10 Things Diners Love and Hate When Eating Out

49% of people polled in a recent restaurant survey said that over attentive waiters are one of the most annoying things when dining out in a restaurant.

The survey of 894 people in Britain was conducted by the food critic Barry Verber, who thinks we should highlight the problem of service in the restaurant industry and the lack of debate surrounding the topic.

While the findings about overly attentive waiters may surprise some, it seems there is a thin line between caring too much and not caring enough. 34% of those surveyed said they are put of by a waiter who is too distant or ‘uncaring’.

Below are some of the findings:

17% of people complained about overly loud diners in the restaurant.
13% said they would be upset if other diners tried to talk to them.
28% of people are upset by other diners talking on a mobile phone.
9% would be upset by bad body odour in restaurant. 
3% would be irritated by other people coughing.
5% would be upset by heavy petting among customers.

67% said value for money would attract them to try a new restaurant.
95% of those who say they felt they had bad service would not leave a tip, while 88% of those who had a good experience said they would return to the restaurant and leave a 10% tip each time.
23% of those who had a good experience said they would post a review on Trip Advisor.
41% of people said they would post something about a restaurant on social media while they were actually inside the venue.

The survey found that the best staff in a restaurant are professional, friendly and possess an extensive knowledge of the menu and food on offer. Verber also pointed out that social media has changed the way in which diners express their opinions and that restaurants should be vary of this.

Verber is not the only person calling for a stronger focus on service in the restaurant industry. Will Guidara, co-owner of the NoMad Hotel and Eleven Madison Park in New York, recently launched The Welcome Conference - an event designed to highlight the important role of service in the industry and how the service part of restaurants has not developed at the same rate as chefs and the kitchen crew.