Table tried to dine and dash but I came out and did their birthday shout out right in time. My manager was a server on the floor tonight and had a large group that swallowed two of our tables. They brought their OWN cake and OWN ice cream and we kept it cool for them in our fridge. They sent her to retrieve it and she does. I grabbed our saddle and dragged it over and they were suddenly ALL standing up some people had left. It was definitely sus as s**t but whatevs. Doesn’t matter. The show must go on, of course birthday person doesn’t want to sit on the saddle so I do it and do the birthday song and dance. Call him out by name and just draw a large amount of attention to him. It was awkward of course. THEY STILL TRY TO LEAVE. and my manager luckily notices and gives the mom her check and doesn’t leave her side. Not only were they using the cake and ice cream as a diversion to escape but the MOTHER was in on it. She tried to stall her payment hoping my manager would get busy and leave her with the bill as if we are not all aware of their intent by now. Safe to say we will probably not be seeing them again.
No matter what restaurant or cafe you work at, sooner or later you’ll have to handle a rude or entitled customer. Dealing with problems and miscommunication is part and parcel of the job description!
However, these sorts of emotionally unpleasant situations can make new employees feel incredibly awkward. It’s not a lot of fun when you have to talk to someone who’s disappointed, angry, or actively trying to embarrass you.
This is why having the right training and mentorship at work can make such a huge difference. If your managers and coworkers can walk you through some common situations with rude customers, you’ll be better prepared when they happen. Roleplay is invaluable in keeping servers’ skills sharp.
2-top. Husband and wife. Both wearing camouflage.
I walk by the table, pass them, come back and say, “Whoa. Barely even saw you two!”
I was not tipped.
As ‘360 Training’ points out, being a server is far more than just about serving food. It’s all about providing a positive experience for the customers. Aside from knowing the menu back to front and working quickly on your feet, you’re also expected to have a good memory and work well in a team.
But perhaps most importantly, servers ought to be empathetic. They should be graceful and friendly and be able to put themselves in their customers’ shoes. Ideally, servers should be able to connect with their rude or entitled customers in such a way that they’re able to create a positive experience out of a negative one.
It was a group of middle aged guys. They’re regulars, but they’re annoying as hell, and they always ask for the hottest server. As a host, i usually just sit them with whoever. The last time they came in, I sat them with D, a really sweet black girl who’s one of our best servers. They were FURIOUS. They never said anything to me or a manager, but they claimed everything was wrong. The food was too cold. The drinks were flat. She was way too slow. She was rude. They left a 25¢ tip and left not long after.
This time, they specified they wanted a hot WHITE server. I said “okay!” and with a smile, I walked them over to their table. I specifically sat them with the only male server, a tall, black, bodybuilder who towered over all of them. He’s a really cool guy, but he can be slightly intimidating to people that don’t know him just due to his stature.
They never said a word.
Tl;dr: Buncha pervs asked for a hot white girl, got a big black guy.
All of that being said, empathy is incredibly hard to cultivate if you feel that you’re treated unfairly and you have nobody to turn to for help. However, when servers know for a fact that their managers and coworkers have their backs no matter what, it’s easier to weather the storm.
If at any point you feel out of your depth, ask your direct supervisor or a senior colleague to step in. Meanwhile, watch how they handle the situation. They might take the time to actively listen to the customer’s complaints. They might decide to replace a dish, comp the meal, or send over a free drink. Or they might see the customer stepping over the line and ask them to calm down.
Between my husband and a woman at his table last night—
“Okay, ma’am, now is it the egg or the oil we need to be worried about?”
“…it’s the combination.”
“…okay. I’ll alert the kitchen.”
I love this industry so much.
Working in the food service industry means constantly balancing between being professional in the face of criticism and (politely) demanding to be treated with respect. Knowing when to do what comes down to experience and each unique situation.
Have you ever worked as a server, dear Pandas? What’s the strangest work story you can remember? What was your go-to approach to handling entitled customers? Share your thoughts in the comments.
This guy really tried to extort me for a beer for his underage daughter. ‘No, that doesn’t mean anything to me,’ I replied. ‘Really? Nothing? Pull down that mask and let me see your face.’ ‘I’m sorry, sir — we’re in a pandemic with a mask mandate, and we take that seriously here.’ ‘Jesus, you got a manager I can talk to?’
I walked away and told my boss what happened. I watched from afar as the man waved his hands around, his wife sat in disbelief, and the daughter was red of embarrassment.
The rest of the meal was awkward — the parents were fuming, and the daughter seemed like she wanted nothing more than to leave. The cop asked me questions like what my name was, who my parents were, and what part of town I lived in — but I avoided answering anything personal. As expected, no tip.
