Silent service code

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In the United States,^[1] the silent service code is a way for a diner to communicate with servers during a meal to indicate that the diner is finished. This is intended to prevent any embarrassing situations where the server might remove a plate of food prematurely.

To tell a server that they have finished, a diner places their napkin to the left of their plate,^{[citation needed]} and places all of their utensils together in a "4-o'clock" position on their plate.^[1]

Utensils crossed on a plate signify that a diner is still eating.^{[citation needed]}

If a diner must leave during the meal, they should place the napkin on your chair to avoid any confusion.^{[citation needed]}

The code is almost always taught during business dining etiquette classes.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b Paré, Jean (1993). Party Planning. Company's Coming Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-895455-26-7.

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