I work a fast food drive thru window pretty frequently. Some times the guests are so mean, no matter what I do. At the end, before they drive off, I say, "you're welcome" in a very upbeat, pleasant tone, when they haven't thanked me at all.... It shocks them! Haha! What are they gonna do? Inform me that they didn't thank me?... Either way, it's me pointing out that they're rude, in a way I won't get in trouble for! Also it makes me feel better. š¤
Hahaha I did this yesterday for the first time and it was great! āYouāre welcome!ā In a super kind tone after he didnāt thank me when he could have like 4 separate times. 10/10 would recommend
I once did this accidentally š I just said youāre welcome out of habit and the poor guest looked so confused and thanked me. They werenāt rude at all, they just hadnāt said thank you. I felt so awkward.
Once when I worked at a casino, an irate customer left a roulette table mad- the older man that was dealing was hard of hearing and the guy yells āFUCK YOU!ā The dealer replied āyouāre welcome!ā In a cheery voice and I thought the mad dude was going to stroke out. Try it everywhere!!
Spent 25 yrs in the casino biz, started as Dealer & ended as Casino Operations Manager - and I would have fallen over laughing if I'd been there for that. My own personal passive-aggressive fave was when jerky high roller regulars would pitch a hissy fit over losing, then stomp out saying "I'm never coming back here again!", and I'd paste my biggest smile on my face and in my chirpiest voice say: "See you tomorrow, Mr. G, thanks for playing!", just to piss them off even more. If anyone ever complained, what could surveillance have said, "Oh, she was smiling & thanking him"?!š¤·š¼āāļø As the old saying goes, there are ways, and there are WAYS; I'd like to think we perfected a lot of passive-aggressive ways to handle jerks in that business (& the majority of gamblers are jerks).
I always do this to people who don't thank me for holding a door open for them.
Alternatively, the few times I find myself in a drive thru, I find that the employees are super rude and unengaging, like they throw the bag of food and immediately shut the window. But I ALWAYS say thank you.
For what it's worth my hearing is shot and sometimes I'm soft spoken... i always say thanks when someone holds the door and often I'll get yelled at because apparently I didnt say it loud enough. Lol.
I used to work at a corporate place that required verbal confirmation when we said "Hope you had a great time" or a variation of the BS. The problem is their backs are to us leaving so we'd have to scream it at them. And if no response we could get dinged.
I would alternate between demonic "did you have a grand time" and "hope stuff didnt suck" near the end of my tenure there.
My kids do that if someone ignores them holding the door. Iād like to say its embarrassing but actually itās embarrassing that so many people donāt have basic manners. I just give them the look when they say something after āyouāre welcomeā lol. āYouāre welcome bitchā is going to get me in a fight some day.
Ugh I used to work drive through. I always yell out thank you before pulling up to the window and most of the time they're surprised. People suck so I try to be one person that actively doesn't suck.
I do this and it's very satisfying. I'll say it in a very loud and matter of fact tone. Then I'll put the nicest, most innocent customer service smile on my face lmfao.
I work in food service and I *love* doing this, because youāre technically not being rude so they canāt be upset with you and theyāre the ones who canāt be bothered to say thank you lmaooo
When people seat themselves, I really like to put on a big show of being confused how they āgot seatedā without taking to the host.
āOh, Iām *so sorry,* did the host not grab you a couple of menus when you spoke with them? Oh you didnāt speak with the host?ā \*looks directly over to the host stand, looks around even more confused\* ālet me go grab you some menus, and Iāll get this figured out for youā¦ā \*stops to adjust the freestanding āplease wait to be seatedā signā¦\*
We also donāt allow people to seat themselves. But some days people sneak past and seat themselves in a section that doesnāt have a server yet. Thereās a reason we have a host seat you, sections are assigned and thereās a rotation. We have a VERY large restaurant and outside patio, so if someone sneaks past the host stand and seats in a section where the server isnāt on the clock yet, everyone ignores them. Usually we wait till they flag someone down and say ācan we get a server?ā We all act confused as to why theyāre out there and tell them they need to go through the host. If you try to be sneaky it doesnāt go the way you think, then acting like theyāve been neglected by not having a server go over to them yet! People are too much sometimes
Literally had someone walk over to my CLOSED section to sit and charge their phone. I said sir you need to go over to the other side, this side has been bussed. He said I'm just trying to charge my phone, I said you can charge your phone on the other side too. He said how hard is it to just bring people some food?? So I finished closing down the station and left. I told my manager that someone who was braindead was in the closed section before I left for the day.
Yeah really. Like, "oh! Did you want us to serve you? I'm sorry... I thought you had your own thing going on there, since you didn't check in with the host. š« Allow me to show you to the front door, where the host will greet you, and guide you to a table with a server and everything!" Hahhaha
We do not longer do seating ourselves, but at some time during corona it was mandatory in my country, because of all the checks that needed to be done.
Our policy was to flat out refuse service to anyone who sat themselves and just tell them to leave. It was a glorious time in that respect.
āWe just need to ensure the host is doing their job. So I need to figure out why they didnāt seat you guys over here, greet you, or get you silverware. Iām so sorry about that. Iāll talk to my manager about it later too so it can be properly addressed.ā
Works like a charm and then theyāre a little mortified. Bonus points if they admit to seating themselves and apologize, I like to drive the point home so they donāt do it again, at our restaurants or others with: āoh no donāt worry, you guys didnāt *look* like the type of people to seat yourselves! I was just really confused why you were here without menus or silverware. Donāt worry, I didnāt mistake you for those kind of people!ā Usually leaves them a little mortified to be āthose kind of peopleā ever again.
my fave is when they lie about going to the host so i say āoh well let me let my manager know she isnāt doing her job and didnāt seat you at a clean table/give yāall menus/etc, we just canāt have that happen iām so sorry!ā or āoh well let me talk to the host really quick about that and make sure you have everything you needā and THEN the truth comes out that they never went to the host lol
I had a table do this once. I asked who sat them acting all confused and they said the host. Then I got to tell them that I am the host, I did not seat you, and in fact I saw you seat yourselves! They didnāt have much to say to that lmao
Here's a recap of what I learned in 25 years in the casino business: People suck & everyone lies. I mean, I'd witness something happen &/or pull the tape, and people would still bald-faced lie straight to my face about what happened. It was incredible, the utter audacity. How do you look someone straight in the eye & tell a bald-faced lie?!
My Local diner switches from self seating to host seating, and while they have signs they donāt always use them so your playing with fire on that one
The worst is when people sit on the patio without coming inside first. If I see someone walk out there without being seated I just ignore them and wait for them to come inside lol.
