Dutch Customer Service: an Oxymoron

It seems next to impossible to find a resturant in this country where having a meal isn't a completely exhasperating event. I went out to eat the other night with some friends visiting from Scotland and for what seemed like the millionth time had to deal with crap service. I don't think it's too much to ask that the server comes back to your table within a half hour of taking your drink orders, but I'm a little strange like that. You see, here in the Netherlands it's vitally important that one clearly outline one's intentions when the waitstaff first arrives. That means placing your drink orders, informing them that they should stop back in a few minutes to get the food order, and that eventually you will want to pay the check and leave. Otherwise, you're likely to be sitting around for quite some time with an empty drink glass in front of you, wondering if your server is ever coming back, and/or whether you might have suddenly become invisible. I guess I'm just assuming too much when I think that the waitress will, on her own accord, stop back by my table to ask me if I'm ready to order. But now I almost expect that they drop the drinks off at the table, turn abruptly at the heel, and dissappear before you are able to ask anything more from them. If you do manage to flag the person down again at some point don't be surprised if they just wave back at you. When I think about it, I'm really not surprised that Rip Van Winkle was Dutch, in fact, he probably fell asleep waiting to order a drink.