Tonight was hell. Hell. My section was like a goddamn daycare. Children everywhere. Cranky customers bitching about things that weren't my fault. Not even worth writing about except for the fact that all of them were piled on me at once. I was ready to cry. I'd agreed to close for my Work Wife, but after dealing with rude assholes all night I just wanted to walk out the side door and never come back.
Then I felt like I got a lucky break: a couple in their late twenties with a smaller but polite child. They made eye contact, they said please and thank you. They ordered drinks and an appetizer, and answered all my questions. After taking their order I went back to the kitchen and said, “Finally! A table that doesn't suck!”
You see where this is going, right?
The 'nice' people got their food as I was taking an order at a rather more obnoxious, large table full of small children. I got a drink refill for someone, entered the big table's simple order, and went over to the nice people.
“How is you dinner so far?”
The man, who had both elbows on his table and was stabbing at his food, glowered up at me. “I need to see the manager.”
I smiled and said right away, having no idea what could be wrong. I guessed maybe there was something about the food that had pissed him off so much he didn't want to tell me, so I didn't particularly worry when I sent PSM to the table.
Five minutes later, PSM came back. “He's upset because he says you rolled your eyes in disgust at him.”
I think my mouth literally fell open. “I did not!”
“Well, he says you did.” PSM shrugged. “Maybe you didn't realize it, you did it just now.”
“But I knew I was doing it! And there was no reason I would have, they didn't do anything to irritate me or anything!”
PSM said not to worry too much about it, but I was so stressed out from the whole night's ridiculous idiocy that after he walked away I started to crack. Someone asked if I was okay and I burst into tears and a tirade about how much people piss me off. I ran through everything I could think of – was my contact lens bothering me? No. Did I look up to think when they asked me a question? No, they didn't ask me any questions. Did they say or do anything to irritate me that I might have rolled my eyes at? No. I was out of ideas.
But after I calmed down, I made a round of my tables, and then went to the 'nice' people. I had carefully planned what I was going to say; I know better than to deny something like that. I also waited until Kelly was at the next table and would hear the whole thing, which I was glad of later.
“Sir, my manager said you saw me roll my eyes at you and I just wanted to let you know it wasn't intentional.”
“Whatever.” the guy snapped and threw his fork down. “I don't even want to talk about it.”
“Well, I apologize.” I started to back up. “It wasn't directed at you.”
“You know what, I saw you do it twice, so--” he started flipping his hand at me to go away, so I did. A few minutes later, I saw PSM at the table again, with the guy clearly bitching about something new.
Turns out, the guy was complaining again because I apologized. According to him it was rude and “nervy”. Are you fucking kidding me? Who the fuck complains about an apology? Oh, wait – somebody who works in the restaurant business and knows exactly what to say to get free shit.
9 comments:
Fuckin people getting free shit. I hate it when a table complains over NOTHING just cos they know they'll get their dinner or whatever for free. And it pisses me off even more when I expain the situation to the manager and they go ahead and comp them anyway! Only one of my supervisors actually stands up to these types of assholes and I love her for it.
fuck him he's the one with the problem someone who wont accept an apology for something minor or tries to use it as a weapon against you is a morally bankrupt and petty shit fuck him up the ass and around the corner he's not work getting upset over. I hope he dies in a fire!
This man is nothing short of an asshole.
Sadly- he is raising an asshole by default.
He likely married an asshole.
Its a whole family of assholes.
I bet his dad, mom, sisters , brothers and grandparents are also assholes.
The thing about assholes is all they can do is talk shit.
Why does management think a free meal will make things better? No other industry will comp things like that.
I'm willing to bet he said that to get a free something, then when you apologized, he was embarrassed.
How were the rest of the people at the table?
That is low and pathetic. If you want to scam free food, have some fuggin respect and just 'find a hair' in it, or say it tastes like shit, or something. Don't make a complaint that could get a waitress fired.
This post makes me Sooo mad, what an assbag. People will do anything for free food. The food industry needs to do something about it, it's the only industry where it's easy to get free shit. It's not like you can walk into Abercrombie, complain the girl folding the jeans gave you a dirty look and get a free pair of jeans or go into best buy and get a free camera because you "found a crack in the lens". They either trade it in for a new product or take it back and give you a refund. Same at resteraunts, they need to stop giving free meals over dumb shit. I am a server and try everything in my power to avoid giving away free food.
I'm new to your blog so after reading a few posts....How in the hell do you do it?! I have a bit of mouth on me so I know I wouldn't last a day!
Do you beat a punching bag on your days off? Track down the cars of asshole customers and slash tires late at night? Or is blogging your really your salvation?
I'll say this much, every time I eat out after reading this I promise to be extra nice and pay close attention to my tip percentage!
I had the same thing happen to me at work! I work in retail and apprently I roll my eyes a lot, but am never aware of it! My boss actually wrote me up over it.
LAME.
Post a Comment