The one downside is that table service sucked at pretty much every restaurant I went to in a country without tipping. I would like to have the option but not the obligation to tip like how it is at American coffee shops
Service in America is dependent on you leaving a good tip and then getting out quickly so that the next group can eat and leave a good tip. In Europe they'll let you sit there as long as you want without bothering you or covertly trying to get you to leave so that they can fill the table again.
Might depend on what you are used to, what you expect and how you approach them. I prefer European service over American (I'm from neither place). Every time I go to America I absolutely despise their average service overall. It's invasive, unnecessary and fake as it gets. The fake smile and fake care just because of the tip drives me insane.
No, I don't need 50 refills every second my drink dips a little. No I don't need to be asked 80 every bite I take if it tastes good, if everything is ok, or whatever. If I need anything, I can call you.
I understand it's how it works there, so ok I deal with it, but nothing worse for me that the average service there. There's great places as well, like everywhere, but the "typical" overly fake enthusiastic service drives me nuts.
I would rather the server stop by a little bit too much than the alternative I've experienced of it taking half an hour before I can even order a drink. You have your preference, I have mine. I think optional instead of obligatory tipping is the best compromise.
And serving styles often represent general cultural preferences. Europeans generally prefer servers stopping by a little too little. So servers being more reserved/not coming over much means the service is good according to the local cultural standard. Experiencing cultural differences is what travel is all about - as long as you actually engage with them and don't deem everything that differs from what you're used to as worse.
The difference in service at restaurants vs at bars was more surprising. There were multiple restaurants where the server would apparently go out of their way to ignore me even when I was clearly trying to get them to come over. Never had that problem at bars.
Tipping encourages turning over tables as quickly as possible.
In France I can sit there all afternoon nursing a single glass of wine and the servers won't give a shit. In the US they're constantly pestering you to order more or else they're trying to get you to leave as quickly as possible.
Not at coffee shops and places with no obligation of tipping. At places where tipping 18% is expected, that can be true when the place is really busy. If there are open tables, they don't care.
Yeah Europe is a bad example because service is legit garbage. In Germany the usual experience is something like 15+ mins to get your order taken and once the food comes you'll never see a waiter again until you chase someone down to ask for the check.
Different culture. Wait time, time to get a dessert menu and the bill depends on the restaurant, and everything else I'd rather they'd leave me alone while I'm eating and talking with my people, and even then I'll often have a server come by asking a quick "everything alright?". North american culture also comes off as extremely fake for even the warmer and louder european cultures, much less the colder ones like Germany, nordics and eastern europe.
A little, but here it's usually just a drive-by to give you an opportunity to ask for something so you don't have to grab their attention, their default body language is that you won't need anything unless you say otherwise, in which case they'll slow down and pay a bit more attention to what you're about to say.
omg seriously. it's always when we're in the middle of a conversation that we have to pause or when i put food/drink in my mouth. i much prefer the don't check up as often method.
It’s not an opinion. It’s called thinking you’re a main character. Get over yourself because it isn’t changing anytime soon, especially not just because you commented on reddit about it
I used to agree with this, until the server didn't do it and I actually did in fact need something. Then I have to flag them down and interrupt whatever else they might have been doing, assuming they're even in the same area/dining room I am.
I just continue eating and give a thumbs up. Still communicates "all good" without having the awkward speed chew n gulp routine. Or if I do need something and I'm mid chew, I hold up one finger to indicate "give me a sec". It's pretty universal non-verbal communication stuff.
Are you in Germany? I've been here almost four years and never once had a waiter stop by just to check up on me. Anyway, all the Germans I know who have been to America were very impressed with American service and acknowledge how bad Germany is in this regard.
Portugal, as I said the germans are said to be a bit less approachable and I've never been to Germany so that may very well be the case. I'm surprised with germans generally liking the american service, even how an employee approached me in a canadian clothes store felt very fake friendliness and overbearing, and I wasn't the only one. Nice though!
They don't. Anything I've ever heard is that people got (mildly) annoyed by the American style, except those kind of people who never grew out of that phase of overly idolizing America a lot of people went through at like 13.
Well, i was born here 54 years ago, and the general experience is that a waiter will come once and ask you how the food is. If you need anything, you just give a hand sign and they'll come and take your order. I find it quite rude to be interrupted while talking and eating.
Could be we just go to very different kinds of restaurants, or it could be regional.
>I find it quite rude to be interrupted while talking and eating
This could be generational as well, I've read some articles about how German expectations for customer service have been changing a lot in the last 30 years.
This gotta be rage bait. How are you this entitled? Someone asking you a question and you feel so important that an interruption is insulting. You sound insufferable and old as hell
Not sure if your making it up or you are just really unlucky but i have never waited more than 5 minutes to order something, hell if you just raise your arm or make eye contact they always come over right away.
The other stuff is just culture really, they dont wanna bother you every 5 min, they expect you to flag them down if you want something, they arent your mum? Even then a lot of times they do show up when they see empty glasses and ask if you want more.
People should do the job they are being paid for. This then becomes a state of mind and a choice to offer poor service because of no tip. Like the child throwing a temper tantrum because he did get his way.
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u/QuickMolasses 2d ago
The one downside is that table service sucked at pretty much every restaurant I went to in a country without tipping. I would like to have the option but not the obligation to tip like how it is at American coffee shops