Notes of an immigrant: why Russian tourists often piss American waiters

In America it is sometimes cheaper to eat in a cafe than to cook something for yourself. However, Russian-speaking tourists are not always welcome in such establishments. Why - the author explains in his column on the Yandex.Zen portal Channel America under the microscope.

Next - from the first person.

In the USA, I noticed a strange tendency - as soon as American waiters hear a Russian accent, they treat their customers somehow disdainfully or even annoyingly.

Naturally, this does not apply to all establishments, but only to some, but I often observed this picture. There are three possible reasons for this behavior.

Tip

The first and main reason why Russian tourists, one might say, infuriate American waiters - we do not leave a tip, and if we do, then a penny. Personally, I am not a supporter of the fact that tipping is required, but in the United States I am used to leaving it, since tipping in America is, rather, a sign of good manners.

I'll tell you a short story from life. About 5 years ago, I stopped at a roadside American cafe, and tried to make an order in my broken English.

On the subject: In New York, quarantine is removed, but restaurants will not open soon: we explain why so

Judging by the emotions, the waitress did not like me right after she heard the Russian accent, but she brought me the order quickly, so I decided to leave a tip in the amount of 20% of the check ($ 10).

After 5 minutes, I am already heading to the exit, and then she runs up, thanks me and apologizes for the bias. According to her, she thought that the Russians never leave a tip, and therefore there is no point in trying to impress with their service.

Our confused units

Everyone knows that in America, our usual kilograms do not work, everything is measured in pounds. This confuses the compatriots just arrived, which is why sometimes waiters bring much larger portions than the client expected. The consumer refuses to pay and orders something new, and the cost of the dish is deducted from the staff salary.

Language and accent

Also worth mentioning is the language barrier. Sometimes our tourists or migrants will “plan” something different in non-native English and order a dish that they really did not want, and then they demand a book of complaints. Arrives naturally to the waiter.

On the subject: Veselka in New York: how the legendary restaurant of Ukrainian cuisine survives quarantine

It would seem that all these are trifles, but they really infuriate some waiters, although, by the way, American waiters are probably the most irritable people I have talked to in the States. Their salaries are small, and the shifts are often long and there are many clients. They do not last long at such jobs, except in expensive restaurants.