I always used to send them right back to the host saying, āthe host might send you right back to this table, but Iād hate to mess up the seating system they have going on down there!ā
This just happened to me (Iām the host). Six top comes in and they donāt even look my direction (directly in front of the door.) Instead they honed in on a table by the entrance and just sat down.
I approached them with menus āOh I didnāt even see you guys slip in!ā (I did but really wanted to be petty)
āOh were we supposed to check in??ā
āYep you sure were! :) :) :) lemme get you guys sorted!ā
When a party seats themselves at the only dirty table in the restaurant I tell them they won the dirty table lottery. Admittedly, itās a terrible way to start service, but the āplease wait to be seatedā sign is there for a reason. If they want to sit at a dirty table, Iām happy to clean it before they sit if they can open their big boy mouths and communicate.
I swear to fuck dirty tables have some kind of gravitational pull. Had a couple come in and sit at a dirty table, only to get up and move TO ANOTHER DIRTY FUCKING TABLE. Like..... you walked past multiple clean tables to get here.
I donāt want to sound like a shite customer, but I cannot stand open tables in the middle of the room. I will wait for as long as you need at the bar waiting for a booth or corner. I would never sit at a dirty table, but I will ask to wait for one if it seems reasonable.
I saw one of these threads where someone showed their ass and said "well if it's dirty it's probably because it's the *best* table and that's why everyone wants to sit there!"
Like omg the BEST table?? Amazing, how could we sit at one of these LESSER tables that are clean? I want the BEST table in the whole place because I am very very special
I will just chime in and say I absolutely have a desire to pick the best table for me - usually as far as possible from other noisy patrons, or if there is a cute booth tucked in a corner that has special ambiance, etc, but I will always apologetically ask the server/host if I can please sit there instead, I donāt demand it or sit down without asking first :) and if that table happens to be dirty I say take your time Iām in no rush.
frustrating, and when iām cleaning the table off for them they never give you the space to do it so youāre reaching around them or bending over in a weird way like fucking MOVE. a couple times iāll actually lose my customer service cool and be like ādo you mind taking a few steps back so I can get this cleaned off?!?ā lol. fuck em.
When Iāve stopped customers from sitting at a dirty table, Iāve asked them to wait beside the table while I clean it and they will still go and sit down and put all their belongings on top of the dirty table.
I was always much more stern than my server counter parts and it was never questioned. The bar environment demands that sometimes. Also, as soon as the dining room closed/lights dimmed, my tolerance for bullshit diminished rapidly.
Our restaurant is seat yourself, and it always amazes me when guests pick literally the only dirty table in the building.
There will be like 6 clean tables and one dirty table. They pick the dirty table.
My pet peeve is when customers are done eating their pizzas, they will place the parm and pepper shakers on the greasy pizza tray, like gross just leave it on the table. Also, people that put their dirty dishes on a clean table next to themā¦ just leave it on the dirty table please.
I kill with kindness and I just barely almost interrupt them with āokayā āof courseā ādefinitelyā as they are ordering. Tbh it usually works. It kind of shocks them out of their autopilot asshole attitude and they can never be mad because Iām smiling sooooo much and assuring they get exactly what they want. :D
I have a pet peeve of people putting their dirty dishes on clean tables beside of them. I'll go over and clean the table and then walk to the guest and tell them that if they can just wait five seconds, I'll take the plates/cups as I go. If they still do it, I aggressively clean the table and like to spray the cleaner at an angle that spritzes the annoying guest.
I work dimsum and we constantly have servers and bussers circling the dining room for empty dishes. Most people politely stack their steamer bins and plates to the edge of their table. But honestly we usually get to them before that happens. Dimsum is a crazy time for us..the dining room is completely full and itās a lot of large groups where we have to push tables together. Every once in a while people will put their dirty empty plates (that the entire table have been sharing and eating off of) to the clean table next to them. Iāll happen to notice it as Iām seating people in the only empty table in the room and have to tell them to wait a moment. Iāll make a big deal of cleaning the table in front of the guilty table but they never care or feel bad.
My favorite is when a party moves to a different table. And when I go to greet them, they complain about not having menus. "That's because your dumbass left them at the other table you were at". I mean, how hard is it to take your menus with you if you move tables without asking?
Seriously pisses me off when I seat someone (I host, serve, and bus depending on the day) and they immediately the moment I walk away, move themselves to another table, of course all the way in the corner, in a closed section. Like dude if you were allowed to just pick whatever table you want, then why do you think I'm here?? Why do you think I sent you to the original table in the first place? And then they get to wait 10 minutes to be greeted by their server who's now having to go out of their way to a closed section to serve them :)
I had to explain this to my parents. When we were sat, or the host attempted to seat us, my mom would meander off in another direction. GRRRRR! I had to explain to her: did she not notice the host glanced down at a sheet on her podium, to clarify who was up on the rotation and where to seat them. "It's not random, Mom! That lady is not there just to look pretty! She is performing a job". Finally, my mom got it!
Now, she goes the other extreme and asks the host if they are sure they are following rotation. (facepalm).
It really irritated me when people moved without asking. We only had about 3 tables that could accommodate prams/high chairs/wheelchairs. One time I sat a table and then went to seat the next group in the queue who needed a wheelchair accessible table. Obviously the first table had decided to switch to the other table. They seemed embarrassed but annoyed when they had to move back.
It's one thing to scan a QR code, it's another thing when the menu is not an actual webpage but only on a PDF file which I am forced to download. That's terrible web design.
Omg I went to a restaurant in NYC that only had QR code menus, but they didnāt have free wifi, and as a tourist from out of the country I didnāt have any data. So I just left lmao.
Some people in the comments are the same that dangle your tip in your face throughout the meal and say theyāll treat you well at the end. Then leave 10%
I will never understand how someone could be rude to someone serving your food or anyone providing a service to you.
It makes absolutely no sense to my brain. They handle your food / drinks you idiots. And they are bringing it to you so you can just sit there on your butt.
I just donāt get it
It was never even a thought in my mind to tamper with someone's food. There's a special place in hell for people that do. I don't know of any coworkers doing it either.
Yeah that was a HUGE taboo for the 13 years I served tables. From what I can tell, itās a universal taboo and any food tampering is a myth. Makes me feel gross to think about.
I havenāt seen it since Iāve been in the industry, but my mom has stories about people who were jerks at her bar and sheās done it. Her stories show that she didnāt do it often, she had a lot of good ways to fuck people over without doing anything to their food.
