(NEXSTAR) — Be honest: Have you ever carried your own alcohol into a restaurant? What about arguing with the wait staff over prices? If so, you’ve broken some “unwritten rules” of dining out.
But those aren’t even the top two offenses, according to a recent survey conducted by the UK-based market research firm YouGov.
The company polled more than 1,000 Americans back in April to find out which behaviors from restaurant customers are the most unacceptable.
While many survey respondents were split on certain acts, like making modifications to a menu item, the vast majority agreed on one thing. About 90% said the most annoying thing you can do at a restaurant is refuse to pay for a meal that you ate but didn’t like.
Bryan Hull, a contracts professor at Loyola Law School in California, previously told financial news site Kiplinger that in most cases you’ll be obligated to foot the bill for an unsavory dish that you still scarfed down. However, many restaurants would simply take the meal back to the kitchen and not charge the customer if they didn’t eat it entirely, Hull explained.
Allowing your kids to roam freely around a restaurant is another big no-no when it comes to eating out, said 90% of respondents. Some restaurants have gone as far as banning younger children altogether, such as Nettie’s House of Spaghetti in Tinton Falls, New Jersey.
In February 2023, the Italian eatery made headlines after announcing on social media that it would no longer allow kids under age 10 to dine-in.
“We love kids. We really, truly, do,” Nettie’s post read, according to TODAY. “Between noise levels, lack of space for high chairs, cleaning up crazy messes, and the liability of kids running around the restaurant, we have decided that it’s time to take control of the situation.”
Despite the ban drawing mixed reactions online, it’s still in effect, per Nettie’s website.
Debating menu prices with the staff, staying past the restaurant’s closing time and snapping your fingers to get a waiter’s attention rounded out the top five.
See the top 10 bad diner behaviors below, along with the percentage of survey respondents who deemed them unacceptable.
- Say they won’t pay for a dish they didn’t like but ate (90%)
- Allow their children to roam freely (90%)
- Debate menu prices with the staff (84%)
- Stay past the restaurant’s closing time (83%)
- Snap their fingers to get the waiter’s attention (81%)
- Bring outside food or drinks into the restaurant (71%)
- Show up 15 minutes late to a reservation (66%)
- Leave a mess at the table, such as spilled drinks or food crumbs (60%)
- Occupy a table for an extended period during busy hours (58%)
- Flirt with the staff (57%)
Click here to see the full results of the survey.
