How do you address waiters/waitresses in a restaurant?

Sir, ma'am, if I'm really unsure I may just leave it out (excuse me, thank you) names help unless it's like Alex or Jamie or something

 

I'd imagine you're correct, or I just go by their name if they say it.

 

My lecturers get frustrated as I call them madam or sir as my parents are elderly so give me a finishing school education in manners but wait staff are to be addressed by given titles such a there name or depending on the circumstances (pardon me could I have a word)

 

The same way I address anyone else...without any identifying things at all. I can't imagine a situation where I would need to use 'sir' or 'ma'am' or anything else...

 

I just call them and use neutral sentences maybe with a "you" here and there. Or if they have a name tag I call them by name.

 

I tend to say "Hey, excuse me..." as a general way to get the attention of someone I don't know personally, like a waiter/waitress in this case.

 

This x1000

 

If you drop of the "hey" part of it, it's not rude at all.

 

To get their attention I usually politely say, " Hello, hi, yes can I have some assistance please?" or something of that nature. If they have a name tag/introduce themselves to me then after I am finished ordering my food/having them take my order I'll usually say, " Thank you (INSERT NAME HERE)"

 

As I would anyone else. I wouldn't generally use their name, as I don't know them, and it wouldn't seem particularly appropriate. Just general "Hey, [insert meal order]. Thanks."

On the subject of 'hey', it's a common greeting. I fail to see how it's rude.

 

So I shouldn't click my fingers and call out waiter/ess then? :icon_bigg

 

I never use any term of address. "Sir" and "ma'am," apart from being relatively archaic here, especially "ma'am," aren't terms that I associate with anyone but someone in a formal position of power over the speaker, like a high-school teacher being addressed by a student.

I just ask politely and rarely give anything that could be construed as an order. I don't tend to use names; it feels awkward. Polite, unfamiliar language is generally best (depending on context l, of course)

 

How gauche. As if I would be caught dead in an establishment where my cry of "pardon Garçon" would go unrecognized.

 

I waited tables for 5 years. I got called all sorts of things. I'm partial to the head bobbing up ( like "sup" with a smile). I got called honey/sweetie a lot by gay dudes and straight chicks. Excuse me works too.

Usually I wasn't offended by anything other than the one person that whistled and I told them I'm not their dog and they can sit anywhere else in the restaurant from now on. Someone snapped and I told them we didn't have the clapper and the lights wouldn't dim. I had a few others that got smart ass remarks from me, but usually people aren't so bad.

Hamiltons, Jacksons and Grants always helped me forget too. In the end I was just another whore.

 

I usually will just use a general statement to get the waitstaff's attention... unless they state their name, then I just use that.

 

I don't really call them anything... I say "excuse me" and "thank you" but I don't really call them anything.

 

^Yeah, same here. I always say "thank you" and such but rarely use ma'am or sir.

 

I guess it depends on where you are eating, but *most* of the places I go, the waiters/waitresses wear nametags. So obviously I just use their name. Also, they also start out with something like "Hello, my name is (blank) and I'll be your server today" etc, so... If they are putting their first name out there, I'll use it.