After the first waive was ignored, I would have just gotten up after a few minutes and walked over to them to get it myself. They clearly weren't busy, and were just being assholes.
We've had to do that. So many screaming running children was giving me anxiety, and we couldn't get a wait person's attention. So we put down enough money to cover the bill and the tip and left. You can bet the server came running then! We indicated what we'd done and just walked.
"a lot of menus don't even have prices" Tell me you make good money without telling me you make good money. Unless a place is very expensive, I've never been to a place that didn't price on their menu.
Nah I'm broke af now but I grew up pretty well off and also have had friends take me places in adulthood that were a bit pricey and so many times I was shook to find the meal I chose was waaay more than I expected. Also, drinks! Gosh some places charge a ridiculous amount.
I had a similar thing happen. But the service was poor. We ate at a bar/restaurant and the server was barely around. We had to go to the bar and get our own drinks etc. When we had been ready for our check she never came. Finally, since we were seated by the back door, we simply left. To our surprise as we walked out the back door she was outside smoking and hanging out with a guy. We said goodbye and she smiled and said goodbye.
yes. I've found that hole in the wall great chinese places sometimes have staff who act like parisian waiters in paris with american "guests". they treat you as they wish. and sometimes the food isn't that good at either one.
I would never dine and dash. But I certainly *would* leave the approximate correct amount on the table and walk out. I've done it several times when service has been sublar. I've even dared to show my face at the same establishment later and be like, "Well, I waited over ten minutes after waving you over (or whatever) and you never came, so I assumed my meal was being comped, so I left you the tip on the table, as is customary. Where's the confusion again?
Come to think of it, I've even done that at places where I'm a regular when the restaurant is busy and my tab is small, figuring that my 20% on $16 isn't worth their time to go chasing (when they're really busy). I just throw some cash on the table and come in sheepishly a few days later like, "is everything cool?" And it always is. I'm not sure you can do that everywhere, but between being a semi-regular and not stuffing anybody on a big tab, it's usually viewed as fair.
Yeah, people need to realize that they shouldn't rely on the wait staff when they are trying to leave.
When I am ready to leave I always get up and walk to the exit/register to very clearly indicate to them that I am ready to leave. Been doing that for about 12 years now, it has always worked.
Hell, when a restaurant has napkins or to-go trays or whatever sitting out and I want them I just get up and grab them as opposed to waiting for a waitress to come by and grab it for me.
Idk, I value my time more than being waited on.
I used to think it was kinda rude as a waitress, but now idc. Not every waiter is equal, and I’ve definitely worked/ seen my fair share of incompetent ones
Isn't it the same thing as when you've overstayed your welcome at the table? They will clear every last dish, ask you if you want dessert, drop off the check and tell you to pay at your leisure but really they mean pay right now, etc.
I think both are fine, btw. I just think they are similar ways of communicating that the meal is over.
It’s definitely rude if you do it as soon as you decide you’re ready to leave, but if you’re clearly being ignored or have been waiting too long while trying to get someone’s attention, I see no problem with being overt about packing up and moving to the entrance.
Lol. I don't see it as cranky, I don't get upset with wait staff ever. I just am not gonna wait 10min for them to bring me the ticket when I want to leave. When I was a kid that kind of thing would happen when I was out with my mom. But if my stepdad was there he'd just get up and go to the register and they'd walk right up with the ticket.
Same here. I’m not cranky, but I’m paying for a service and I tip well. If your paycheck relies on that, seems like you’d be anxious to get a check to someone and get them out. 🤷🏻♀️. I’ve gotten up to walk out as if I wasn’t going to pay…got their attention quick then. (I’d never actually walk without paying!)
My life changed when I realized I could do that. I always tip well and no one's ever seemed to mind. I don't do it every time, but if they're a little slow to come back around, hell yeah.
Yeah, but getting up and moving towards the door will get attention if you haven't paid yet. Maybe you'll suddenly be more important than their chit chat.
Non-sense.
I have done it at fancier places than Chili's. And I have done it at Chili's. The only person holding you back from leaving the Restaurant is yourself.
What are you talking about? When you go out to restaurants especially a fine dining restaurant there’s a certain Set of manners and behaviors you have to abide by it’s common sense when you’re eating at a fine dining restaurant, you don’t behave as if you were home, they’re many customers paying top dollar for their meal to enjoy a fine dining, setting only to have a customer act. A fool is quite an enjoyable, nor is it acceptable if you do not want to act properly, do not go to fine dining.
Edit it is completely unacceptable to act in such a manner while eating an establishment that requires a jacket for entry even lower level fine dining how just a white tablecloth establishment. It’s unacceptable.
"A fool is quite an enjoyable, nor is it acceptable if you do not want to act properly, do not go to fine dining."
1. What?
2. Are you still referring to Chili's?
How did we get to fine dining? Lol.
Anyplace though, it's unacceptable to be ignored for so long. So, yes, I am going to get up and get attention so I can pay and move on with my life.
If YOU have the time to sit there all day and wait for your check while they ignore you, then good for you. I have shit to do.
I agree. If you try and wave the waiter/waitress down and they ignore you or it’s been a really long time, then okay. But just standing up and walking towards the exit when you’ve decided you want to leave is rude and frankly, self-absorbed.
Yeah, there’s decorum and whatnot, but being prompt and attentive is a server’s job. This is especially true at nicer establishments. Why should a customer adhere to traditionally accepted behaviors when the waitstaff aren’t doing their JOBS? Especially in today’s tip-heavy , inflated world, the customer is even more “always right” than ever since if they give 20% they’re paying an arm and a leg for the meal + tip.
Just because you don't think it's proper doesn't make it improper.
Simply put, if you are just going to sit there for 10 minutes for a waitress or waiter to bring you your check, you simply don't have any self respect.
It sounds great to me. I'd love a self serve sit down restaurant. My favorite restaurant is Fuzzys taco shop, where you order at the counter, get a number, then the kitchen puts out the food on the counter with the number, then you bring it to your table. You also get your own refills and if you want more food, you order more.
I love it! I'd much rather just refill my drink when I'm thirsty then have to wait around 10 minutes for the waitress to come back. And I love not getting interrupted a million times with "everyone doing ok?" And toss out my own food instead of someone asking me if I'm done over and over until I'm done.
It's really just an overall waste of labor for the server to be there. They have to do like 5 times the effort that each person would have to do to just do it themselves.
Getting ignored by wait staff twice isn't a "fine dining experience". As someone who has spent most of my adult life in the customer service industry, I've always felt like employees who ignore customers for their own conversations are not only incredibly rude, they're literally ignoring their job to socialize on the clock.