A guest walks into brunch and orders our smoked salmon plate. The only dairy in this particular dish is a ramekin of cream cheese that is served on the side.
A couple minutes later I’m in the kitchen getting coffee for another table. I turn around and smoked salmon lady has followed me to the kitchen.
When I turn around and see her, I ask “Is there something you need?”
She says, “I forgot I’m not eating dairy, so can I change my order to the buttermilk pancakes?”
Confused at what I just heard, I ask “The buttermilk pancakes? There is dairy in the pancakes…”
“Well as long as it’s not a lot it’s ok.”
Lady….. it’s like the main ingredient. It’s in the name. BUTTERMILK pancakes. Do people really listen to the stupidity that comes out of their face holes??? I can’t.
This was in 2018, but I still think about it often and just had to share.
Had a couple come in who seemed really happy, they were having their first date night since they had a baby and wife was really excited to finally have a reason to get a sitter.
They ordered drinks, an app, and their meals. Things seemed to be going well at first but as the night progressed things seemed to take a turn. Subtle things like started off holding hands across the table but stopped by the time drinks were out. Weren’t as chatty by the time the salads were out.
By the time I brought their meals out, there was an orange envelope on the table next to the guy with his wedding ring on it. She was sobbing. He said he’d take his in a to-go box and the checks would be separate.
He left as soon as his tab was paid, and she ended up telling me he apparently had been having an affair since she got pregnant and just told her he was leaving to start a life with his new family. The envelope had the divorce paperwork in it. She said he completely blindsided her, she had no idea this was coming.
My manager ended up comping her ticket and paying for an Uber to take her home. Never saw her again, but I always think about that situation and hope her and the kid are alright.
I had my restaurant booked out for a private sports event for 150 people. This didn’t happen often, and it’s only the second private event I’ve worked (I was hoping it’d be smoother this time around). We were working with the info the organizers gave us, which we were led to believe had been communicated to the guests. If guests had a pink lanyard, they were paying for drinks as they went — and if they had a gray lanyard, it meant they had a pre-paid package and got free refills on beer, wine, and soft drinks. What’s important to note is that they did NOT get spirits included. The organizers told us to stop serving drinks at 1:15 p.m., get their checks paid, and get everyone ready to depart to the game. This is where things started getting interesting… A table with gray lanyards got confused when I brought over their bill. One guy asked: ‘What the f**k is this?’ The refills of beer they’d had were included in their package, so they only had to pay for the double vodkas they ordered. ‘Since when?’ and I told him that was the original plan. He yelled at me about how he ordered the premium package, wasn’t supposed to have to pay, and that this was a f**king disgrace. After gently explaining to him we followed the organizers’ orders, he demanded I go get someone in charge. I got the main organizer — he spoke to them, then spoke to my manager. I have no idea what happened, but somehow, the guy didn’t end up paying for the spirits, and they were put on the organizers’ tab instead. I understand if the guy thought he was getting everything included, but bro: I am not the person to yell at. And, in my opinion, it’s a lack of organization and clarity on the organizers’ part — not ours.
I had a pair come in, and I was on register, so I had the pleasure of serving them. They grabbed a menu and sat down — all was well. ‘I want Eggs Benedict with sausage’ she said. On our menu, we have bacon and eggs, a classic breakfast that has eggs and sausages, and an on-theme meal called Eggs Benedict. So, I asked her some questions, figured out she’s talking about the on-theme meal Eggs Benedict, so we do that and add some sausage to it. She asked me to make sure it had hollandaise, so I did that. Then, she asked for another Eggs Benedict meal — awesome! I rang her up, and all was well until… The food came out, and there were two Eggs Benedict meals — apparently, she ‘didn’t want hollandaise on one of them,’ but f**k me for not reading her mind, right? We started remaking them, but halfway through, they decided that no: They just wanted a refund because I ‘specifically f**ked it up too much.’ Because they couldn’t be bothered reading the menu or at the very least telling me what they wanted! Anyway, at least I got a free Eggs Bene out of it, so that’s cool (and they even promised they wouldn’t come back — I hope they stick to it)!
I work in a brewery, and the sign above the door states the name of the brewery. The sign on the glass part of the doors states the name of the brewery, and the giant metal sign that hangs behind the bar? Name of the brewery. We open at noon on Sundays, which is usually my shift, and I leave the door open when I get there. Allow me to set the scene: The lights are all off, the music is realllllly loud, and I’m counting the drawer. A woman walks in 30 minutes before we open with two small kids who are about 4 years old, and she. is. furious.
Her: ‘This music is entirely too loud and not appropriate for my girls!’
