Stack it the way they would
Clearing your table is common. Stacking it the way the person collecting it actually needs is rarer and more useful.
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Why it lands
Half-cleared tables are often worse than untouched ones — cutlery buried under napkins, liquid in stacked plates, a pile that has to be taken apart before it can be carried. The intention is good and the execution creates work. Watching how the staff actually carry things and copying that turns a gesture into genuine help, which is the difference between feeling useful and being useful.
How
Scrape onto one plate, stack largest at the bottom, cutlery in one glass, napkins in a single pile not stuffed into cups. Leave it at the table edge rather than carrying it to the counter, which usually gets in their way.
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