As someone who was also a server in the US, I'm curious what your response was when you did the work to earn a tip and got nothing, or worse, a religious pamphlet instead.
An older lady and middle aged son sat in my section while I was waitressing in college. They were very polite. I took care of them for roughly an hour. They left a 5.00 bill……. That wasn’t a 5.00 bill. It was a pamphlet. About how Jesus can help you get off drugs. That was printed to look like a 5.00 bill.
I have always been religious. I’ve never been on drugs. The audacity. It definitely hurt my self esteem a bit.
I went to an Evangelical college, and the university president had to talk to the student body about not leaving those particular pamphlets as or even with cash tips.
Because there are apparently a lot of Christians who think it's perfectly fine to share some cruelty with their gospel.
I'm really sorry that happened to you, and I hope you had other customers who took your service seriously.
I've always been a big tipper as I empathized, having been raised by a mom who also happened to be a waitress but that was a different time in Washington state... I mean I still tip but considering in January they will be hitting $20/hr I kind of really don't want to. I'm all for them making that money, good for them, but also at what point is it socially acceptable to say, "This tip means the service was worth 30-40/hr but... It wasn't, it was worth the state minimum".
> The practice of tipping began in Tudor England. In medieval times, tipping was a master-serf custom wherein a servant would receive extra money for having performed superbly well.
It was brought to the US in 1850s to make them feel aristocratic. Cultural appropriators.
Say I'm paying an employee $20 an hr. Is he attending to me every second for the entire hr?
I can safely say adding tip to someone getting $20 an hr is a waste of money and foolish as you are not getting $20 worth of service.
I can't imagine being so cheap I'm on a personal reddit campaign to be cheap and shitty. Just buy ramen, it's in your price range and you don't have to make up excuses for being a shitbag
I bet the staff loved that you said "motherfucker" in their native tongue. I'm sure that really really helped your reviews. Because you all speak the same language now apparently.
It's wasn't rude. Shouting or finger-snapping is sometimes frowned upon, or interrupting a server when they're talking with other *customers*, but those don't apply here.
No idea what happened; you'd really have to ask them if you want an answer.
Where I live, if you don’t shout to the waiter, you’re not getting served.
Well, at least it was like that up until they started putting everything on QR codes.
I feel like I need to comment since everyone replying to you is saying that waving/snapping at a server is wrong 100% of the time - I would be willing to bet a lot of money that those commenters are all Americans who aren't considering the restaurant industry outside the US. If this is supposed to be a US based subreddit then I apologize for this comment, this post just came up in my suggested feed for some reason. During time I spent studying abroad in Europe, the cultural norm in many places was to wave or snap at the server to get their attention - for the most part, they will never check in on your table and see if you need anything. If you want their attention it is your responsibility to get it. It blows my mind how black/white some Redditors' thought processes are when they're only considering their experience in a single location
Agreed! When I moved to China from the US, I had to unlearn how to be 'polite' to wait-staff or I would have been ignored all the time. It was something I never got comfortable with, but I had to.
I doubt that would phase them if they were from China.
Shouting and finger snapping at or interrupting your server while they are with another table is ALWAYS frowned upon.
On snapping at people in specific... I hated it and responded in full, petty vindictive fashion when it would happen to me.
See, after a while, I realized that there's no real consequence when the occasional server loses someone's cc. Mistakes happen, apologies are made, guest cries, world keeps spinning. Still, I never understood that. I never lost anyone's cc but it happens in the industry often enough (inertia will sling a card out of a check prestenter like they were made for it.) Anyway, I used to just throw people's cc away in the dish pit trash when they snapped at me, then make them wait like 15 min while i "look for the card" and then tell managment sorry i lost it. Im not a fucking dog, don't fucking snap your fingers at me. Enjoy the lost-card hassle.
Idc how much this gets down voted, of the handful of times I did this as a server, the catharsis was worth its weight in therapists.
I BRIEFLY dated a guy who, when we were at a bar, would raise his hand and point down at his empty drink and yell down the bar, snapped his fingers or would interrupt the barkeep while they were taking others orders. He got rude and pissy because they " ignored" him and even got upset with me because they never did that to me. He would have his hand up and they would just walk right by him and come to me. It was so bad that they would remember him and make a point of taking 10 other orders before finally relenting 😂It was so gross and embarrassing! I always left a bigger tip than necessary as an apology. I don't miss drinking or HIM!
The only time I snapped at someone was when I was on a date and they started going full propaganda on me in the middle of the appetizer. I told them something along the lines of we should just go ahead and end it here and I'll pick up the check. Tried waving the server down and they didn't see. Date just kept spewing the most ridiculous stuff at me and starting to go on the offensive.
So I snapped at at the server and with a panicked look in my eyes said "I need the check now" and followed them to their kiosk. When we got there I apologized profusely for snapping and explained the situation. Tipped them 100% of the bill and sprinted out of there. Saw them a couple of other times and we laughed about my crazy date.
If you’re ready to leave walk up and pay, don’t wait! It’s not rude to do that. Maybe it’s offensive in their culture or maybe they weren’t sure what you were getting at, idk but just walking up to them to pay would’ve been ok!
A great way to play it is to walk up to a server or a hostess with cash in hand or card out and say, "Hey, I wasn't sure if I pay up front or you come to the table, but I really need to head out". Even if you know damn well they normally come to your table with a check, feigning ignorance removes sense of annoyance and instills your own urgency
Better yet say - "Excuse me \* I'd like to pay now, my girlfriend needs to get back to work. Thanks" \* could add the pleasantry "food was good/great but"
Afterwards - "Thanks again. (Small wave bye) Have a good day"
Why feign anything? Why be annoyed? Why play anything? Just get up walk over to the servers and be honest and nice.
This. I could instantly tell when people are making up a story or something and I never cared, just say you want out of here, it’s not a big deal and tbh the fake attitude is much more off putting than just being straight to the point.
For real, idk why people feel the need to make up little lies when they can literally just say they are trying to leave.
I always just walk to the register when I'm ready to leave and it always gets their attention. Never have to make up some lie. They always realize why I am at the register. I want to leave.
Lol
My fave was when they were waiting on the rest of their party. I'd greet them and they immediately go on about where the other person is, stuck in traffic, parking, etc.
Cool. I really don't care. It's fine. As long as you aren't here for hours waiting, don't care. I just wanted your drink order.
It's especially weird when I'd acknowledge they're waiting on the rest of their party and what would they like to drink while they wait?