Me: ‘I agree — it’ll be at an appropriate level and on a different station when we open at noon.’
Her: ‘Can’t you do that now?’ You know what, fine — I can. So, I did and went back to counting the drawer.
Her: ‘Excuse me? Where should we sit?’
Me: ‘Anywhere you’d like, ma’am. But, I’m afraid I still have to finish opening and won’t be able to get to y’all for at least 15 to 20 minutes.’
Her: ‘IS THERE NO ONE ELSE HERE?’ At this point, I made a snarky look around before I answered: ‘It doesn’t look like it.’
Her: ‘Fine — just give me a coffee and two milks.’
Me: ‘Ma’am, this is a brewery. I don’t have any of that.’
Her: ‘Fine — just let me see the menu, and I’ll decide.’
I point to the draft board and tell her those are the draft selections, the chalkboard next to it with our wine selections and snacks, and tell her we have certain soft drinks in cans.
Her: ‘MY KIDS AREN’T ALLOWED SUGARY SOFT DRINKS! WHERE IS THE KIDS MENU? WE WANT BREAKFAST!’
Me: ‘Ma’am, this is a brewery. We don’t have kids menus, milk, juice, or breakfast foods.’
The whole damn time she ignored every obvious clue and sign, and thought she was at the breakfast spot around the corner (which wasn’t even open on Sundays).
I had my first-ever dine and dash today! It was the last table of the night (a family of four — two adults and two kids). The kids spilled two drinks, and I told them I’d be sure to leave the second one off the bill because accidents happen. But then, two drinks and an entire bowl of popcorn spilled (not to mention the fries, broccoli, and mashed potatoes were left ALL over the floor, booth, and table). They knew they were leaving me with a huge mess, and that they weren’t going to pay for their meal.
The kicker is, they did hand me $28 in cash for being ‘the best waitress ever’ — but I had a feeling they would dine and dash. I asked my manager to go to their car with the bill because I had closing duties, but my manager said no — ‘It would be rude.’ They got away, and I kept the $28 — but my manager said I had to cover the whole $83 meal. I reminded him I asked him to get them and he said no, so it wasn’t on me that they got away. Unfortunately, our security cameras didn’t record any of it — it just goes to show you they truly got away with it, but at least I got a nice tip?
This past Sunday morning we were slammed. I had a party of 12 that was running me into the ground, as well as a table of four, a table of three, one other small party, and then a new party of 16. I greeted the 16-top, and they wanted to put in EVERYTHING at once (they’re regulars and tip 30% every time, so I know they’re worth the extra effort). The whole order took 10 minutes max. On my way to grab their drinks, I stopped by my 12-top, and they wanted water refills. Gathering drinks for my 16-top took a few minutes, so when I returned, a woman at my 12-top was FURIOUS. She said I wasn’t moving fast enough, and my service was ‘unacceptable.’ This word was the final straw for me — she was a jerk the whole time, and even grabbed my attention twice by actually entering the f**king kitchen. I don’t keep my phone on me at work, I don’t take breaks, and I rarely sit during my 12+-hour days — I wasn’t going to let this comment slide. I was so calm and just said: ‘You know, we’re very busy, and I’m one person. I have other tables to serve, and frankly, accommodating you has been difficult since you decided to change your order four separate times. I’m not taking the fall on your bad experience.’ I dropped the 12-top’s check on their table, offered no boxes, and treated the table like lava until they left.
To start off I’m not a server at the moment but this happened to one of ours. The other day we had a customer go OFF on a cashier because they asked if they replaced something due to an allergy or if it was just a preference (Corporate mandates that we ask). She substituted some pasta for our gluten free rice noodles and because it’s a lot more f**king work for us to deal with an allergy and a lot of people just honestly like the taste of rice noodles we want to know if we strictly need to do it as an allergy order. This lady (I’d say 50 or 60) got real close and in that Pissed Off Mom WhisperTM started lecturing him on how rude it is that he asked, how it’s none of his business, how she has Never Been So InsultedTM , how we should just treat everything that COULD POSSIBLY BE GLUTEN FREE as if it was an allergy, etc, etc, etc. He replied: “okay that’s great but is it an allergy or a preference” therefore cementing him in my heart as one of my favorites. As expected it was a preference.