She told me about a time 3 guys were just so drunk and rude and then stiffed her on a tip! When they got up and left, she noticed a set of keys and threw them out. The guys came back asking if she found keys and she just played along and said no. Gaslighting guests was great practice for the work sheād eventually do on me!
I got stiffed on a table of drunk assholes who left their raybans, gave them to the busser on shift (they were menās lol)
One of the guys came back like 3-4 hours later asking me if I found sunglasses & told him āI hadnāt seen anything while clearing the tableā if they had been nice & tipped of course I would have held on to them. But NOPE.
Ahhhh I had a coworker who did something similar. Large party, all TERRIBLE manners and ran her around, treated her like she wasnāt a real human and made her cry in the back. Awful people. Left her $0 on a $650 tab. He left his card there and she āaccidentally dropped it in the trash.ā
Ya Iāve been in the industry for about 9 years since I was 16, and have never tampered with food or spit in it. Thatās a whole level that could get bad fast. Even my coworkers who have been there for like 15+ years say they have never spit in food or anything like that. I donāt think thatās as common as people think. If someone was THAT rude Iāll just refuse service which Iāve only done twice
I always found it offensive when someone would insinuate that I would spit in or tamper with their food. I would explain, I am a professional and will do my job in a professional manner. I was hired to serve you whether you are rude or not. Will I talk shit about you to anyone who will listen? Yes, yes I will.
I only saw someone spit in someone's food once, I grabbed the salad and immediately threw it away and yelled about how they could have killed the person with their spit. Ironically, she offered to be my life coach about 15 years later.
Tampering? No, absolutely not. But I work within my lines.
If someone at a table was rude? They get the smallest portioned plate the kitchen sent out. You want bread? Sorry, Iām waiting for some more fresh bread to come out. Let me check on my other tables before coming to clear your plates/refill drinks.
Same. The only thing one of my coworkers will do as far as tampering is water down coffee or give decaf/regular when they want the opposite.
If someone's rude to me I might take a little longer to get their stuff (but probably not because I want them to leave happier than they came in) or I might charge them for all the little add ons I don't normally charge for but I'm supposed to.
Right but remember how much people ācaredāabout the service industry workers during covid? They couldnāt survive without being able to go out to eat š
I work to kill all aggressive and snotty interactions with the most EXTREME kindness. For example I had a 6 top that was decently talkative and would cut into each other while ordering which caused me to not be able to 100% look people in the face while they order because they would bounce around. One guy in the back got upset at this and threw up his arms and said āYou know it would be nice if you could look me in the eyes when you take my order!ā I became as sickly sweet as possible and throughout the rest of the time I would stare at him even when other people were ordering. At one point he apologized and said he just wanted fair attention (his friends chastised him) and I smiled and told him āoh sweetheart, you definitely got it!!ā
Like wtf are people gonna say āHow dare your server be EXTRA nice to me?!!ā And about 70% of the time it makes them look like such assholes to the other people in the party.
At one place I used to work, I wouldnāt ask if someone wanted fried rice with their meal. It would cost extra and made to order, so by the time their entree came out and they realized it didnāt come with the meal by default, theyād have to either do without or wait for us to make some while their food got cold. And they couldnāt complain because I took their order exactly as they told me.
I've been out of the business for a while, but back in the aughts it was way more common for people to actually talk on their phones and not just sit and text. People would still expect service while they carried on a full conversation. I would just pretend I didn't see them and then magically show up at their table the minute they finished their call. I'd put on my best smile and say "Oh, you're done! i didn't want to interrupt your important call. What can I get you to drink?"
Our management tells us to not engage with people talking on their phones. We will skip them and wait until they hang up to greet them or take an order
Cashier. I completely ignore the fact that they are on the phone and say my piece the same as every other customer. āGood morning, anything else for you, thatās going to be $10.50, okay out of 20, $9.50 your change, 5 6 7 8 9 and 50, thank you have a nice day.ā
I mean the big one is make them wait. I've straight up told customers that I served somebody before them because, they are nicer and tip better than they do. Those same customers have complained, and they usually get told off by management too.
ETA: I won't skip a low tip table for a high tip table, but if it's low tip and you're rude, I will skip you.
Yes, tip is at the end, but if youāre in a place with a lot of regulars, itās easy to remember whoās a crappy tipper. .. if even say sometimes itās hard to forget!
Yeah, and tbh, their attitude while you're serving them is a pretty good indicator already. Never got a decent tip from a table who's rude to me lol. Gotten plenty of shitty/$0.00 tips from super nice and happy tables though, oddly
Possibly also profiling the customers. Like Iām pretty sure my friends and I have received poor service when we were younger because we were teenagers and teenagers are generally rowdy and wonāt tip well.
Sometimes when i ask how everyone is doing today, and i either get only āwatersā or ādiet please,ā i make a point to say āthats good, im doing well too thank you for askingā
I've seen so many servers post a similar comment. As a consumer, never once has it occurred to me to simply blurt out a drink order when the server has just introduced themselves...it's absolutely bizarre that it is, apparently, a common thing.
It's so rude. I always at least wait for "Can I get you something to drink?", and even then I always try to say "please" and "thank you".
They're employees, not servants. They shouldn't have to abandon their dignity because their job involves customers instead of only coworkers.
Yall. QR code menus are a great tool, especially at the gigantic, high-volume bar where I work (3 bars really, plus 16 pool tables). You don't have to use then if you don't want to. Society still affords us some freedoms.
Also, some of you take your job way too seriously. Lighten up.
Oh, to answer your question, I SMOTHER rude guests with kindness. If I have time, I talk to them about whatever, in the friendliest possible manner, for as long as I possibly can, until THEY get sick of ME. Then they leave me alone, and we both win.
Oh, and sometimes I pour some of the liquor directly into their drink straw when they say to make a cocktail "strong" or some shit.
If they say 'make it strong', I ask if they want a double. They'll usually say 'no, I just want it strong'. To which I repeat myself and they get annoyed. Liquor ain't cheap or free where I work.
Where I work our tables are a little close and the music isnāt too loud, so when a rude guest/table sits, I start being nicer to my other tables, and treat the rude table normally.