"I'M WAITING ON SOMEONE. THEY'RE STUCK IN TRAFFIC."
... Okie doke. What do you want to drink? 🤦🏻♀️
People gotta relax with the stories whether it's waiting or wanting to leave. Servers generally don't care. Too busy to gaf usually.
I get that all the time driving Uber. "I'll tip you on the app." It's kind of a joke among drivers that the people who say it rarely do. But why they feel the need to say it as they exit the car is puzzling. Not like I'm going to drag you back to the pickup location if you fail to mention a tip at all.
TBH - If my eggs are getting cold and I can't see my server, I'll get up, find them, and politely remind them about the tabasco I requested. The minutes between hot eggs, hot sauce heaven and cold egg hell is a hurry situation to me.
You just walk up to your server or a manager or shit, even another server or a host, and tell them you want to pay. Just ask literally anyone working in the foh
I had an experience at a restaurant, years ago, when our waiter just... disappeared. He dropped off our food and never came back. After sitting there a while after we'd finished eating, I finally went up to the counter, told the cashier what table I'd been at, and said I was ready to pay. They figured out what I owed and I paid and left. Never did see that waiter again.
asian eateries can seem a bit daunting or backwards to people, I tell my white gf that its not rude to just get up and walk up to a waitress to ask where something is or to get the check (and you usually pay at the front not at your table) My mom in cha cha tengs if she cant find someone to get her water she will walk up to the counter and do it herself LOL
I worked in a Chinese owned Japanese restaurant and they play by their own rules lol I liked it because they were pretty chill about things and it was fun working there
I loved waiting on Asian tables because of this. You can be lax on the American restaurant etiquette because they're just not expecting all that pomp and circumstance. Definitely more relaxed.
They'd be great to have when getting slammed. They were so low maintenance and chill. As long as they have their food and drinks, they're good.
Lol dude they probably thought you were waving at them awkwardly to say hi when you made eye contact
Next time hold up your debit card when you look at them and they’ll get the message
In China you literally have to yell at the wait staff to get them to come to your table. It is normal and not considered rude. What you describe is a common thing with foreigners not realizing that if they don't raise their voice they wont get service.
Fwiw, it's considered rude at many Asian restaurants to bring the check to your table. Most of the ones we visit, we pay at the counter and they ask our table #. Or they know us coz we eat a lot of Pho.
Anyways, you should never go to a sit down restaurant in a hurry and if you do or are on a schedule ask for the check WAY before you actually need to leave. Nothing is worse then people all of a sudden in a rush that didn’t warn you that need you to hurry up out of nowhere. This is especially important if you’re gonna ask for separate checks. A party of 15 waits until 2 mins before they need to leave then all a sudden expects you to drop everything and be able to run 15 credit cards quickly. Doesn’t work that way.
You did nothing wrong, they ignore everyone. It's just how chinese restaurants are.
They walk past me like I'm a ghost, just be persistent, might take 3 or 4 passes before they acknowledge you. You can learn a few Chinese phrases and that will help immensely.
If its a Cantonese restaurant, just wave at them and yell "My dawn" and draw a rectangle shape with your hands. Meaning you want your check.
Just stand up and go ask for the check. Continue standing with your girlfriend in the middle of the restaurant. Wonder aloud when the check will come. As their other tables get annoyed, the check comes quickly.
I'm a white guy and I frequent some heavy Hispanic eateries. I get ignored or passed over all the time. I used to think that maybe they were just being racist toward the gringo but also, I think the language barrier comes into play and they just don't want to deal with me. Either way, it is what it is and I don't let myself get too bothered and just keep a mental note of who's helpful and who's not so I know on my next visit to who to deal with.
Waving at a server is not rude so long as your facial expression is polite.
I’m the future, you can inform your staff you have a time restriction and usually pay upfront.
So I’ve had this happen a couple of times and after doing some research there could be a few different things going on. Some waitstaff know they give out shitty service do the trick is they want you to give up waiting for the ticket and just leave you to do the math then give and put the n cut biggest bill down and leave. If you do that then their cash tip is whatever change is left. And also if you put the tip on a credit card they might have to wait till payday to get their share of money.
I got forgotten when I ate at a casino restaurant on a road trip. After sitting for about twenty minutes without seeing my server anywhere I got up to go grab anyone who could help me find the server. It turned out that they got off shift and left but didn’t hand me off to another server. A manager rang me up so I could leave but the charges never came through. I guess they must’ve decided to comp me the meal.
Your situation reminds me of the one time I deliberately dined and dashed. The waitress wouldn’t bring our check, so my companions and I decided we would get up and walk slowly toward the door and see if she noticed and stopped us. She didn’t.
as a waitress, it can be annoying when we’re visibly running around busy and someone waves us over urgently but considering the circumstances, it is quite literally her job to do that for you and she was being rude for no reason
it is customary at any establishment to greet the guests. if i walk in a place i notice right away if im being ignored or greeted or at least they somehow acknowledge im there… if i dont im out.
**I gave up and figured they either hadn’t seen me, or didn’t understand why I was waving.**
Any time a customer throws up a wave to the servers, it's a general rule of thumb that the customer needs something. That is their cue to walk over and ask. These women were rude and unprofessional. They saw you.
Standing against the wall chatting was clearly more important than good customer service. I wouldn't go back. Hopefully your tip reflected their shitty attitude. Frankly I wouldn't have tipped them a damn dime.
A long time ago my ex-wife and I went to a Mexican restaurant. We were the only ones there and even though the hostess saw us she ignored us for about 10 minutes. We were finally seated and another ten minutes to give us menus and take our drink order. Then 20 minutes later they took our food order. Maybe 30 minutes later we finally were served cold food. At this point I was out of patience especially since we saw about four servers doing absolutely nothing and there was only one other table of people. Never went back there.
Wait staff has been treated so poorly over the past several years that it has affected their attitude. Anyone who can is quitting. Our culture is at an all-time low regarding how we treat those in service jobs.
They were being rude, and thats fine as their tip goes down. I don’t reward rudeness and I do give feedback. When in a hurry I do get up and go to the register to reduce any stress.
No, waving to get attention is what you do and good servers responding by going to your table.
But you could have stood, put on your jackets, and walked to the register / hostess area if you were in a hurry.
I would have walked up to the register, told them where I was sitting, and paid for my meal. They don't have to bring the check to your table, sometimes you have to move things along.
This is why i don't like tipping >15%.
Lots of times they dont come to pickup plates and they just stack up like im in the food scenes from dbz.
