at a restaurant is part of the vacation experience. While there are country-specific standards, traditions, and etiquette rules with potential pitfalls, it should be understood that one should behave and be polite in every country. Even though most adhere to this, there are always some unpleasant guests, as our author Susanne Resch knows. She worked as a waitress during her school and college years here in Germany—for TRAVELBOOK, she reveals which guest behaviors particularly annoyed her.
“Can you throw this away?” a guest asked me. Holding a tray and mentally juggling orders, I absentmindedly accepted what the woman handed me. Only on the way to the kitchen did I realize it was a still-warm diaper. Although this happened to me only once in more than ten years of waitressing, it left a lasting impression. I experienced it at a top steak restaurant in Munich, popular with both locals and tourists.
But regardless of whether it was at a high-end steakhouse, the small-town Greek place on the corner, or the bars where I worked, there were always challenging guests. While the vast majority were friendly, the few unpleasant ones could be quite demanding. I mostly saw it as “practice” and remained calm. However, sometimes I served sharp verbal comebacks in return. After that, the woman who didn’t want to dispose of the diaper herself or the man who tried to hand me his old chewing gum had no further “requests” for me. Aside from these isolated incidents, there were always difficult guests whose unpleasant behavior I had encountered before. Here are my top ten annoying guest habits that sometimes made me curse my job in restaurants or bars:
1. Snapping Fingers
Annoying guests who snap their fingers in restaurants were a recurring issue. Sure, it gets attention, but it’s absolutely inappropriate. If you have a request, you should make eye contact, raise your hand, or say “excuse me” when the waiter passes by.
2. No “Please” and No “Thank You”
Speaking of rudeness: Guests who never said “please” or “thank you” were also exhausting. Back then, I was particularly friendly to try to elicit some politeness, but today it would likely bounce off me. Still, for especially nice guests, most waiters go the extra mile, and kindness pays off just like anywhere else.
3. Suggestive Remarks
One man once asked if I could serve him at home. Another said he could imagine the cocktail muddler I used to crush the limes for his Cuba Libre in other places. Although both were by far the most disrespectful guests, suggestive comments were not uncommon. Sure, guests can flirt, but as always, it should be done with decency and respect!
4. Too Much Physical Contact
Suggestive behavior wasn’t limited to verbal comments. Guests who placed their hands on my rear or around my waist were quickly put in their place. However, when guests subtly or “accidentally” touched me with their leg or forearm while I was serving, I didn’t let it show, just kept more distance. Of course, there can be occasional physical contact, especially when it’s crowded. Unnecessary physical contact, however, is intrusive unless the waiter or waitress has previously sent clear signals.
5. Inappropriate Tips
While most waiters rely on tips, I always understood people who could only give very little or no tip. I found it inappropriate when guests, with a bill of 39.60, grandly emphasized rounding up to 40 euros. Even worse were the guests who flipped through their bills and then rummaged in their coin pocket, only to say they didn’t have anything “small.” Surprise: I could have made change.
6. Flaunting Wealth
The Porsche key visibly on the table, loudly ordering the most expensive champagne, or paying in a way that ensures everyone sees the bills in the luxury wallet: While I can’t deny that this might impress some colleagues, I found it amusing but not impressive in any way.
7. Declaring the Restaurant a Parenting-Free Zone
Guests who left their children unattended or treated the restaurant like a playground were just as annoying as parents who left their children’s trash under the table or let their kids build sculptures out of salt or sugar. If you apologize and perhaps add a little extra tip, it’s different than treating it as a given.
Also interesting: The Best Tips for Flying with Toddlers
8. Just Sitting Down
Every day, there were guests who just sat down anywhere—preferably at the only table not yet cleared. Often, there are many reservations, and regardless of this organization, waiters have a better overview when they seat guests themselves. Of course, you can express where you’d like to sit, with or without a reservation. If possible, the waiter is happy to accommodate this request.
9. Not Accepting a “No”
Even though I always tried to make everything possible, sometimes there was no space or a dish was no longer available. Most guests understood this, but there were those who simply wouldn’t accept it. Particularly annoying were the guests who claimed to know that something was still possible—perhaps because they had worked in a restaurant themselves.
Outraged guests! Restaurant charges 58 euros for cutting a cake
“On river cruises, everyone has something going on with everyone else.”
10. Not Pushing Chairs Back to the Table
Admittedly, it’s not a huge problem: Still, I never understood why guests didn’t push their chairs back to the table when they left. Didn’t we all learn this in school?
11. Not Responding
Especially with groups and when it’s busy, a waiter can’t always remember who ordered what. When you announce “the filet?” three times, and no one responds, it’s exhausting. Guests who don’t make room when their food is served are also annoying. Especially since restaurant plates are often very hot or heavy.
Despite some annoying guests and tough working conditions, I enjoyed working in restaurants and bars. It was incredibly varied, I met many people, and it definitely made me stronger. Nothing can shock me easily anymore.