Is Sorry I Forgot Your Salad Or A Thank You Too Much To Ask For?

I have worked in the food service profession for a long time.  I always tried to anticipate people's needs and make sure they got what they ordered the way they wanted it.  If they needed something I tried to get it to them immediately so they could enjoy their dining experience.  So, it irritates me when someone who is waiting on me forgets something and then doesn't even apologize.  Is "I'm sorry" too much to ask?I'm not perfect.  There was occasion when I or the cook at the restaurant(s) I worked would make a mistake, but I always apologized profusely.  Back then, your tip was determined by the service you provided, it wasn't based on a percentage of the bill.

On Sunday, I was dining with friends at a local restaurant and was s t a r v i n g, so I ordered a salad, thinking it would come before my entree.  It didn't.  The wait person brought two of the three entrees out and went back for the third.  I was thinking she would bring my salad then and while bummed it didn't come first, I thought I would still eat it.  Nope.  She brought the third entree and asked if we needed anything else.  So I spoke up and said "I haven't gotten my salad yet and I don't want it anymore".  What did she do?  As she was turning away from the table said "oh, your salad, I'll get it now".  I had to literally yell (because she was two tables away by now), "NO, I don't want it anymore"! Which gained me a dirty look from her.  I already had my main course and knew that would fill me up, but still I felt guilty for ordering it and then UN-ordering it.  However, I started to lose the guilt when I realized she got irritated with me for deciding I didn't want it and she NEVER apologized for forgetting to bring it to me.

Even when she dropped the bill off, she never mentioned forgetting the salad.  She asked if we wanted dessert, separate checks and when she brought our check said "here ya go".  No, "thank you for coming in", "sorry about the salad", or just a plain "thank you".  Is that too much to ask?  I know there are worse restaurant horror stories, but I was just shocked that a simple sorry or thank you isn't still a normal part conversation when someone chooses to dine in your establishment, after all there are so many to choose from now days.