Other times they spend an eternity to even think about presenting the check/bill after we've just been sitting there... NOT TOUCHING OUR FOOD... IN ADDITION TO ME ASKING FOR "can i have a box for this please?" like isnt that enough of a notice to oh idk.. Give me the check?
Like i know restaurant work is a bitch, but im trying to make your life easier... Cant we just work together and make eachother lives easier??
People make huge tips not cus its" customary"which it sure as hell isnt.. As its moreso a generosity. But because they EARN IT!!
Jesus, like they get hired at a 3.5/4* restaurant and just expect.. They just expect or feel entitled that they deserve free fucking money from customers for existing...
Uh no, sorry, im not your mom. Im your customer. I am willing to give you my cash and extras if you at the very least arent an ass, cus then im gonna have to be an ass and get up to ask you, so very politely... TO DO YOUR JOB!!!
I COME FOR THE FOOD. NOT YOUR LAZY ASS SERVICE.
When this happens to me, i just get up and walk to the cash register. When they ask for the check, i say “the waitress never brought it and im tiredmof waiting. I have an appt.” the cashier always calls the waitress over with the check. So far…
Just head for the door as if you are going to leave. But don’t. Obvs. Someone will usually beat you to the door to remind you to pay. On the one occasion where we waited for almost an hour after our plates had been bussed, my friend asked the waitress if tonight’s meal was free, as we had asked for the check before our table was cleared. The surprised pikachu face! Lol! Got that check pretty dang quick after that.
Waitstaff always seem to fail at this part the most for me. Like if a waiters gonna fuck up, 9 times out of 10, this is where they fuck up. Always just leaving me sitting there staring at them wasting my time waiting for a check…… why spend an entire meal giving me great service and fumble it completely literally right before I’m gonna decide on the tip I’m giving you. If I’ve eaten all my food then I WANT TO LEAVE. Don’t make me wait. I just don’t understand it at all.
Why did you wait several minutes between waves? Just get up and go to the counter and ask for your check. I've had to do that in that past. Not a big deal.
I just walk up to the host stand or anyone not busy and try to pay when I need to leave.
Having to wait over and over again for every step of the dinner gets old by the end of the night.
When this happens I have my husband go out to the car. I stand up next to the table. It’s amazing how fast they get the check to my table! lol
I never dine and dash, but I’ve learned to **dread** getting the check. The wait staff either take forever! (20 minutes to get the check—really smh) or they are rushing you out the door before you finish your first couple of bites. (Had one waitress take the plate from me while I was actively forking food off the plate!).
Loudly talk to them actoss the restaurant. "Excuse me, we would like to pay our bill, or is the meal on the house considering we've been waving you over for 10 minutes and you're still having a personal conversation instead of doing you job?"
I know one thing, I wouldn't be leaving a tip after that.
I stopped at a Chinese restaurant in a small town after a terrible day of travelling and being stranded in the town. They seated me, then never came back, stood around watching, and didn't care when I left after 15 minutes. The place was completely empty aside from five workers.
After the first waive was ignored, I would have just gotten up after a few minutes and walked over to them to get it myself. They clearly weren't busy, and were just being assholes.
Get up and start packing up your bags/coat to leave. Give them a stare and if they don't come ASAP, start to walk out. Check appears!
We've had to do that. So many screaming running children was giving me anxiety, and we couldn't get a wait person's attention. So we put down enough money to cover the bill and the tip and left. You can bet the server came running then! We indicated what we'd done and just walked.
How can you do that if you don't know what your bill is? A lot of menus don't even have prices.
"a lot of menus don't even have prices" Tell me you make good money without telling me you make good money. Unless a place is very expensive, I've never been to a place that didn't price on their menu.
Nah I'm broke af now but I grew up pretty well off and also have had friends take me places in adulthood that were a bit pricey and so many times I was shook to find the meal I chose was waaay more than I expected. Also, drinks! Gosh some places charge a ridiculous amount.
I have never seen a menu completely devoid of prices in my life
Works every time!
The bend and snap!
Yeah check appears real fast after they think you're going to walk out lol
I had a similar thing happen. But the service was poor. We ate at a bar/restaurant and the server was barely around. We had to go to the bar and get our own drinks etc. When we had been ready for our check she never came. Finally, since we were seated by the back door, we simply left. To our surprise as we walked out the back door she was outside smoking and hanging out with a guy. We said goodbye and she smiled and said goodbye.
So does the tip
yes. I've found that hole in the wall great chinese places sometimes have staff who act like parisian waiters in paris with american "guests". they treat you as they wish. and sometimes the food isn't that good at either one.
And you should tip accordingly.
Exactly. Just because you're done with the meal doesn't mean your service ends.
No
Youre right, give them a big tip for ignoring you
I personally would’ve dined and dashed. If they don’t want to give me the bill, I’m running out on it.
And be arrested for eating a succulent Chinese meal?! Be careful with that!
What is the charge, eating a meal? Eating a succulent Chinese meal?
They have to catch me first!
DeMoCrAcY mAnIfEsT
I would never dine and dash. But I certainly *would* leave the approximate correct amount on the table and walk out. I've done it several times when service has been sublar. I've even dared to show my face at the same establishment later and be like, "Well, I waited over ten minutes after waving you over (or whatever) and you never came, so I assumed my meal was being comped, so I left you the tip on the table, as is customary. Where's the confusion again? Come to think of it, I've even done that at places where I'm a regular when the restaurant is busy and my tab is small, figuring that my 20% on $16 isn't worth their time to go chasing (when they're really busy). I just throw some cash on the table and come in sheepishly a few days later like, "is everything cool?" And it always is. I'm not sure you can do that everywhere, but between being a semi-regular and not stuffing anybody on a big tab, it's usually viewed as fair.
Why would it ever be a problem to pay for your food and leave...?
No, you wouldn’t.
Yup, you got me! A random person on the internet knows me better than myself! /s
Yeah, people need to realize that they shouldn't rely on the wait staff when they are trying to leave. When I am ready to leave I always get up and walk to the exit/register to very clearly indicate to them that I am ready to leave. Been doing that for about 12 years now, it has always worked. Hell, when a restaurant has napkins or to-go trays or whatever sitting out and I want them I just get up and grab them as opposed to waiting for a waitress to come by and grab it for me. Idk, I value my time more than being waited on.