My a**hole table accidentally tipped me 130%. I was serving on July 4th in a vacation town in California at an upscale German beer and brat place. Everyone was drunk mid-day, we were wildly understaffed, and absolutely slammed. I’m a really fast and sweet server even when I’m busy, but I had 10 tables and I was pretty frazzled. One of my tables was a middle-aged couple and their adult son. I can’t remember the specifics, but they were really condescending, high-maintenance, and impatient. When it came time for them to pay, I was pretty relieved for them to leave. The man payed with card, signed the receipt, crumpled the customer copy, and put away his card. We were trying to turn tables as fast as possible because we were so busy, so I picked up his signed receipt and thanked them. Then, they sat there for what felt like forever. I didn’t think much of it because I was wildly busy. When I went to clear their table after they left, I was really confused. The original itemized receipt was still on the table with a stack of cash, enough to cover the whole bill and an ok tip—BUT THEY ALREADY PAID AND TIPPED ME WITH CARD. I guess the guy was drunker than I thought, completely forgot he had already paid, and then paid again in cash and just left. It was definitely not on purpose, because the “tip” on the credit card receipt and cash “tip” on the cash payment were almost the same, and they were complete a**holes. In the middle of a hellish shift, I almost started crying with joy. It came out to a $100 “tip” for a $75 bill. A little blessing from the server gods on a hard day. Wishing drunk, accidentally generous customers on you all.
Walk in 75 top. That’s right. 75 top. This happened a couple weeks ago at the very busy restaurant I work at. A woman came in saying she had some people from a jujitsu club wanting to come in for dinner and drinks and do we take reservations. My manager asked for how many, and she said about 75, but maybe up to 100. My manager started laughing, but was soon stricken by horror as she realized the woman was serious. We have a large restaurant, but a very small kitchen, and have a strict 20 top cut off. When told about this, the woman still insisted that they were already here and pretty much refused no for an answer. We ended up allowing them to come in as it was around 8pm and things were slowing down. They sat outside in our big patio area, and we had two servers split the group. People were ordering at different times and many were just drinking, so the kitchen managed to do okay. The worst part was that about 30 of the people never went to their designated area, and instead crowded the bar and stood there. Us servers use this area to walk through and obviously get our drinks. After several attempts at pushing our way through the crowd, we eventually gave up and accepted it as our reality. To get our bar drinks, we would go around to the bar side, every. damn. time. We have a long bar and only entry on each side, so this is huge out of our way. This group came in around 8pm and stayed almost all night. The people were nice, but damn how clueless are you!!! EDIT: A lot of people are wanting to know if they tipped. I wasn’t the one serving them, just another server trying to keep the rest of the place under control. I heard MOST of them tipped, although they did all pay separate and we ran out of check presenters obviously. Also, a few of them walked out on their tabs. Not on purpose, I’m sure, they probably just wandered to meet their friends at the bar and forgot to close out. I find this very rude no matter who it is, if you aren’t sure how to pay, ask the server or let them know you are leaving, moving, etc. Most of all, treat everyone with compassion! Server, customer, whatever. Treat cranky old people like they are your parents, because one day, they could be. Remember rude customers are A**HOLES, but also probably have a worse life than you do. Know that some people don’t understand “restaurant etiquette” like we do, and if they did, maybe they would act differently. Remember your server is just a human being, not a servant, and being nice goes a long way.
Shot down a guy’s machismo with a pithy comment. A group of riders strolled into our establishment carrying helmets and seemed to be all about themselves. They were loud and obnoxious, but overall friendly, and they immediately started with a round of coffees. This Axl Rose-looking bandana dude looks at the half-and-half on the table and goes, “Do you guys have any hazelnut or caramel-flavored creamer?” “No, just plain half-and-half, but we do have almond milk or soy milk.” His face scrunches up and he gives his friends a sarcastic look, “Do I look like someone who drinks soy?” Without missing a beat, I go, “Dude, you literally just asked me if we have frou-frou creamer.” The table absolutely f**kin lost it and keeled over in laughter. Axl Rose just smiled big and said, “…you got me.” They ended up being really fun and tipped fat. I know everyone prefers trainwreck stories, but sometimes the good moments are just as entertaining.
Cafes aren’t your personal library, or even a public library.
Customer posted on her Instagram, tagging my workplace and identifying me by name (whom she asked for from my coworker). Was upset because I had said she needed to give up her table for other customers. She had been sitting there for 2 hours, only ordered a single cup of coffee, which she requested to “top up” hot milk for.
Said she was undergoing an “urgent job interview” and that i had interrupted her, causing her to have to exit the interview abruptly.
Ain’t my fault you don’t know how to manage your life, lady. Cafes aren’t your home, and we DO have the right to ask you to leave (why are customers always surprised that we can do that?)
She got mad because I gave her incorrect change, so I corrected the situation.
I waited tables and tended bar for years before switching to my current career.
Table comes in, eats, drinks, pays cash. Tell them to have a great day and walk away. Taking a drink order at a new table and notice the lady standing there angrily, and I make eye contact with her husband and he looks really embarrassed.