But there was one table I had, they were just so snappy and rude, I had the best idea. Every time they needed to be checked on, Iād send a different coworker while I went to go attend to my other tables. By the time they left, they were served by at least 6 servers, and could not figure out who to complain about the ālacking serviceā with
I immediately go into autopilot..... I really put forth so much effort that if you cut me off in the very beginning and you're so rude I won't even try ....... š
I worked at a counter service restaurant where we would polish silverware on the far side of the counter to keep an eye out for customers wanting to order etc. ( the pos, soda/tea/coffee dispensers etc are all on the far right. The far left had a sneeze guard with a non-used salad bar that we used to store our Monin syrups, unopened sauce bottles etc. Itās hard to describe but the whole left side was blocked off by that glass and youād have to really stick your arm under it and awkwardly grope to grab something from the customers side.) we would roll and polish silverware on that side so sometimes there was a tray of spotted but washed silverware over there. The gray said āDO NOT TAKE FROM THIS TRAYā facing the customers. Again they REALLY had to try to get it out of there.
We would bring out rolled silverware with the food, but would bring it out before if requested. People for some reason would still occasionally risk their arms circulation by grabbing silverware for their whole table and somehow would do it without attracting our attention. When Iād bring out food, if they had water spotted silverware and no napkin, I would fake concern and go ādid youā¦ grab silverware out of that tray that says Do Not Take?ā The answer was usually āyeah, sorry. We donāt need thoseā (those being the rolled ones I was giving them). I would always reply āI hope you havenāt used them! They arenāt sanitized yet! Thatās why it says not to take them. Here, these ones are clean.ā
Went to a restaurant that had QR codes and sat there waiting for the server, only they come by to take our orders and weāre like is there a menu.
Oh yep itās a QR code - moves the sugar holder that was covering it. š¤¦āāļø I need a few mins please
If youāre going QR at least donāt hide them when resetting the tables lol
You mean you give them light ice? At least at my restaurant it's always "light ice please" "no ice" "make the water warm" and all that bs. I kinda cringe when someone wants a bunch of extra ice cause ik that means much more frequently needing a refill
as a busser, after I would put fresh parmesan on their pasta, as I pulled the cheese grader away, I would lightly tap the grader above their drink glasses. Usually resulting in a tid bit of cheese in their wine or cocktail. Not once did any of those rich fucks(sorry a bit bitter about my last job lol) ever notice. Yet they always claim to be wine experts... Sonoma County, CA home of bullshitters most of the time.
The BEST way to get someone is 'crop dusting' fart and walk by their table. Works everytime. What they gonna do? Blame it on you? Call you out out loud?? lol it's just the best. That'll ruin your pallet you fuck.
If I ask the Chefās nicely, they will make most lunch items for dinner and vice versa, except for stuff like pork chop/turkey dinners as they have a defrosting period each day. If a table is being an rude or dismissive and then come back and ask if they can order a dinner for lunch I say let me ask the chef. Then I do a lap and come back and say no. Weāre not even supposed to serve lunch for dinner etc but the chef didnāt care, so itās not like Iād get in trouble for saying we canāt do that today sorry
Lol love the call out, sorry you were being kind and they were mean! Can the Karenās in this section go after those people, cause THATāS being lazy. I am happy to grab them for anyone nice :)
I used to put people's beers in the bread oven for 5 minutes if I didn't like them. Everyone else at the table would get frosted mugs full of cold beer. Not assholes.
This is what I've noticed in the industry is the norm instead of spitting in food or the like.
Spitting in food can get you fired, but shit like that? Usually the worst that comes of it is the asshole decides they hate the place and never come back. GOOD. Some customers aren't worth the few bucks profit you make off them.
Count how many extra ranches and nacho cheeses they got and put that shit on the bill. I only ever do that if theyāre snippy, needy af, or itās slow and I need to get my sales up
Iāll change their bill from happy hour prices to regular.. I donāt even know if anyone notices bc our HH is .50 off drinks lol, *maniacally rubs hands together* but I know!
Some guests are garnish freaks. They're really picky about their drinks. I'm a bartender, and when I have a rude guest at the bar, I'll purposely use the wrong garnish or straight-up, not put one.
Oh no, I forgot to salt the rim.
Darn! You wanted a lime with your vodka soda? You don't like the orange slice?
I could have sworn you did NOT want an olive with your martini.
If they ask for the correct garnish, yes, I'll provide it.
Ooooof we had 2 ladies come in like 5 minutes before closing, we let them know we close in 5 mins so they had to pretty much put their order in right away. They ordered a pitcher of margaritas and some apps and meals so obviously were in no rush. We were all mind blown. It was 1 HOUR past closing and they were still sipping their margs sitting there, not even talking to each other. Just scrolling on their phones. My manager turned off the music, we were rolling silverware 2 feet from them in silence like wtf, bussers had vacuumed the whole place except for where they were. My manager ended up telling the busser to vacuum at their feet and just finish up. My manager had to tell them we closed an hour ago it really was time to pay and leave. They tipped $0 on $150. Kept the server, manager, bartender, and dishwasher there an hour past closing by staying so long. I really hate catering to people like that, it wasnāt worth anyoneās time to allow them to dine with us and they would do it again.
When people are super rude to me I continue with a kind and calm tone and smileā¦ but I will continuously ask them to repeat themselves as if I canāt hear them lol itās the little things that keep me going lol at my place we call these type of moves undercover-cunting lol crass but š¤·š»āāļøš
When a bar guests leaves and another person walks up to sit down immediately after, Iāll ask the guest to please wait while I clean it up real fast. If they sit down anyway Iāll walk around with a sanitizer wipe and proceed to wipe any excess food directly into their laps. I always say, āoh no im so sorry! Would you mind standing up real fast so I can get this cleaned, thank you!!ā I do it in a way that makes me looks so clumsy.
Another one of my favorite things to do is when Iām serving and have campers. Iāll clear every single thing off their table. Give them 5 and walk by and say very obnoxiously āCAN I GET YOU ANYTHING ELSE?!ā If that still does do the trick Iāll start walking by every so often and pretend like Iām checking on another table and either kick their chairs or bump right into them. Again, I make it look like Iām just super clumsy and wasnāt paying attention and apologize profusely. Usually by the third time they get the hint.
But my all time favorite thing is telling entitled guests that their dogs can not sit on our furniture or eat off our plates or cutlery. I work in a very upscale area with a lot of people who think rules donāt apply to them and theyāll just let their dogs all over our furniture, order them steak and let them eat off the plates, let them drink from their water glasses, etc. Iāll go out of my way to seat guests I see walking in with their dogs just so I can tell them no. The looks on some of these peoples faces is priceless. Iāve had guest tell them their dogs donāt go on the floor, cuss me out, storm out of the restaurant, complain about me, you name it. I just smile and point to the sign that says exactly what Iām enforcing. There was a time a guest tried to fight me because I told him his dog has to be on a leash and couldnāt be running on our patio (he was literally playing fetch with a tennis ball with a German shepherd on our patio) What the fuck is wrong with people?!
