I have been thinking about why people always complain that French waiters are rude. I think I have finally figured it out. It has nothing to do with whether you speak French or not. It depends on how you behave.
To get good service, you need to leave the control with the server. French servers are proud of what they do. They know that their job is to look after you, care for you and worry about whether you enjoy your food. As they go about their work, they have a mental plan in their heads of whom they will approach, when they will clear your table, whom they will smile at. You need to leave the control with them because you are not their only customer. It is not done to hail the server. When you do so, you control them. They hate that. The more you hail them, the slower their service to you.
You need to sit, eat, chat and then trust that the server cares enough for you to come and make a fuss over you. When they do, you praise the food, ask questions about the food, and smile. Behave like a guest would in a friend's house. Soon, you will find that they will make even more of a fuss over you.
At Autour du Beurre, without being asked, the server took back the bread basket and offered to toast the bread to a pleasant crispiness. She cleared our plates and worried about whether we liked each course. She explained to us the various antique butter making machines around the restaurant.
Leave the control with them. They are professionals. They know what to do to take care of you.
It is no different than what I like to tell my clients. Leave the control with your children. They are good children. They know what to do to please you. The more you boss them around, the less they want to please you.
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