That awkward moment when I realized I'd been clearing my table wrong at the diner

I was at the local diner on Elm Street last Tuesday, finishing up my eggs and toast. I stacked my plates and pushed them to the edge like I always do, trying to be helpful. The waitress came over and gently said, 'Honey, you don't have to do that, we have a system back here.' Turns out I was making extra work for the dishwashers because they sort plates by size. For like 10 years I thought I was being polite, but I was just messing up their flow. Has anyone else had that moment where a small habit you thought was good turned out to be annoying to someone else?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia_jones729d ago

Ngl I used to think stacking plates was the universal sign of being a considerate customer. My whole life I just assumed waitstaff appreciated it because it looked neater. But your story actually changed my mind, I never considered that dishwashers might have a specific sorting system. Now I'm wondering how many times I've been "helping" and just making someone's job harder without realizing it. It's kind of embarrassing to think about all those years of doing the opposite of what was actually helpful. Guess I'll be paying more attention to how the pros do it from now on.

the_daniel9d ago

@julia_jones72 I gotta disagree here. Been in the service industry for years and stacked plates are always better than leaving a mess. The dishwashers at my old place sorted by size too but they still said thanks for stacking. It's not about the sorting it's about not leaving food crusted plates scattered everywhere like a bomb went off. One waitress's opinion doesn't change the fact that most servers I've worked with appreciate the effort. Your heart was in the right place clearing your table, don't second guess yourself over one comment from one person.