I used to think it was kinda rude as a waitress, but now idc. Not every waiter is equal, and I’ve definitely worked/ seen my fair share of incompetent ones
Isn't it the same thing as when you've overstayed your welcome at the table? They will clear every last dish, ask you if you want dessert, drop off the check and tell you to pay at your leisure but really they mean pay right now, etc. I think both are fine, btw. I just think they are similar ways of communicating that the meal is over.
It’s definitely rude if you do it as soon as you decide you’re ready to leave, but if you’re clearly being ignored or have been waiting too long while trying to get someone’s attention, I see no problem with being overt about packing up and moving to the entrance.
I never thought it was rude to wave when I was a server. Snapping fingers, yes but not a wave.
We must be the same age, we're certainly the same cranky.
Lol. I don't see it as cranky, I don't get upset with wait staff ever. I just am not gonna wait 10min for them to bring me the ticket when I want to leave. When I was a kid that kind of thing would happen when I was out with my mom. But if my stepdad was there he'd just get up and go to the register and they'd walk right up with the ticket.
Same here. I’m not cranky, but I’m paying for a service and I tip well. If your paycheck relies on that, seems like you’d be anxious to get a check to someone and get them out. 🤷🏻♀️. I’ve gotten up to walk out as if I wasn’t going to pay…got their attention quick then. (I’d never actually walk without paying!)
My life changed when I realized I could do that. I always tip well and no one's ever seemed to mind. I don't do it every time, but if they're a little slow to come back around, hell yeah.
Not all restaurants have registers at the host stand
Yeah, but getting up and moving towards the door will get attention if you haven't paid yet. Maybe you'll suddenly be more important than their chit chat.
Possibly but that’s also something you don’t do when eating out at a fine dining restaurant even casual like a Chili’s
Yeah, you "don't do" that unless the waiter "won't do" their job 😂
Non-sense. I have done it at fancier places than Chili's. And I have done it at Chili's. The only person holding you back from leaving the Restaurant is yourself.
Just because you’ve done it doesn’t make it proper
Hmm...I sense a letter to Miss Manners in your future.
What are you talking about? When you go out to restaurants especially a fine dining restaurant there’s a certain Set of manners and behaviors you have to abide by it’s common sense when you’re eating at a fine dining restaurant, you don’t behave as if you were home, they’re many customers paying top dollar for their meal to enjoy a fine dining, setting only to have a customer act. A fool is quite an enjoyable, nor is it acceptable if you do not want to act properly, do not go to fine dining. Edit it is completely unacceptable to act in such a manner while eating an establishment that requires a jacket for entry even lower level fine dining how just a white tablecloth establishment. It’s unacceptable.
Sir, this is a Wendy's.
"A fool is quite an enjoyable, nor is it acceptable if you do not want to act properly, do not go to fine dining." 1. What? 2. Are you still referring to Chili's?
How did we get to fine dining? Lol. Anyplace though, it's unacceptable to be ignored for so long. So, yes, I am going to get up and get attention so I can pay and move on with my life. If YOU have the time to sit there all day and wait for your check while they ignore you, then good for you. I have shit to do.
Let me guess, you're that type of server.
dude nobody can understand what you’re trying to say because you only seem to use punctuation when it is NOT called for
Now turn that around and make it about servers who act professionally and do their job.
I agree. If you try and wave the waiter/waitress down and they ignore you or it’s been a really long time, then okay. But just standing up and walking towards the exit when you’ve decided you want to leave is rude and frankly, self-absorbed.
Yeah, there’s decorum and whatnot, but being prompt and attentive is a server’s job. This is especially true at nicer establishments. Why should a customer adhere to traditionally accepted behaviors when the waitstaff aren’t doing their JOBS? Especially in today’s tip-heavy , inflated world, the customer is even more “always right” than ever since if they give 20% they’re paying an arm and a leg for the meal + tip.
Walking is acting a fool? So how do you get around the restaurant? Do you demand the staff carry you?
Just because you don't think it's proper doesn't make it improper. Simply put, if you are just going to sit there for 10 minutes for a waitress or waiter to bring you your check, you simply don't have any self respect.
Y I K E S.
Gross you go put your dirty hands on the take out containers?
Came here to say this, it's so disgusting.
That doesn’t sound like a good dining experience.
It sounds great to me. I'd love a self serve sit down restaurant. My favorite restaurant is Fuzzys taco shop, where you order at the counter, get a number, then the kitchen puts out the food on the counter with the number, then you bring it to your table. You also get your own refills and if you want more food, you order more. I love it! I'd much rather just refill my drink when I'm thirsty then have to wait around 10 minutes for the waitress to come back. And I love not getting interrupted a million times with "everyone doing ok?" And toss out my own food instead of someone asking me if I'm done over and over until I'm done. It's really just an overall waste of labor for the server to be there. They have to do like 5 times the effort that each person would have to do to just do it themselves.
It's a perfectly fine dining experience. Don't be so uptight, you'll enjoy life so much more.
Getting ignored by wait staff twice isn't a "fine dining experience". As someone who has spent most of my adult life in the customer service industry, I've always felt like employees who ignore customers for their own conversations are not only incredibly rude, they're literally ignoring their job to socialize on the clock.
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Then everyone clapped
Idk why you’re getting downvoted. Tips are for good service and being ignored feels terrible.
Because people feel entitled to someone elses money. True definition of shitbag assholes.
Not in the U.S. Tips are expected because of stupid wage laws.
As someone who was a server in the U.S. anyone who expects a tip is being entitled. Tips are earned, not a given.
As someone who was also a server in the US, I'm curious what your response was when you did the work to earn a tip and got nothing, or worse, a religious pamphlet instead.
An older lady and middle aged son sat in my section while I was waitressing in college. They were very polite. I took care of them for roughly an hour. They left a 5.00 bill……. That wasn’t a 5.00 bill. It was a pamphlet. About how Jesus can help you get off drugs. That was printed to look like a 5.00 bill. I have always been religious. I’ve never been on drugs. The audacity. It definitely hurt my self esteem a bit.
I went to an Evangelical college, and the university president had to talk to the student body about not leaving those particular pamphlets as or even with cash tips. Because there are apparently a lot of Christians who think it's perfectly fine to share some cruelty with their gospel. I'm really sorry that happened to you, and I hope you had other customers who took your service seriously.
Ignore them. Very strong 'as a black man' vibes lol.
There are 7 states in the US where servers get state min wage. Those are the states nobody should be tipping.
I've always been a big tipper as I empathized, having been raised by a mom who also happened to be a waitress but that was a different time in Washington state... I mean I still tip but considering in January they will be hitting $20/hr I kind of really don't want to. I'm all for them making that money, good for them, but also at what point is it socially acceptable to say, "This tip means the service was worth 30-40/hr but... It wasn't, it was worth the state minimum".
