Restaurant Staff Really Can't Stand This One Gen Z Habit

Picture this: you're working at a busy downtown restaurant. It's the dinner rush and you approach a table of young people who've had time to look over the menu and decide what they want. You greet everyone warmly, introduce yourself, and ask if anyone would like to start with a drink. Instead of an answer, you're met with a blank stare as if you spoke in a language no one understands. You wait a beat, and when nothing changes, you ask again. Still no answer. You are now caught in the empty gaze of the Gen Z stare.

If you have never experienced it before, count yourself lucky. It sounds like a joke at first, but enough people have experienced it, especially in the service industry, to conclude it's a real phenomenon. Still, it's hard to figure out what's happening. It's the habit among some members of Gen Z, aged 13 to 28, of not answering verbally when asked a question. Instead, they give an expressionless stare that betrays no emotion or hint of what they might be thinking. For many, it's incredibly frustrating because it's impossible to read and brings any social interaction to a halt. For restaurant staff, this can throw off the pace of a shift badly.

There's mounting evidence it's a widespread phenomenon that even occurs in the workplace. Explaining why it happens is harder. Psychologists are only beginning to take notice, suggesting explanations that range from emotional self-protection to cultural desensitization. It's even been suggested this is simply a fad that spread on social media and was adopted by the younger generation. But none of that makes it easier for restaurant staff to deal with.

Some take a more forgiving approach when Gen Zers look away and seem disengaged. Because this generation was raised on screens more than any previous generation and spent formative years isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's possible they don't see eye contact as an important part of active listening. But not being able to reply to simple questions takes its toll. Teachers have resorted to begging their students to say something when asked questions instead of just staring.

Restaurant workers definitely list it as a pet peeve, and it's easy to sympathize with them, but this is an age-old dilemma. Every generation has been criticized by the ones that came before it. Whatever generation you're a part of, you likely remember your elders saying you and your peers were too lazy or too privileged. There's always a disconnect between older and younger generations in how they view the world. If Gen X and Millennials don't understand Gen Z, that's par for the course.

Little has been written about how to deal with the Gen Z stare from a customer service standpoint. What does exist mostly advises workers to be professional and make an effort to engage customers warmly. For restaurant workers, that might mean asking your Gen Z customer if they want fries or a baked potato several times until they answer, all while keeping a smile.