I do a lot of entertaining, so I eat with a fair amount of clients. I like them as individuals, but if you eat with someone on the road frequently you pick up some weird habits.

I have one client who is very fussy. That's ok, I am fussy about certain things too. But if you are picky about your food, read the MENU! Don't order something, and after it arrives decide to see what's in it.

This guy sends back about half his meals, I'm done when the "revised food" arrives and it's spotty if he will like the revision. I have another equally fussy client and she asks all the right questions up front, tells the wait staff how she wants it prepared, etc. I don't mind her sending food back, she planned accordingly. The other guy drives me crazy at mealtimes.

Clapping one's hands together twice briskly to get the attention of the staff.

Hitting the wine glass with the fork to do the same.

Snapping fingers to do the same.

"Waaaa! There's nothing I like!!!"

Several years ago, I had an employee who did this kind of stuff. He would go through the menu, discuss the entrees with the waiter, order something with a few changes, and then SEND IT BACK. Almost EVERY time.

There was one time where the waiter brought out the food and the head chef came along - he was apparently thrilled that someone was so interested and knowledgeable as to make these requests. But this guy tastes it and wants to send it back, and it becomes an argument, and the chef throws our whole party out of the restaurant. Oh, that chef was steamed.

This guy would do the same thing with wine. He'd order a nice bottle, and before it even arrived he'd say he was going to send it back - and he did. When a good sommelier would challenge him (that the bottle wasn't corked), the guy would just say that he didn't like the wine, and that's that.

It got to the point that no one on my staff would go out to eat with this guy because of this behavior.

He eventually left the company to start his own firm. I can only imagine what his clients must have thought at meals with him.

That's really obnoxious. Was he just closing his eyes and picking a bottle?

My ideal is only go to restaurants where the staff knows at least one person in the party well enough to ensure preferential treatment. The other choice would be to arrange someone with good connections to the restaurant to handle the reservation and achieve the same goal.

In exchange we expect our customers and partners to treat the staff with at least some cordiality. And so far it has worked. I'm not going to a restaurant to have more stress...

I'm fairly fussy about food, but only due to food allergies. However, the best way to ensure you receive food how you want it is to provide them with the reason you want it a certain way. If I order a salad that normally has almonds, I specify I want it without, as I am deathly allergic to almonds, and normally, they're pretty good about serving it that way. If not, it gives you a valid reason to send it back. The other option is to ask to speak directly to the chef or manager concerning your order.

Going to Peter Luger and asked for well done steak. You know they're going to microwave the meat instead.

just beware with that attitude, the waiter may spit in your food

I confess that, sometimes, I'll say that I'm ready to order, let my wife order first, and then realize that I really don't know what I want and end up kind of agonizing over what to do before making a snap decision with my back against the wall. It's really annoying. I can see that. I can't imagine how it is for others. I try to shut up and look at the menu ASAP so I minimize these instances.

It's amazing that people with such habits would be let out by the company in front of the public.

Meals during interviews at a few places I worked were planned exactly to spot out any displays of poor breeding or underlying psychological issues.

1. People who can't decide. People who make the waitperson stand there while they hem and haw and fret. The second time you ask for "a few more minutes" this guarantees your entire party will be ignored for at least 15 minutes -- if not forever.

2. People who ask, "What's medium rare? Is that pink in the middle, or is it red?" -- at a restaurant they eat at frequently.

Their probably the executives with the best manners.

People who are extremely picky with the types of food they eat would be my biggest complaint.

How about going to dinner at the same Applebees 1-2x/week with the same group of consultants? The same guy, every week without fail, waits for the server to come over for drink orders and asks what's on draft (it hasn't changed in 6+months), then orders a Coors Light bottle.

Plus, he's a really lousy tipper. I always drop an extra $5 in cash on the table after I saw one of his receipts and his ~9% tip to a very good waitress.

I have some sympathies for this in certain situations. A number of years ago in another location, I used to eat at the same family steakhouse 2-4 times per month. What I learned was that steaks and burgers ordered medium well could come out anywhere between 6 and 10 on a scale from 1 to 10, with 6 being a true medium and 10 being well done but not charred. Seeing the same cashier most of the time, I started asking her how I should order to have it come out medium well (about an 8). She would look back in the kitchen to see who was cooking and then advise me whether to order it as medium, MW, or well. She was usually right.

Also, with most Outback Steakhouses, MW without further instructions usually ends up around a 6 and well usually ends up past 11, often slightly or more charred. When they hit MW right (around an 8), especially their burgers are some of the best. But it takes some additional effort with the person taking the order to get a true MW out of them.