Finish taking drink order and go over to them. “Yes? Is there a problem?”
She tells me I gave her the wrong change and was really nasty about it. I can’t remember exactly what it was, but I had intended to round up to avoid pennies…you heard me right…pennies. Like their change was supposed to be $3.78 and I intended to give them $3.80. Well, I guess I made a mistake this time and gave them $3.75. Either way, she was really rude.
She showed me the receipt, and I apologized and admitted my error. Then, I pointed out I had forgotten to ring up her coffee, and that I would be right back with an updated check.
She was pissed that she ended up paying more than if she’d kept her mouth shut.
No matter what restaurant or cafe you work at, sooner or later you’ll have to handle a rude or entitled customer. Dealing with problems and miscommunication is part and parcel of the job description!
However, these sorts of emotionally unpleasant situations can make new employees feel incredibly awkward. It’s not a lot of fun when you have to talk to someone who’s disappointed, angry, or actively trying to embarrass you.
This is why having the right training and mentorship at work can make such a huge difference. If your managers and coworkers can walk you through some common situations with rude customers, you’ll be better prepared when they happen. Roleplay is invaluable in keeping servers’ skills sharp.
2-top. Husband and wife. Both wearing camouflage.
I walk by the table, pass them, come back and say, “Whoa. Barely even saw you two!”
I was not tipped.
As ‘360 Training’ points out, being a server is far more than just about serving food. It’s all about providing a positive experience for the customers. Aside from knowing the menu back to front and working quickly on your feet, you’re also expected to have a good memory and work well in a team.
But perhaps most importantly, servers ought to be empathetic. They should be graceful and friendly and be able to put themselves in their customers’ shoes. Ideally, servers should be able to connect with their rude or entitled customers in such a way that they’re able to create a positive experience out of a negative one.
It was a group of middle aged guys. They’re regulars, but they’re annoying as hell, and they always ask for the hottest server. As a host, i usually just sit them with whoever. The last time they came in, I sat them with D, a really sweet black girl who’s one of our best servers. They were FURIOUS. They never said anything to me or a manager, but they claimed everything was wrong. The food was too cold. The drinks were flat. She was way too slow. She was rude. They left a 25¢ tip and left not long after.
This time, they specified they wanted a hot WHITE server. I said “okay!” and with a smile, I walked them over to their table. I specifically sat them with the only male server, a tall, black, bodybuilder who towered over all of them. He’s a really cool guy, but he can be slightly intimidating to people that don’t know him just due to his stature.
They never said a word.
Tl;dr: Buncha pervs asked for a hot white girl, got a big black guy.
All of that being said, empathy is incredibly hard to cultivate if you feel that you’re treated unfairly and you have nobody to turn to for help. However, when servers know for a fact that their managers and coworkers have their backs no matter what, it’s easier to weather the storm.
If at any point you feel out of your depth, ask your direct supervisor or a senior colleague to step in. Meanwhile, watch how they handle the situation. They might take the time to actively listen to the customer's complaints. They might decide to replace a dish, comp the meal, or send over a free drink. Or they might see the customer stepping over the line and ask them to calm down.
Between my husband and a woman at his table last night—
“Okay, ma’am, now is it the egg or the oil we need to be worried about?”
“...it’s the combination.”
“...okay. I’ll alert the kitchen.”
I love this industry so much.
Working in the food service industry means constantly balancing between being professional in the face of criticism and (politely) demanding to be treated with respect. Knowing when to do what comes down to experience and each unique situation.
Have you ever worked as a server, dear Pandas? What's the strangest work story you can remember? What was your go-to approach to handling entitled customers? Share your thoughts in the comments.
This guy really tried to extort me for a beer for his underage daughter. 'No, that doesn’t mean anything to me,' I replied. 'Really? Nothing? Pull down that mask and let me see your face.' 'I’m sorry, sir — we’re in a pandemic with a mask mandate, and we take that seriously here.' 'Jesus, you got a manager I can talk to?'
I walked away and told my boss what happened. I watched from afar as the man waved his hands around, his wife sat in disbelief, and the daughter was red of embarrassment.
The rest of the meal was awkward — the parents were fuming, and the daughter seemed like she wanted nothing more than to leave. The cop asked me questions like what my name was, who my parents were, and what part of town I lived in — but I avoided answering anything personal. As expected, no tip.
A guest walks into brunch and orders our smoked salmon plate. The only dairy in this particular dish is a ramekin of cream cheese that is served on the side.
A couple minutes later I’m in the kitchen getting coffee for another table. I turn around and smoked salmon lady has followed me to the kitchen.
When I turn around and see her, I ask “Is there something you need?”
