Water Orders That Are Red Flags To Servers

Along with food and ambiance, restaurant patrons can be unexpectedly fussy about their water orders. (Some customers even swear off drinking water from restaurants entirely due the possible presence of bacteria.) Of course, we're not talking about basic requests like ice or no ice, still or sparkling, or the simple request for a straw or lemon wedge. You see, if a customer is having issues with their water order, they're likely to spend the next hour or two being unreasonably choosy. Though it may not annoy every server, it can be a red flag to many.

While waitstaff is trained to accommodate diverse customer requests, everyone has their limitations. Although servers might empathize more with certain complicated water orders like the restaurant hot water hack for cleaning utensils that went viral on TikTok, others set off alarm bells. After all, if a patron is difficult to please with a free drink, what hope is there for the rest of the meal?

Bringing water enhancers from home can serve as a subtle red flag. Although adding flavored water drops or electrolyte packets isn't always a concern for servers, so long as there's mutual respect, it can be a slippery slope. Some guests make a mess at the table, while others take it a step further and bring fruit or cucumber slices from home to plop into their glass. Also, the infused flavor packet transforms the water into a drink that could resemble soda or juice, leading waitstaff to believe that the customer ordered from a different server, possibly causing confusion when it's time to pay the bill.

This behavior can also be frustrating when restaurants offer similarly infused drinks such as lemonade or vitamin water. It shows that the customer is willing to cut corners, despite expecting the full restaurant experience. It could also indicate that they are more likely to cheap out on other things like tipping. Ultimately, it's not always a breach of etiquette, but don't overdo it.

Water temperature requests can be a red flag for waitstaff, particularly when they go beyond simple preferences like room temperature or extra ice. Some patrons might ask for hot water without explanation, indicating that they might try to fashion a mug of tea with a tea packet they brought from home. Other times, one person in a group will order tea while the rest of the party requests hot water, intending to share a single tea bag with the table — while only paying for one serving.

Even if the guests merely have a specific request for the water temperature, they might end up sending it back several times because it's not "perfect." Not only does this slow down the flow of service, but it can be a clear foreshadowing of a demanding diner who will have issues with the rest of their meal, whether it's fussing over the plating or impatiently waiting for their meal to be ready.

Some customers try to cheat the system by ordering a free glass of water followed by a couple of complimentary extras such as lemon wedges and sugar packets. They might request a few more lemon wedges, claiming they prefer a lemony water. Before long, they're stirring everything together in their water glass in an attempt to make lemonade for free, avoiding purchasing a proper drink from the menu and inappropriately helping themselves to the restaurant's resources.

In some cases, customers might be bold enough to complain if the lemons aren't fresh or juicy enough or if the sugar isn't dissolving properly. This gets old quickly for waitstaff who recognize that the demand for freebies and desire to cut corners will likely be a pattern throughout the meal. It's a surefire way to annoy your server and the kind of practice that hurts restaurant longevity, particularly if it's a small business. So, are you guilty of any of these cardinal sins? If you're curious about the dos and don'ts of dining out, read up on the ways to order drinks that are red flags to bartenders (including having an entitled attitude ordering in "fingers") next.