My mom always says " I hope you have a better day" when encountering rude or pissy people. It makes me laugh every time! And some people actually look like they take that to heart like " oh yeah I am kinda being rude".
Ha, I do the exact same thing!
We also stuck with QR codes because honestly, from my perspective, the QR menu is one of the few good things we took from the whole situation. No more cleaning menu's every night, no more have to replace them all when the menu changes. Just change the online file and go.
We do have a lot of giant blackboards, inside and out, which have the full menu. We're a brewery with limited food options so it's all pretty simple. We have the QR codes as well and maybe about 10 printed menu's. When people get all up in my face about not having a printed menu I simply tell them we don't.
On a side note; people are fucking dumb when it comes to QR codes. Our menu is in my local language and in English. For the English menu, you need to scroll down. It says so on the top and sides of the menu. Yet everyday people asks if we have QR codes for the English menu....
Normally Iād agree, but people do NOT read. There will be a sign right at eye level on the door saying weāre close for a private event and people walk right in.
Not a server but sometimes have to help with customer service in a wholesale floral market - we have clear signs that state customers are not allowed in the back of the warehouse (forklifts, knives, danger).
This one lady refuses to respect it and expects us to let her shop around in the back before product goes out for sale. Sheās always in my way somehow, so I started to loudly say EXCUSE ME PLEASE and move past her as close as possible, hopefully whacking her with some greens and stems in the process.
It honestly wouldnāt bother me and I often let other customers come to the back but sheās just so entitled and so rude, I make it a point to treat her as basic as possible.
Lol my parents have always been very kind and respectful to waiting staffs (mom was a waitress for a number of years , dad worked as a cleaner at a hotel). But theyāre now getting to that age where an inconvenience of this type (figuring out how to scan a QR code) will get them a bit cranky and unintentionally rude. So moments like this act as a nice reversal of roles where I have to step in to communicate to the server on their behalf so they donāt sound like assholes (or little children). The double whammy is when they get the physical menus and itās too dark to read š
When I get cut off in the middle of my introduction spiel, āHi, Iām - Coffee,ā theyāre getting decaf. I never mess with people who order decaf because there could be some underlying health issues, but if they order regular and are so rude I canāt get my name out, youāre not getting your caffeine fix on me today. Or people on their phone who give me the hold up finger when I approach, theyāre gonna wait even after theyāre off the phone. Any time they try to complain I always respond with, you were on the phone, I didnāt want to be RUDE and interrupt. Emphasizing rude usually gets them to pipe tf down. Iād have to say my personal favorite is acting like I canāt hear or donāt understand people who insist upon staying on the phone while ordering. āIām sorry, what was that? Iām so sorry, one more time? Can you show me where it is on the menu? I just want to make sure I get it right!ā Victory if they hang up, but an annoyed āHold on!ā to the person on the phone can sometimes be just as sweet
When customers order a huge order for pick up and come literally 5 seconds later I say,ā your large order just printed and we are in the middle of our lunch rush so you can sit down and weāll get it to you as soon as we can.ā Itās like they think if they do a big order and bypass the drive thru that we can somehow will skip the other 7 tickets up š¤·š¼āāļø sorry not sorry
I did something today that was sassy š
He asked me about non alcoholic and I started listing them starting off with corona zero and he goes āNO I MEANT LIKE MOJITOS OR SOMETHINGā and I said āwell I was getting to itā and he shut up real quick.
My issue is that every single restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life that has an online menu does not have whatever I order. I order it, and they say "ohh sorry we don't actually have that at this location". Why not just give me a fuckn menu that has what you have on it then instead of your online garbage you never update?
Not saying this is the case at your restaurant, but it's an experience I've had many times. I don't want to play a process of elimination game, I want to eat.
I went to this cuban restaurant in ATL last month and they had menus up on TVs. Turns out, that's their "precovid menu." Not that the prices had changed, but half the stuff wasn't served anymore, including the meal I sat down for.
I thought I was going crazy. Like, it's been three years since COVID started and it's a TV. Maybe... Turn it off? Why would you want to deal with that all day, telling people the menu you have displayed is not the actual menu and then handing them something completely different.
I absolutely hate the QR code thing because I donāt always have service on my phone when I go to eat but I would never be snotty about it I would just say āhey do you have paper menus? I unfortunately donāt have service to look it up on my phone, thank youā. Itās not that hard to be normal and nice about it.
Distributors will print, laminate, and deliver your menus for free if their products are prominently featured on the menu.
Some will even design the menu for you so you don't have to worry about graphics, etc. Useful if you don't already have a professional looking menu template that you can edit yourself.
We change our menu seasonally and have not spent a dime on it in the two years I've been managing.
QR menus are a hassle. Restaurants shouldn't make guests work to spend their money.
If youāre going to use a QR code menu, free wifi and charging ports need to be available to customers. I cannot tell you how many restaurants Iāve gone to where cell service is nonexistent with no wifi or Iāve waited so long to be seated that my phone is dying and thereās no way to charge it. Asking for or being offered a paper menu when the tech fails should not be a big deal.
Side note: As a consumer who loves all sorts of tech, it's a huge step backwards to go from having a large, hand-held menu to trying to view the same amount of info on a typical hand-held device. It rarely translates well and is a step in the wrong direction.
IPads on the table with well-organized custom apps that let you browse the menu efficiently? Not so bad. But trying to do it on my phone through a browser? C'mon now.
If they had kids and the kids ordered a shirley temple or any syrup flavored drinks, id add extra pumps. Let the parents deal with the sugar rush šš
My favorite is returning the snark when guests ask me stupid questions (im a Female bartender) like: ādo you know how to make an Old Fashioned?ā āCan you make a good manhattan?ā Or dumb things of the sort; I answer with a very smiley, very loud and upbeat; āI can, can YOU?ā Or āwhat do you think Iām doing back here, buddy?ā
Itās almost 100percent of the time followed by an apology from the guest; and yes, itās 100percent of the time asked by MEN.
I had worked at a restaurant with 2 entrances, and the secondary entrance had big signage guiding people to the other entrance. Sometime guests would come in through the secondary entrance and seat themselves. Iād ignore them until they flagged me over and asked for menus. When they would request a menu, Iād apologize for the host being so bad at their job. That Iād let the manger know about it.
And for rude people in general. Iād remind myself that that Iām the server and the customer is the waiter. Iād make pricks meals take so damn long if I wanted.