She says, “I forgot I’m not eating dairy, so can I change my order to the buttermilk pancakes?”
Confused at what I just heard, I ask “The buttermilk pancakes? There is dairy in the pancakes...”
“Well as long as it’s not a lot it’s ok.”
Lady..... it’s like the main ingredient. It’s in the name. BUTTERMILK pancakes. Do people really listen to the stupidity that comes out of their face holes??? I can’t.
This was in 2018, but I still think about it often and just had to share.
Had a couple come in who seemed really happy, they were having their first date night since they had a baby and wife was really excited to finally have a reason to get a sitter.
They ordered drinks, an app, and their meals. Things seemed to be going well at first but as the night progressed things seemed to take a turn. Subtle things like started off holding hands across the table but stopped by the time drinks were out. Weren’t as chatty by the time the salads were out.
By the time I brought their meals out, there was an orange envelope on the table next to the guy with his wedding ring on it. She was sobbing. He said he’d take his in a to-go box and the checks would be separate.
He left as soon as his tab was paid, and she ended up telling me he apparently had been having an affair since she got pregnant and just told her he was leaving to start a life with his new family. The envelope had the divorce paperwork in it. She said he completely blindsided her, she had no idea this was coming.
My manager ended up comping her ticket and paying for an Uber to take her home. Never saw her again, but I always think about that situation and hope her and the kid are alright.
I had my restaurant booked out for a private sports event for 150 people. This didn't happen often, and it's only the second private event I've worked (I was hoping it'd be smoother this time around). We were working with the info the organizers gave us, which we were led to believe had been communicated to the guests. If guests had a pink lanyard, they were paying for drinks as they went — and if they had a gray lanyard, it meant they had a pre-paid package and got free refills on beer, wine, and soft drinks. What's important to note is that they did NOT get spirits included. The organizers told us to stop serving drinks at 1:15 p.m., get their checks paid, and get everyone ready to depart to the game. This is where things started getting interesting... A table with gray lanyards got confused when I brought over their bill. One guy asked: 'What the f**k is this?' The refills of beer they'd had were included in their package, so they only had to pay for the double vodkas they ordered. 'Since when?' and I told him that was the original plan. He yelled at me about how he ordered the premium package, wasn't supposed to have to pay, and that this was a f**king disgrace. After gently explaining to him we followed the organizers' orders, he demanded I go get someone in charge. I got the main organizer — he spoke to them, then spoke to my manager. I have no idea what happened, but somehow, the guy didn't end up paying for the spirits, and they were put on the organizers' tab instead. I understand if the guy thought he was getting everything included, but bro: I am not the person to yell at. And, in my opinion, it's a lack of organization and clarity on the organizers' part — not ours.
I had a pair come in, and I was on register, so I had the pleasure of serving them. They grabbed a menu and sat down — all was well. 'I want Eggs Benedict with sausage' she said. On our menu, we have bacon and eggs, a classic breakfast that has eggs and sausages, and an on-theme meal called Eggs Benedict. So, I asked her some questions, figured out she's talking about the on-theme meal Eggs Benedict, so we do that and add some sausage to it. She asked me to make sure it had hollandaise, so I did that. Then, she asked for another Eggs Benedict meal — awesome! I rang her up, and all was well until... The food came out, and there were two Eggs Benedict meals — apparently, she 'didn't want hollandaise on one of them,' but f**k me for not reading her mind, right? We started remaking them, but halfway through, they decided that no: They just wanted a refund because I 'specifically f**ked it up too much.' Because they couldn't be bothered reading the menu or at the very least telling me what they wanted! Anyway, at least I got a free Eggs Bene out of it, so that's cool (and they even promised they wouldn't come back — I hope they stick to it)!
I work in a brewery, and the sign above the door states the name of the brewery. The sign on the glass part of the doors states the name of the brewery, and the giant metal sign that hangs behind the bar? Name of the brewery. We open at noon on Sundays, which is usually my shift, and I leave the door open when I get there. Allow me to set the scene: The lights are all off, the music is realllllly loud, and I'm counting the drawer. A woman walks in 30 minutes before we open with two small kids who are about 4 years old, and she. is. furious.
Her: 'This music is entirely too loud and not appropriate for my girls!'
Me: 'I agree — it'll be at an appropriate level and on a different station when we open at noon.'
Her: 'Can't you do that now?' You know what, fine — I can. So, I did and went back to counting the drawer.
Her: 'Excuse me? Where should we sit?'
Me: 'Anywhere you'd like, ma'am. But, I'm afraid I still have to finish opening and won't be able to get to y'all for at least 15 to 20 minutes.'
Her: 'IS THERE NO ONE ELSE HERE?' At this point, I made a snarky look around before I answered: 'It doesn't look like it.'
