By Suzannah Hills PUBLISHED: 08:15 EST, 27 December 2013 | UPDATED: 11:11 EST, 27 December 2013 If you've ever spotted your waiter making odd gestures with their hands, they could be telling colleagues you're a VIP, a messy eater or be banning you from ever eating at the restaurant again. Top restaurants are now teaching their staff to use a secret hand code to talk about their customers without them knowing. The Washington Post noticed the phenomenon and spoke to Adam Sanders, manager of BLT Steak in Washington, who revealed his restaurant is often full of high-profile guests so staff make a sideways peace sign if a VIP comes in that needs special attention.
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Top restaurants around the world teach their staff the hand gestures
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The signals are used to make good service appear as though it is effortless
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It can be used to order water, ask for help, signal a special occasion or an important guest has arrived
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Owner of New York's legendary Stork Club, Sherman Billingsley used the secret code back in the 1940s
If a waiter makes this signal, they are telling other staff a @placeholder has arrived and will need special attention