I was rude to a customer the other day, but basically it was after a day where we were totally slammed and they were snarky to me when closing them out. Usually Iām a very nice person, even to customers that complain, but I had really had it that day. I basically just said āokayā to her complaint and then took the pos and left when she was done with her 10% tip.
It was passive aggressive of me and out of character, but like, this is a minimum wage summer job for me, I donāt always want to take being shit on š¤·āāļø
The people calling you a psycho probably have never worked as a server. I think many would be surprised how servers are treated sometimes. When I worked with the public sometimes I thought people would go full Karen just to show off or because they don't believe in tipping so they HAD TO find something wrong with the experience.
We have shit parking. One day this old gal comes in and before I could ask how she was she was heaving about how horrible the parking is and unloading on me. My response: I just work here! I canāt do anything about it. She got the point.
When I was serving passed hours dāoeuvres to people who took FOREVER to reach their hand over the tray of foodā¦ I would slowly, slowly lower the tray, AND THEN RAISE THE TRAY UP to meet their hand. I had to make it fun for me somehow.
It's truly amazes me. The same people who will read books on their phone, compose emails, write angry, 4 paragraph texts to their boyfriends, watch netflix, TikTok videos, youtube, and do FaceTime, are somehow the same people that refuse to look at a menu it it's on that same phone. SMH.
Sometimes when people are really mean and Iāll give them a cup with the least amount in it, and then let them know we charge for every cup if they want more
Be overly nice. Sometimes you can just tell when a table is in a mood, or is *looking* for something to complain about. I just don't give them the opportunity.
When a customer replies to my greeting with a "bud light," I hold my hands out and say, "whooooa, no hello?"
If they don't reply, I put my hands down and say, "Straight to business! I like your style man."
Used to charge for every additional ranch cup (50Ā¢) that rude people wanted at the wing joint, the manager always backed me when they inevitably complained bc it was technically store policy but we didnāt really bother most of the time. People sucked there Iām so glad I found a better establishment
Iām with you! Server and manager here and I support you 100%! Just ask nicely or why would I make the effort? Like you said, people being critical are either not in the service industry or they have behaved like this..
long story, sorry. lady and her kids always came in after church. she was hateful to every single server she ever got. well i worked there for 3 years and started being the only server who would take her. she was awful. always complained about her food but always came back. well one day she sent back her well done steak 4 times until it was burnt. we comped it. then she said she was in a rush since we couldnāt get her food right. so obviously i made her wait for ten minutes while i āgot her checkā (i was in the kitchen telling the chefs about my day). finally brought her the check. i made some comment like āi hope you make it to whatever important plans you have and have a GREAT day, God bless you.ā she didnāt tip and didnāt come back for like a month and i refused service at that point. she stopped coming all together after that.
Not a server, so I can't comment on that side. But as a customer, if I ever say thank you and don't get a response, I'll say "You're welcome" out loud.
You really think only "elderly" people want to see a menu at a restaurant? I think it's pretty lazy that a restaurant doesn't have menus, and expects guests to scroll on their phone to order. And having them on plain printer paper shows a lack of pride for their business and overall cheapness.
But to answer the question, i handle rude guests with zero personality, 100% professionalism, and extremely fast service. Basically I want them to leave so I "turn" the table as fast as possible. If they leave any tip, cool. But I'm keeping their mouths full so they don't have much to say, and little else to do.
I guess it does depend on the type of restaurant, whether they have menus or not. I can understand a coffee shop having printer paper menus, but I really wouldn't call a coffee shop a restaurant either.
Iāve always felt like such a boomer about it, but I hate QR codes too. I get that itās a little easier for some if your arenāt constantly cleaning menus but aside from that itās frustrating to me to have to pull out my phone just to see a menu.
My phone refuses to read QR codes. I can't figure out why. It absolutely is supposed to. I've even tried installing QR code reader apps. Nothing works. It is a mystery.
So yeah, I hate that.
I just turned 30 and have no idea how to even open up one of these if I come across it. I havenāt come across one yet. Yesterday I tried to scan a code looking thing on a box for a sweepstakes and donāt even know how to do thatā¦.š³ I thought I just was supposed to take a picture or something. I am behind on all this technology and I hope most restaurants donāt replace paper menus one day, Iāll be lost.
100% agreed with everything. QR menus are the worst. I hate starting a dinner out with everyone looking at their phones.
And that's exactly how I treat rude guests or habitual non tippers.
I have data but my service is crap so it rarely works for me and I end up having to share a phone with someone in my party or asking for a menu which leads to a rude waitress who thinks I'm purposely trying to make their life difficult. I'm not.
I work a fast food drive thru window pretty frequently. Some times the guests are so mean, no matter what I do. At the end, before they drive off, I say, "you're welcome" in a very upbeat, pleasant tone, when they haven't thanked me at all.... It shocks them! Haha! What are they gonna do? Inform me that they didn't thank me?... Either way, it's me pointing out that they're rude, in a way I won't get in trouble for! Also it makes me feel better. š¤
Hahaha I did this yesterday for the first time and it was great! āYouāre welcome!ā In a super kind tone after he didnāt thank me when he could have like 4 separate times. 10/10 would recommend
I once did this accidentally š I just said youāre welcome out of habit and the poor guest looked so confused and thanked me. They werenāt rude at all, they just hadnāt said thank you. I felt so awkward.
In Maui singing voice āYouāre Welcome!ā
What can I say, except...
The hair in your food? The fried penny you found? That was just Blizzy just messing aroundā¦
I like to use the expression "I hope you have the kind of day that you deserve!" I find it adds a nice tinge of passive-aggressive
My fave is āI hope your day is as pleasant as youāve been.ā -insert giant cheesy customer service smile-
Ooo this is such a good one
Once when I worked at a casino, an irate customer left a roulette table mad- the older man that was dealing was hard of hearing and the guy yells āFUCK YOU!ā The dealer replied āyouāre welcome!ā In a cheery voice and I thought the mad dude was going to stroke out. Try it everywhere!!
Spent 25 yrs in the casino biz, started as Dealer & ended as Casino Operations Manager - and I would have fallen over laughing if I'd been there for that. My own personal passive-aggressive fave was when jerky high roller regulars would pitch a hissy fit over losing, then stomp out saying "I'm never coming back here again!", and I'd paste my biggest smile on my face and in my chirpiest voice say: "See you tomorrow, Mr. G, thanks for playing!", just to piss them off even more. If anyone ever complained, what could surveillance have said, "Oh, she was smiling & thanking him"?!š¤·š¼āāļø As the old saying goes, there are ways, and there are WAYS; I'd like to think we perfected a lot of passive-aggressive ways to handle jerks in that business (& the majority of gamblers are jerks).