Her: 'Fine — just give me a coffee and two milks.'
Me: 'Ma'am, this is a brewery. I don't have any of that.'
Her: 'Fine — just let me see the menu, and I'll decide.'
I point to the draft board and tell her those are the draft selections, the chalkboard next to it with our wine selections and snacks, and tell her we have certain soft drinks in cans.
Her: 'MY KIDS AREN'T ALLOWED SUGARY SOFT DRINKS! WHERE IS THE KIDS MENU? WE WANT BREAKFAST!'
Me: 'Ma'am, this is a brewery. We don't have kids menus, milk, juice, or breakfast foods.'
The whole damn time she ignored every obvious clue and sign, and thought she was at the breakfast spot around the corner (which wasn't even open on Sundays).
I had my first-ever dine and dash today! It was the last table of the night (a family of four — two adults and two kids). The kids spilled two drinks, and I told them I’d be sure to leave the second one off the bill because accidents happen. But then, two drinks and an entire bowl of popcorn spilled (not to mention the fries, broccoli, and mashed potatoes were left ALL over the floor, booth, and table). They knew they were leaving me with a huge mess, and that they weren’t going to pay for their meal.
The kicker is, they did hand me $28 in cash for being 'the best waitress ever' — but I had a feeling they would dine and dash. I asked my manager to go to their car with the bill because I had closing duties, but my manager said no — 'It would be rude.' They got away, and I kept the $28 — but my manager said I had to cover the whole $83 meal. I reminded him I asked him to get them and he said no, so it wasn’t on me that they got away. Unfortunately, our security cameras didn't record any of it — it just goes to show you they truly got away with it, but at least I got a nice tip?
This past Sunday morning we were slammed. I had a party of 12 that was running me into the ground, as well as a table of four, a table of three, one other small party, and then a new party of 16. I greeted the 16-top, and they wanted to put in EVERYTHING at once (they’re regulars and tip 30% every time, so I know they’re worth the extra effort). The whole order took 10 minutes max. On my way to grab their drinks, I stopped by my 12-top, and they wanted water refills. Gathering drinks for my 16-top took a few minutes, so when I returned, a woman at my 12-top was FURIOUS. She said I wasn’t moving fast enough, and my service was 'unacceptable.' This word was the final straw for me — she was a jerk the whole time, and even grabbed my attention twice by actually entering the f**king kitchen. I don’t keep my phone on me at work, I don’t take breaks, and I rarely sit during my 12+-hour days — I wasn’t going to let this comment slide. I was so calm and just said: 'You know, we’re very busy, and I’m one person. I have other tables to serve, and frankly, accommodating you has been difficult since you decided to change your order four separate times. I’m not taking the fall on your bad experience.' I dropped the 12-top's check on their table, offered no boxes, and treated the table like lava until they left.
To start off I'm not a server at the moment but this happened to one of ours. The other day we had a customer go OFF on a cashier because they asked if they replaced something due to an allergy or if it was just a preference (Corporate mandates that we ask). She substituted some pasta for our gluten free rice noodles and because it's a lot more f**king work for us to deal with an allergy and a lot of people just honestly like the taste of rice noodles we want to know if we strictly need to do it as an allergy order. This lady (I'd say 50 or 60) got real close and in that Pissed Off Mom WhisperTM started lecturing him on how rude it is that he asked, how it's none of his business, how she has Never Been So InsultedTM , how we should just treat everything that COULD POSSIBLY BE GLUTEN FREE as if it was an allergy, etc, etc, etc. He replied: "okay that's great but is it an allergy or a preference" therefore cementing him in my heart as one of my favorites. As expected it was a preference.
My a**hole table accidentally tipped me 130%. I was serving on July 4th in a vacation town in California at an upscale German beer and brat place. Everyone was drunk mid-day, we were wildly understaffed, and absolutely slammed. I’m a really fast and sweet server even when I’m busy, but I had 10 tables and I was pretty frazzled. One of my tables was a middle-aged couple and their adult son. I can’t remember the specifics, but they were really condescending, high-maintenance, and impatient. When it came time for them to pay, I was pretty relieved for them to leave. The man payed with card, signed the receipt, crumpled the customer copy, and put away his card. We were trying to turn tables as fast as possible because we were so busy, so I picked up his signed receipt and thanked them. Then, they sat there for what felt like forever. I didn’t think much of it because I was wildly busy. When I went to clear their table after they left, I was really confused. The original itemized receipt was still on the table with a stack of cash, enough to cover the whole bill and an ok tip—BUT THEY ALREADY PAID AND TIPPED ME WITH CARD. I guess the guy was drunker than I thought, completely forgot he had already paid, and then paid again in cash and just left. It was definitely not on purpose, because the “tip” on the credit card receipt and cash “tip” on the cash payment were almost the same, and they were complete a**holes. In the middle of a hellish shift, I almost started crying with joy. It came out to a $100 “tip” for a $75 bill. A little blessing from the server gods on a hard day. Wishing drunk, accidentally generous customers on you all.