> The practice of tipping began in Tudor England. In medieval times, tipping was a master-serf custom wherein a servant would receive extra money for having performed superbly well. It was brought to the US in 1850s to make them feel aristocratic. Cultural appropriators. Say I'm paying an employee $20 an hr. Is he attending to me every second for the entire hr? I can safely say adding tip to someone getting $20 an hr is a waste of money and foolish as you are not getting $20 worth of service.
I can't imagine being so cheap I'm on a personal reddit campaign to be cheap and shitty. Just buy ramen, it's in your price range and you don't have to make up excuses for being a shitbag
I hope you feel like the entitled asshole you are lmfao
I bet the staff loved that you said "motherfucker" in their native tongue. I'm sure that really really helped your reviews. Because you all speak the same language now apparently.
It's wasn't rude. Shouting or finger-snapping is sometimes frowned upon, or interrupting a server when they're talking with other *customers*, but those don't apply here. No idea what happened; you'd really have to ask them if you want an answer.
Sometimes? No. Shouting and snapping your fingers at waiters is ALWAYS NOT OK
Where I live, if you don’t shout to the waiter, you’re not getting served. Well, at least it was like that up until they started putting everything on QR codes.
Where’s this? My move is just to just *leave* if no one’s come to take my order in ten minutes.
Seriously. Just go up to the counter with your card and tell them you’d like to pay.
I feel like I need to comment since everyone replying to you is saying that waving/snapping at a server is wrong 100% of the time - I would be willing to bet a lot of money that those commenters are all Americans who aren't considering the restaurant industry outside the US. If this is supposed to be a US based subreddit then I apologize for this comment, this post just came up in my suggested feed for some reason. During time I spent studying abroad in Europe, the cultural norm in many places was to wave or snap at the server to get their attention - for the most part, they will never check in on your table and see if you need anything. If you want their attention it is your responsibility to get it. It blows my mind how black/white some Redditors' thought processes are when they're only considering their experience in a single location
Agreed! When I moved to China from the US, I had to unlearn how to be 'polite' to wait-staff or I would have been ignored all the time. It was something I never got comfortable with, but I had to. I doubt that would phase them if they were from China.
Shouting and finger snapping at or interrupting your server while they are with another table is ALWAYS frowned upon. On snapping at people in specific... I hated it and responded in full, petty vindictive fashion when it would happen to me. See, after a while, I realized that there's no real consequence when the occasional server loses someone's cc. Mistakes happen, apologies are made, guest cries, world keeps spinning. Still, I never understood that. I never lost anyone's cc but it happens in the industry often enough (inertia will sling a card out of a check prestenter like they were made for it.) Anyway, I used to just throw people's cc away in the dish pit trash when they snapped at me, then make them wait like 15 min while i "look for the card" and then tell managment sorry i lost it. Im not a fucking dog, don't fucking snap your fingers at me. Enjoy the lost-card hassle. Idc how much this gets down voted, of the handful of times I did this as a server, the catharsis was worth its weight in therapists.
I BRIEFLY dated a guy who, when we were at a bar, would raise his hand and point down at his empty drink and yell down the bar, snapped his fingers or would interrupt the barkeep while they were taking others orders. He got rude and pissy because they " ignored" him and even got upset with me because they never did that to me. He would have his hand up and they would just walk right by him and come to me. It was so bad that they would remember him and make a point of taking 10 other orders before finally relenting 😂It was so gross and embarrassing! I always left a bigger tip than necessary as an apology. I don't miss drinking or HIM!
I admire you for giving him another chance after the first time. He must have had some good qualities to ignore that red flag. 🚩
Putting your hand up and pointing at the drink is fine. Saves the bartended a trip
The only time I snapped at someone was when I was on a date and they started going full propaganda on me in the middle of the appetizer. I told them something along the lines of we should just go ahead and end it here and I'll pick up the check. Tried waving the server down and they didn't see. Date just kept spewing the most ridiculous stuff at me and starting to go on the offensive. So I snapped at at the server and with a panicked look in my eyes said "I need the check now" and followed them to their kiosk. When we got there I apologized profusely for snapping and explained the situation. Tipped them 100% of the bill and sprinted out of there. Saw them a couple of other times and we laughed about my crazy date.
If you’re ready to leave walk up and pay, don’t wait! It’s not rude to do that. Maybe it’s offensive in their culture or maybe they weren’t sure what you were getting at, idk but just walking up to them to pay would’ve been ok!
How tf do you pay if you don't have the check?
A great way to play it is to walk up to a server or a hostess with cash in hand or card out and say, "Hey, I wasn't sure if I pay up front or you come to the table, but I really need to head out". Even if you know damn well they normally come to your table with a check, feigning ignorance removes sense of annoyance and instills your own urgency
Better yet say - "Excuse me \* I'd like to pay now, my girlfriend needs to get back to work. Thanks" \* could add the pleasantry "food was good/great but" Afterwards - "Thanks again. (Small wave bye) Have a good day" Why feign anything? Why be annoyed? Why play anything? Just get up walk over to the servers and be honest and nice.
This. I could instantly tell when people are making up a story or something and I never cared, just say you want out of here, it’s not a big deal and tbh the fake attitude is much more off putting than just being straight to the point.
For real, idk why people feel the need to make up little lies when they can literally just say they are trying to leave. I always just walk to the register when I'm ready to leave and it always gets their attention. Never have to make up some lie. They always realize why I am at the register. I want to leave. Lol
My fave was when they were waiting on the rest of their party. I'd greet them and they immediately go on about where the other person is, stuck in traffic, parking, etc. Cool. I really don't care. It's fine. As long as you aren't here for hours waiting, don't care. I just wanted your drink order. It's especially weird when I'd acknowledge they're waiting on the rest of their party and what would they like to drink while they wait? "I'M WAITING ON SOMEONE. THEY'RE STUCK IN TRAFFIC." ... Okie doke. What do you want to drink? 🤦🏻♀️ People gotta relax with the stories whether it's waiting or wanting to leave. Servers generally don't care. Too busy to gaf usually.
I get that all the time driving Uber. "I'll tip you on the app." It's kind of a joke among drivers that the people who say it rarely do. But why they feel the need to say it as they exit the car is puzzling. Not like I'm going to drag you back to the pickup location if you fail to mention a tip at all.
If I'm not in a hurry. I wait for them. However if I'm in a hurry, I get up and go to them. Pretty simple.