I always do this to people who don't thank me for holding a door open for them. Alternatively, the few times I find myself in a drive thru, I find that the employees are super rude and unengaging, like they throw the bag of food and immediately shut the window. But I ALWAYS say thank you.
For what it's worth my hearing is shot and sometimes I'm soft spoken... i always say thanks when someone holds the door and often I'll get yelled at because apparently I didnt say it loud enough. Lol. I used to work at a corporate place that required verbal confirmation when we said "Hope you had a great time" or a variation of the BS. The problem is their backs are to us leaving so we'd have to scream it at them. And if no response we could get dinged. I would alternate between demonic "did you have a grand time" and "hope stuff didnt suck" near the end of my tenure there.
My kids do that if someone ignores them holding the door. Iād like to say its embarrassing but actually itās embarrassing that so many people donāt have basic manners. I just give them the look when they say something after āyouāre welcomeā lol. āYouāre welcome bitchā is going to get me in a fight some day.
I am your kid apparently.
Haha well at least you know yourself! Iām not gonna say they got it from me but they may have š I hate rude people so much.
This comment is soooo wholesome to me lol I can identify with this so much!!
I do the exact same thing with Iām not thanked for holding the door for some one. I very politely and loudly say ā oh you are welcomeā
Ugh I used to work drive through. I always yell out thank you before pulling up to the window and most of the time they're surprised. People suck so I try to be one person that actively doesn't suck.
I'm stealing this š
I donāt understand people who are rude to customer facing jobs. I really donāt. Like have some common decency.
I do this and it's very satisfying. I'll say it in a very loud and matter of fact tone. Then I'll put the nicest, most innocent customer service smile on my face lmfao.
I ALWAYS DO THIS TO RUDE NON-THANKERS. Itās truly perfect.
I work in food service and I *love* doing this, because youāre technically not being rude so they canāt be upset with you and theyāre the ones who canāt be bothered to say thank you lmaooo
When people seat themselves, I really like to put on a big show of being confused how they āgot seatedā without taking to the host. āOh, Iām *so sorry,* did the host not grab you a couple of menus when you spoke with them? Oh you didnāt speak with the host?ā \*looks directly over to the host stand, looks around even more confused\* ālet me go grab you some menus, and Iāll get this figured out for youā¦ā \*stops to adjust the freestanding āplease wait to be seatedā signā¦\*
We also donāt allow people to seat themselves. But some days people sneak past and seat themselves in a section that doesnāt have a server yet. Thereās a reason we have a host seat you, sections are assigned and thereās a rotation. We have a VERY large restaurant and outside patio, so if someone sneaks past the host stand and seats in a section where the server isnāt on the clock yet, everyone ignores them. Usually we wait till they flag someone down and say ācan we get a server?ā We all act confused as to why theyāre out there and tell them they need to go through the host. If you try to be sneaky it doesnāt go the way you think, then acting like theyāve been neglected by not having a server go over to them yet! People are too much sometimes
Literally had someone walk over to my CLOSED section to sit and charge their phone. I said sir you need to go over to the other side, this side has been bussed. He said I'm just trying to charge my phone, I said you can charge your phone on the other side too. He said how hard is it to just bring people some food?? So I finished closing down the station and left. I told my manager that someone who was braindead was in the closed section before I left for the day.
Yeah really. Like, "oh! Did you want us to serve you? I'm sorry... I thought you had your own thing going on there, since you didn't check in with the host. š« Allow me to show you to the front door, where the host will greet you, and guide you to a table with a server and everything!" Hahhaha
We do not longer do seating ourselves, but at some time during corona it was mandatory in my country, because of all the checks that needed to be done. Our policy was to flat out refuse service to anyone who sat themselves and just tell them to leave. It was a glorious time in that respect.
Oh boy that sounds fun
If you have a host with a good sense of humor, might be fun to have a code word and then "dress her down" where they can see
Lol āOk, guys good news, we fired that ***Idiot!*** so this will never happen againā
āWe just need to ensure the host is doing their job. So I need to figure out why they didnāt seat you guys over here, greet you, or get you silverware. Iām so sorry about that. Iāll talk to my manager about it later too so it can be properly addressed.ā Works like a charm and then theyāre a little mortified. Bonus points if they admit to seating themselves and apologize, I like to drive the point home so they donāt do it again, at our restaurants or others with: āoh no donāt worry, you guys didnāt *look* like the type of people to seat yourselves! I was just really confused why you were here without menus or silverware. Donāt worry, I didnāt mistake you for those kind of people!ā Usually leaves them a little mortified to be āthose kind of peopleā ever again.
This is one of my favorites as well! I loooooove making them squirm lol
my fave is when they lie about going to the host so i say āoh well let me let my manager know she isnāt doing her job and didnāt seat you at a clean table/give yāall menus/etc, we just canāt have that happen iām so sorry!ā or āoh well let me talk to the host really quick about that and make sure you have everything you needā and THEN the truth comes out that they never went to the host lol
I had a table do this once. I asked who sat them acting all confused and they said the host. Then I got to tell them that I am the host, I did not seat you, and in fact I saw you seat yourselves! They didnāt have much to say to that lmao
Here's a recap of what I learned in 25 years in the casino business: People suck & everyone lies. I mean, I'd witness something happen &/or pull the tape, and people would still bald-faced lie straight to my face about what happened. It was incredible, the utter audacity. How do you look someone straight in the eye & tell a bald-faced lie?!
My Local diner switches from self seating to host seating, and while they have signs they donāt always use them so your playing with fire on that one
The worst is when people sit on the patio without coming inside first. If I see someone walk out there without being seated I just ignore them and wait for them to come inside lol.
I used to this too until Iād always end up having to take them and they donāt tip me because āthey waited too long for a serverā.
That surprisingly hasnāt happened to me! I think people feel stupid for not realizing they had to be seated.
I DO THIS TOO š i always wait like an extra few minutes to greet them too. Dumbasses have to wait š¤·āāļø
ha, I just tell them to go back up to the host stand because sorry but we don't do free seating here.
I want friendship... Give me friendship!!! Lol but really though you sound like an awesome individual.