Walk in 75 top. That’s right. 75 top. This happened a couple weeks ago at the very busy restaurant I work at. A woman came in saying she had some people from a jujitsu club wanting to come in for dinner and drinks and do we take reservations. My manager asked for how many, and she said about 75, but maybe up to 100. My manager started laughing, but was soon stricken by horror as she realized the woman was serious. We have a large restaurant, but a very small kitchen, and have a strict 20 top cut off. When told about this, the woman still insisted that they were already here and pretty much refused no for an answer. We ended up allowing them to come in as it was around 8pm and things were slowing down. They sat outside in our big patio area, and we had two servers split the group. People were ordering at different times and many were just drinking, so the kitchen managed to do okay. The worst part was that about 30 of the people never went to their designated area, and instead crowded the bar and stood there. Us servers use this area to walk through and obviously get our drinks. After several attempts at pushing our way through the crowd, we eventually gave up and accepted it as our reality. To get our bar drinks, we would go around to the bar side, every. damn. time. We have a long bar and only entry on each side, so this is huge out of our way. This group came in around 8pm and stayed almost all night. The people were nice, but damn how clueless are you!!! EDIT: A lot of people are wanting to know if they tipped. I wasn’t the one serving them, just another server trying to keep the rest of the place under control. I heard MOST of them tipped, although they did all pay separate and we ran out of check presenters obviously. Also, a few of them walked out on their tabs. Not on purpose, I’m sure, they probably just wandered to meet their friends at the bar and forgot to close out. I find this very rude no matter who it is, if you aren’t sure how to pay, ask the server or let them know you are leaving, moving, etc. Most of all, treat everyone with compassion! Server, customer, whatever. Treat cranky old people like they are your parents, because one day, they could be. Remember rude customers are A**HOLES, but also probably have a worse life than you do. Know that some people don’t understand “restaurant etiquette” like we do, and if they did, maybe they would act differently. Remember your server is just a human being, not a servant, and being nice goes a long way.
Shot down a guy's machismo with a pithy comment. A group of riders strolled into our establishment carrying helmets and seemed to be all about themselves. They were loud and obnoxious, but overall friendly, and they immediately started with a round of coffees. This Axl Rose-looking bandana dude looks at the half-and-half on the table and goes, "Do you guys have any hazelnut or caramel-flavored creamer?" "No, just plain half-and-half, but we do have almond milk or soy milk." His face scrunches up and he gives his friends a sarcastic look, "Do I look like someone who drinks soy?" Without missing a beat, I go, "Dude, you literally just asked me if we have frou-frou creamer." The table absolutely f**kin lost it and keeled over in laughter. Axl Rose just smiled big and said, "...you got me." They ended up being really fun and tipped fat. I know everyone prefers trainwreck stories, but sometimes the good moments are just as entertaining.
Cafes aren’t your personal library, or even a public library.
Customer posted on her Instagram, tagging my workplace and identifying me by name (whom she asked for from my coworker). Was upset because I had said she needed to give up her table for other customers. She had been sitting there for 2 hours, only ordered a single cup of coffee, which she requested to “top up” hot milk for.
Said she was undergoing an “urgent job interview” and that i had interrupted her, causing her to have to exit the interview abruptly.
Ain’t my fault you don’t know how to manage your life, lady. Cafes aren’t your home, and we DO have the right to ask you to leave (why are customers always surprised that we can do that?)
She got mad because I gave her incorrect change, so I corrected the situation.
I waited tables and tended bar for years before switching to my current career.
Table comes in, eats, drinks, pays cash. Tell them to have a great day and walk away. Taking a drink order at a new table and notice the lady standing there angrily, and I make eye contact with her husband and he looks really embarrassed.
Finish taking drink order and go over to them. "Yes? Is there a problem?"
She tells me I gave her the wrong change and was really nasty about it. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I had intended to round up to avoid pennies...you heard me right...pennies. Like their change was supposed to be $3.78 and I intended to give them $3.80. Well, I guess I made a mistake this time and gave them $3.75. Either way, she was really rude.
She showed me the receipt, and I apologized and admitted my error. Then, I pointed out I had forgotten to ring up her coffee, and that I would be right back with an updated check.
She was pissed that she ended up paying more than if she'd kept her mouth shut.
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