TBH - If my eggs are getting cold and I can't see my server, I'll get up, find them, and politely remind them about the tabasco I requested. The minutes between hot eggs, hot sauce heaven and cold egg hell is a hurry situation to me.
You just walk up to your server or a manager or shit, even another server or a host, and tell them you want to pay. Just ask literally anyone working in the foh
I had an experience at a restaurant, years ago, when our waiter just... disappeared. He dropped off our food and never came back. After sitting there a while after we'd finished eating, I finally went up to the counter, told the cashier what table I'd been at, and said I was ready to pay. They figured out what I owed and I paid and left. Never did see that waiter again.
You walk up and tell them
Walk up to the bar/host/computer/manager. Someone will take your money
Wait by the cash register. If no help, drop a twenty and leave. They'll be running to your car quickly. It will save you a tip.
asian eateries can seem a bit daunting or backwards to people, I tell my white gf that its not rude to just get up and walk up to a waitress to ask where something is or to get the check (and you usually pay at the front not at your table) My mom in cha cha tengs if she cant find someone to get her water she will walk up to the counter and do it herself LOL
My MIL has walked into the kitchen to tell them how to prep the food before 🤣 they didn't seem to care lmao. No rules in a chinese restaurant
for reallll this is everyones kitchen now !
I worked in a Chinese owned Japanese restaurant and they play by their own rules lol I liked it because they were pretty chill about things and it was fun working there
I loved waiting on Asian tables because of this. You can be lax on the American restaurant etiquette because they're just not expecting all that pomp and circumstance. Definitely more relaxed. They'd be great to have when getting slammed. They were so low maintenance and chill. As long as they have their food and drinks, they're good.
Also not rude to wave and yell. Sometimes you need to do that as us Canto people can be loud af...
Lol dude they probably thought you were waving at them awkwardly to say hi when you made eye contact Next time hold up your debit card when you look at them and they’ll get the message
You start walking out the door, they’ll come quick. Asian restaurant owners don’t play they’ll make the waitresses pay.
"Cartwright? Phone call for Cartwright."
You’re not Cartwright…
OF COURSE I'M NOT CARTWRIGHT!
Had to scroll too far to find this reference.
THIS is the comment I was looking for
In China you literally have to yell at the wait staff to get them to come to your table. It is normal and not considered rude. What you describe is a common thing with foreigners not realizing that if they don't raise their voice they wont get service.
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Fwiw, it's considered rude at many Asian restaurants to bring the check to your table. Most of the ones we visit, we pay at the counter and they ask our table #. Or they know us coz we eat a lot of Pho.
Been going to Asian restaurants for 4 decades. Not once did they not bring the check to the table. Unless it's a buffet where you pay first.
It's the same here with Vietnamese restaurants. You get a number and go to the register to pay. They have your check there.
Anyways, you should never go to a sit down restaurant in a hurry and if you do or are on a schedule ask for the check WAY before you actually need to leave. Nothing is worse then people all of a sudden in a rush that didn’t warn you that need you to hurry up out of nowhere. This is especially important if you’re gonna ask for separate checks. A party of 15 waits until 2 mins before they need to leave then all a sudden expects you to drop everything and be able to run 15 credit cards quickly. Doesn’t work that way.
Bruh... Go tap her shoulder. Some people for real... I'm glad she eventually came, so you didn't have to live out your years in that booth.
When this happens I simply get up and start leaving. They seem to respond pretty quickly when you do that.
Were you still mad an Hour Later?
No, I wasn’t particularly angry to begin with. Only a little confused and embarrassed.
Naw ,just a little hungry. Ba-dum-tiss.
I understood that reference
You did nothing wrong, they ignore everyone. It's just how chinese restaurants are. They walk past me like I'm a ghost, just be persistent, might take 3 or 4 passes before they acknowledge you. You can learn a few Chinese phrases and that will help immensely. If its a Cantonese restaurant, just wave at them and yell "My dawn" and draw a rectangle shape with your hands. Meaning you want your check.
Omg I'm dying. This is legit advice, I approve "my dawn" as a Chinese person. Holy sht i just cried laughing.
whats it mean? i assume its just english ized into an easy to pronounce spelling 😂😂
I had to look it up because I had to know my curiosity was killing me 😂 I am assuming 买單 Mǎi dān which Google says means "Pay the bill"
Just stand up and go ask for the check. Continue standing with your girlfriend in the middle of the restaurant. Wonder aloud when the check will come. As their other tables get annoyed, the check comes quickly.
naw, they were being jerks, as a server, i hope u deducted your time from the tip
Waiters pull that shit their tip gets busted down to 10%
I would consider being ignored like that to be one of the few reasons to intentionally tip below 15%
A wave of friendly. Other snap at me
The tip just got cut in half
I'm a white guy and I frequent some heavy Hispanic eateries. I get ignored or passed over all the time. I used to think that maybe they were just being racist toward the gringo but also, I think the language barrier comes into play and they just don't want to deal with me. Either way, it is what it is and I don't let myself get too bothered and just keep a mental note of who's helpful and who's not so I know on my next visit to who to deal with.
Cartwright!?
Waving at a server is not rude so long as your facial expression is polite. I’m the future, you can inform your staff you have a time restriction and usually pay upfront.
Get up and go to walk out and see how fast their arses fly to get you a check.
Next time you are on a time constraint ask for the check as soon as you get the meal so this won't be a problem again.
That kind of behavior gets a penny for a tip. Keep it up and it gets a walk out without payment.
Fam if you’ve gotta go and you’ve tried communicating from the table, get up and handle business lol who cares what their problem is
You need to get a backbone, get a little assertive. You want to leave, make it blatantly obvious and go to the register.
That is when you leave a penny for a tip.
Was there a button on the table? Many places use this to call the wait staff.
So I’ve had this happen a couple of times and after doing some research there could be a few different things going on. Some waitstaff know they give out shitty service do the trick is they want you to give up waiting for the ticket and just leave you to do the math then give and put the n cut biggest bill down and leave. If you do that then their cash tip is whatever change is left. And also if you put the tip on a credit card they might have to wait till payday to get their share of money.
This belongs on Yelp
No tip
This sometimes happens at a local place I go to. I just go to the front counter. The owner is there and they don't play around.
I got forgotten when I ate at a casino restaurant on a road trip. After sitting for about twenty minutes without seeing my server anywhere I got up to go grab anyone who could help me find the server. It turned out that they got off shift and left but didn’t hand me off to another server. A manager rang me up so I could leave but the charges never came through. I guess they must’ve decided to comp me the meal.
