I've worked as a server for two years now. I'm not going to go on a rant and say that I have the worst job in the world, but I do have to deal with some pretty awful people from time to time. Here is an easy-to-follow guide on how to be a decent human being when you go out to eat.

1. Understand how restaurants work.

This seems pretty simple but a lot of people have a hard time grasping this one. Understand that the cooks make the food and the servers bring it to you. If your food is taking too long or is made wrong, 99% percent of the time, IT IS NOT YOUR SERVER'S FAULT. Taking money out of the tip because of mistakes made by the kitchen doesn't do anything but make you look like a jerk. If there is a real problem with your food that you feel needs to be addressed, talk to the manager about it. Some restaurants will have bussers or expos (people whose only job is to bring out food to customers). If this is the case, don't think your server is ignoring you because they aren't clearing plates or didn't deliver your meal. In these cases, restaurants have different expectations for servers and they often have plenty of other jobs to do and/or larger sections to take care of that make the employment of bussers or expos necessary for you to have a good dining experience.

2. Restaurants are not a babysitting service.

I have no problem with you taking your kids out to eat. In fact, one of the best parts of my day is when I get a really cute kid or family in my section. However, these cute kids can be a headache. Please do not let your kids just wander around the restaurant. This poses a safety hazard for both your child(ren) and for the workers. Now, I understand kids are messy, but leaving such a huge mess to the point where I have to spend twenty minutes picking scrambled eggs out of the carpet so I can get another table is just ridiculous. The least you could do if you have to go and realize that your baby has managed to turn your table into a disaster area is leave a bigger tip to compensate for the extra time and effort it will take to clean everything up.

3. Sit where the host(ess) puts you.

I will make an exception here. If you have a medical condition, physical difficulties, or really young kids that making sitting at a booth or table necessary, then let those concerns be expressed before you are sat. If not, please don't take a trip around the entire restaurant to see which table suits you best. The way being a server works is you are assigned certain tables to look after during your shift. Then, the person seating people will rotate through the sections to ensure every server gets about an equal amount of customers. When you decide that you need to sit somewhere else just because you feel like it, that not only messes the order up but stops a server from getting a table that they want/need.

4. Restaurant workers are people too.

Don't get me wrong, I have been to some restaurants where the food and/or service was just atrocious. As a server, I really do try to create a good experience for my customers both to help incentivize you to give me a big tip and to ensure you come back to the restaurant again. Try as I might, sometimes things slip my mind; sometimes I make mistakes. Try to imagine how upset you would be if your hourly pay was docked every time you made a tiny mistake (or other people made a mistake and you got blamed for it) and you might understand the frustrations servers have. If I forget something or your food isn't right, please tell me. Despite all my talents, I am not a mind reader. Again, if there are major problems, that is what management is there for. The word "server" is not a substitute for the word "servant."

5. I am not responsible for accommodating to your schedule.

If it takes me 15 minutes to get you drinks, then that is on me. I once had a group of 14 people walk in and tell me that they had to be at the airport in an hour. When I told them that the buffet would be the quickest, they all ordered from the menu. It was still pretty early in the morning so I was the only server there and there was only one cook. I also had 7 other tables at the time. Their food got done pretty quickly and they ate fast but got annoyed when I took me a while to get them their change since 10 out of the 14 checks were paid in cash. Yeah, you shouldn't have to wait an hour for your food but if you have somewhere to be in twenty minutes, go to Burger King.

6. Tip your server. Seriously.

I go to a private college that costs just short of $40,000/year. I work three jobs to put myself through school and pay all my other bills. When I go to my serving job I get paid $4.28/hour. Some servers get paid as low as $2.13/hour. You can't even buy a happy meal at McDonald's with that. So if you think tipping $5 on a $60 bill is okay, it's not. If you can't afford to give a good tip, you can't afford to go out to eat. The range that it is said is okay to tip varies on who you ask. Personally, I think the closer to 20% the better but definitely no less than 15%. As a broke college kid, I understand the desire to save money. So if you are going to bring in a coupon or get some type of discount, good for you. It is really frustrating selling $40 worth of food, expecting an $8 tip, then getting handed a BOGO coupon that cuts the total (and thus my tip) in half. If you want to be a really cool person, take some of your savings and put it towards the tip or tip on the pre-discount total.