How do you b
eckon a waiter or waitress? If you live in the United States you probably raise your hand about head height or a bit higher, and extend your index finger. Alternatively, you may raise your hand with your palm open and wave it back and forth. A third possibility is to curl the index finger in and out as if to say, "Come here." However, according to Roger E. Axtell in "Initiating Interaction: Greetings and Beckonings across the World" in The Nonverbal Communication Reader, these gestures are unique to our country. In other locations, diners call for the attention of the wait staff with a variety of other movements.
eckon a waiter or waitress? If you live in the United States you probably raise your hand about head height or a bit higher, and extend your index finger. Alternatively, you may raise your hand with your palm open and wave it back and forth. A third possibility is to curl the index finger in and out as if to say, "Come here." However, according to Roger E. Axtell in "Initiating Interaction: Greetings and Beckonings across the World" in The Nonverbal Communication Reader, these gestures are unique to our country. In other locations, diners call for the attention of the wait staff with a variety of other movements.For instance, in Europe and much of Latin America, customers extend their arms with their palms down and make scratching movements with their fingers. In France, even this might be too obvious, and sophisticated diners are expected to get their waiters' attention with eye contact or head nodding only. In Columbia, one can obtain the staff's attention by clapping. In Hispanic countries such as Spain or Mexico, sometimes diners make hissing noises or snap their fingers to alert their waitresses to their needs. A whole host of other techniques abound, depending on country, culture, and quality of the restaurant. The important thing to remember is that the method for contacting your waiter or waitress may vary dramatically depending on your location.
How do you get a waiter's attention? Have you seen any unusual methods for getting a waitress's attention in another country?
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6 comments:
I am Dutch and work as an International Communication Manager for 25 years on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and worked with over 50 different nationalities.
I am pleased with thşis blog.
Regarding etiquette at the diner table: social status is part of it as well.
In the Netherlands it's very rude to raise your hand, like in most European countries...IF you go to the chique restaurants!
Putting your knife with your riight hand crossed over your plate means: you can take my plate away.
More about this by Gert Jan Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars, two Dutch and maybe the most famous cross cultural communication specialists!
Kindest
Hans
In our locality, we call out to him " Waiter", or we raise our hands with the index finger up, or we simply catch his eye and then nod. In asking for the chit, we just give a sign language indicating a small square.
You mean tripping them isn't acceptable in the U.S.?
I would think that hissing would be inappropriate anywhere, but go figure.
I take a giant breath, sigh and unbutton the top button of my pants. Just kidding. I usually try to grab their attention with a glance and, if necessary, a small hand gesture with my finger raised.
You know the scene in The Matrix when Morpheus beckons Neo to attack again? A similar gesture is usd in Malaysia, except that the arm is pointing up, and the palm is facing the waiter being hailed; the fingers are then bent/closed toward the palm quickly once or twice.
Of course, if you're at a "low class" place, it's all too common for people to "call" one another using what is referred to as "the mouse sound": purse your lips and kinda suck the air in to make this irritating squeaking noise. Ugh.
I always enjoy your articles.
Another tidbit for you: in Iran, you cannot stick out your thumb to hail a ride, something American hitchhikers mistakenly do over there. The thumb extended is an obscene gesture to Iranians. I'll bet all our foreign policy problems are from looney Americans sticking out their thumbs to all the people of Iran!!! Ugh, if only they KNEW!!!
It is advised, if you are brave enough to hitchhike there, to point your first finger and waggle your hand in an up-and-down motion. Hopefully you will get to your destination with all fingers intact....
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