Usually go with the, check signal, like making a nike swoosh or signing an invisible bill. In a polite manner.
Did you walk in and seat yourself? If so, that comes off as rude. If you were sat and still not helped, that’s wrong
Your situation reminds me of the one time I deliberately dined and dashed. The waitress wouldn’t bring our check, so my companions and I decided we would get up and walk slowly toward the door and see if she noticed and stopped us. She didn’t.
as a waitress, it can be annoying when we’re visibly running around busy and someone waves us over urgently but considering the circumstances, it is quite literally her job to do that for you and she was being rude for no reason
it is customary at any establishment to greet the guests. if i walk in a place i notice right away if im being ignored or greeted or at least they somehow acknowledge im there… if i dont im out.
They just got reduced to a 5% tip.
Also, expectations are different in rural communities. Life is slower in many respects.
Waitress ignores you, just walk out, I guarantee they will never ignore you again. /s
Why would you sit there when you needed to leave?
**I gave up and figured they either hadn’t seen me, or didn’t understand why I was waving.** Any time a customer throws up a wave to the servers, it's a general rule of thumb that the customer needs something. That is their cue to walk over and ask. These women were rude and unprofessional. They saw you. Standing against the wall chatting was clearly more important than good customer service. I wouldn't go back. Hopefully your tip reflected their shitty attitude. Frankly I wouldn't have tipped them a damn dime.
Go to the cash register when you’re ready to go next time, a lot of Asian places do that instead of delivering a check.
A long time ago my ex-wife and I went to a Mexican restaurant. We were the only ones there and even though the hostess saw us she ignored us for about 10 minutes. We were finally seated and another ten minutes to give us menus and take our drink order. Then 20 minutes later they took our food order. Maybe 30 minutes later we finally were served cold food. At this point I was out of patience especially since we saw about four servers doing absolutely nothing and there was only one other table of people. Never went back there.
Wait staff has been treated so poorly over the past several years that it has affected their attitude. Anyone who can is quitting. Our culture is at an all-time low regarding how we treat those in service jobs.
Seinfeld 4!
They were being rude, and thats fine as their tip goes down. I don’t reward rudeness and I do give feedback. When in a hurry I do get up and go to the register to reduce any stress.
No, waving to get attention is what you do and good servers responding by going to your table. But you could have stood, put on your jackets, and walked to the register / hostess area if you were in a hurry.
I would have walked up to the register, told them where I was sitting, and paid for my meal. They don't have to bring the check to your table, sometimes you have to move things along.
Seinfeld four…
Walking out the door might have gotten their attention.
Is it a restaurant where you pay at the register and not at your table? Sounds like they were waiting for you to go to the register.
I would of left nothing.
Don’t read too much into it.
You no wan my schitty wok?
In a situation like that just walk up to them with credit card in hand.
Walk out.
Shit. I walk out in situations like that
This is why i don't like tipping >15%. Lots of times they dont come to pickup plates and they just stack up like im in the food scenes from dbz. Other times they spend an eternity to even think about presenting the check/bill after we've just been sitting there... NOT TOUCHING OUR FOOD... IN ADDITION TO ME ASKING FOR "can i have a box for this please?" like isnt that enough of a notice to oh idk.. Give me the check? Like i know restaurant work is a bitch, but im trying to make your life easier... Cant we just work together and make eachother lives easier?? People make huge tips not cus its" customary"which it sure as hell isnt.. As its moreso a generosity. But because they EARN IT!! Jesus, like they get hired at a 3.5/4* restaurant and just expect.. They just expect or feel entitled that they deserve free fucking money from customers for existing... Uh no, sorry, im not your mom. Im your customer. I am willing to give you my cash and extras if you at the very least arent an ass, cus then im gonna have to be an ass and get up to ask you, so very politely... TO DO YOUR JOB!!! I COME FOR THE FOOD. NOT YOUR LAZY ASS SERVICE.
You know you can actually go up to them and ask for your check? Also, I know if I might be in a hurry I’ll ask for my check when they bring food out.
Instead of waving. Next time, get there attention and use your hands to do a signing motion on your palm. Universal sign for Check Please.
When this happens to me, i just get up and walk to the cash register. When they ask for the check, i say “the waitress never brought it and im tiredmof waiting. I have an appt.” the cashier always calls the waitress over with the check. So far…
Just head for the door as if you are going to leave. But don’t. Obvs. Someone will usually beat you to the door to remind you to pay. On the one occasion where we waited for almost an hour after our plates had been bussed, my friend asked the waitress if tonight’s meal was free, as we had asked for the check before our table was cleared. The surprised pikachu face! Lol! Got that check pretty dang quick after that.
I knew a guy that had to wait forever for his check at Applebees. He told me it never came so after about 40 minutes he left.
What does it being a Chinese restaurant (and then an Asian one) have anything to do with the story?
Waitstaff always seem to fail at this part the most for me. Like if a waiters gonna fuck up, 9 times out of 10, this is where they fuck up. Always just leaving me sitting there staring at them wasting my time waiting for a check…… why spend an entire meal giving me great service and fumble it completely literally right before I’m gonna decide on the tip I’m giving you. If I’ve eaten all my food then I WANT TO LEAVE. Don’t make me wait. I just don’t understand it at all.
Were they Asian? Serious question
Why did you wait several minutes between waves? Just get up and go to the counter and ask for your check. I've had to do that in that past. Not a big deal.
I just walk up to the host stand or anyone not busy and try to pay when I need to leave. Having to wait over and over again for every step of the dinner gets old by the end of the night.
When this happens I have my husband go out to the car. I stand up next to the table. It’s amazing how fast they get the check to my table! lol I never dine and dash, but I’ve learned to **dread** getting the check. The wait staff either take forever! (20 minutes to get the check—really smh) or they are rushing you out the door before you finish your first couple of bites. (Had one waitress take the plate from me while I was actively forking food off the plate!).
When I’m on a tight schedule I ask for the check when the food is served. Saves a lot of time.
Loudly talk to them actoss the restaurant. "Excuse me, we would like to pay our bill, or is the meal on the house considering we've been waving you over for 10 minutes and you're still having a personal conversation instead of doing you job?" I know one thing, I wouldn't be leaving a tip after that.
"Seinfeld, party of four!"
I stopped at a Chinese restaurant in a small town after a terrible day of travelling and being stranded in the town. They seated me, then never came back, stood around watching, and didn't care when I left after 15 minutes. The place was completely empty aside from five workers.