Silent service code

The silent service code is a way for a diner to "talk" to the server during a meal without saying a word, mainly to tell them that they are finished. This will prevent any embarassing situations where the server would take a meal prematurely.

To tell a server you are done, a diner places their napkin to the left of their plate, and place all their utensils together in a "4-o'clock" position on your plate.

If the diner must leave during the meal, they should place the napkin on their chair to avoid any confusion.

The code is almost always taught during business dining etiquette classes.