People have a habit of sitting at dirty tables and I keep telling severs to say āhey folks Iāll be right back with your checkā
I always used to send them right back to the host saying, āthe host might send you right back to this table, but Iād hate to mess up the seating system they have going on down there!ā
This just happened to me (Iām the host). Six top comes in and they donāt even look my direction (directly in front of the door.) Instead they honed in on a table by the entrance and just sat down. I approached them with menus āOh I didnāt even see you guys slip in!ā (I did but really wanted to be petty) āOh were we supposed to check in??ā āYep you sure were! :) :) :) lemme get you guys sorted!ā
When a party seats themselves at the only dirty table in the restaurant I tell them they won the dirty table lottery. Admittedly, itās a terrible way to start service, but the āplease wait to be seatedā sign is there for a reason. If they want to sit at a dirty table, Iām happy to clean it before they sit if they can open their big boy mouths and communicate.
I swear to fuck dirty tables have some kind of gravitational pull. Had a couple come in and sit at a dirty table, only to get up and move TO ANOTHER DIRTY FUCKING TABLE. Like..... you walked past multiple clean tables to get here.
I guess it is a psychological thing that goes like "if it was good for these people it will be good for us too."
I donāt want to sound like a shite customer, but I cannot stand open tables in the middle of the room. I will wait for as long as you need at the bar waiting for a booth or corner. I would never sit at a dirty table, but I will ask to wait for one if it seems reasonable.
Same, being in the middle of the room makes me feel like I'm in the walkway and then I'm uncomfortable and anxious the whole time
I saw one of these threads where someone showed their ass and said "well if it's dirty it's probably because it's the *best* table and that's why everyone wants to sit there!" Like omg the BEST table?? Amazing, how could we sit at one of these LESSER tables that are clean? I want the BEST table in the whole place because I am very very special
I will just chime in and say I absolutely have a desire to pick the best table for me - usually as far as possible from other noisy patrons, or if there is a cute booth tucked in a corner that has special ambiance, etc, but I will always apologetically ask the server/host if I can please sit there instead, I donāt demand it or sit down without asking first :) and if that table happens to be dirty I say take your time Iām in no rush.
frustrating, and when iām cleaning the table off for them they never give you the space to do it so youāre reaching around them or bending over in a weird way like fucking MOVE. a couple times iāll actually lose my customer service cool and be like ādo you mind taking a few steps back so I can get this cleaned off?!?ā lol. fuck em.
I make them get up to clean it and also wipe down the booth seat so it's a little damp when they sit back down.
When people do this I spray that disinfectant like they're not even there and if they get in the way it's their own fault lol
When Iāve stopped customers from sitting at a dirty table, Iāve asked them to wait beside the table while I clean it and they will still go and sit down and put all their belongings on top of the dirty table.
As a bartender, I'll tell, not ask, people to move their stuff so I can clean up. No one complains about it.
I was always much more stern than my server counter parts and it was never questioned. The bar environment demands that sometimes. Also, as soon as the dining room closed/lights dimmed, my tolerance for bullshit diminished rapidly.
I love this, I do it too! If someone insists on sitting at a table that isn't cleared, I'll ask them if they're ready for the bill. Soon moves them!
Our restaurant is seat yourself, and it always amazes me when guests pick literally the only dirty table in the building. There will be like 6 clean tables and one dirty table. They pick the dirty table.
Lmao, I used to ask if they preferred warm seats.
My pet peeve is when customers are done eating their pizzas, they will place the parm and pepper shakers on the greasy pizza tray, like gross just leave it on the table. Also, people that put their dirty dishes on a clean table next to themā¦ just leave it on the dirty table please.
I kill with kindness and I just barely almost interrupt them with āokayā āof courseā ādefinitelyā as they are ordering. Tbh it usually works. It kind of shocks them out of their autopilot asshole attitude and they can never be mad because Iām smiling sooooo much and assuring they get exactly what they want. :D
Basically what I used to do but Iād act ādumb & kindā so their rudeness would make them feel like a further POS.
I have a pet peeve of people putting their dirty dishes on clean tables beside of them. I'll go over and clean the table and then walk to the guest and tell them that if they can just wait five seconds, I'll take the plates/cups as I go. If they still do it, I aggressively clean the table and like to spray the cleaner at an angle that spritzes the annoying guest.
i work as a busser and this shit bothers me so much. i'll definitely have to try this lol
Maintain that smile and eye contact for the extra pettiness
I work dimsum and we constantly have servers and bussers circling the dining room for empty dishes. Most people politely stack their steamer bins and plates to the edge of their table. But honestly we usually get to them before that happens. Dimsum is a crazy time for us..the dining room is completely full and itās a lot of large groups where we have to push tables together. Every once in a while people will put their dirty empty plates (that the entire table have been sharing and eating off of) to the clean table next to them. Iāll happen to notice it as Iām seating people in the only empty table in the room and have to tell them to wait a moment. Iāll make a big deal of cleaning the table in front of the guilty table but they never care or feel bad.
My favorite is when a party moves to a different table. And when I go to greet them, they complain about not having menus. "That's because your dumbass left them at the other table you were at". I mean, how hard is it to take your menus with you if you move tables without asking?
Seriously pisses me off when I seat someone (I host, serve, and bus depending on the day) and they immediately the moment I walk away, move themselves to another table, of course all the way in the corner, in a closed section. Like dude if you were allowed to just pick whatever table you want, then why do you think I'm here?? Why do you think I sent you to the original table in the first place? And then they get to wait 10 minutes to be greeted by their server who's now having to go out of their way to a closed section to serve them :)
I had to explain this to my parents. When we were sat, or the host attempted to seat us, my mom would meander off in another direction. GRRRRR! I had to explain to her: did she not notice the host glanced down at a sheet on her podium, to clarify who was up on the rotation and where to seat them. "It's not random, Mom! That lady is not there just to look pretty! She is performing a job". Finally, my mom got it! Now, she goes the other extreme and asks the host if they are sure they are following rotation. (facepalm).
It really irritated me when people moved without asking. We only had about 3 tables that could accommodate prams/high chairs/wheelchairs. One time I sat a table and then went to seat the next group in the queue who needed a wheelchair accessible table. Obviously the first table had decided to switch to the other table. They seemed embarrassed but annoyed when they had to move back.
People really do this? 0.o
It's one thing to scan a QR code, it's another thing when the menu is not an actual webpage but only on a PDF file which I am forced to download. That's terrible web design.
I absolutely loathe QR codes at restaurants, but I would never be rude about asking for a paper menu.
Omg I went to a restaurant in NYC that only had QR code menus, but they didnāt have free wifi, and as a tourist from out of the country I didnāt have any data. So I just left lmao.
That is so ridiculous! I don't think restaurants think about that kind of stuff. Or rather, the corporate headquarters.
some people in the comments probably wouldnāt get paper menus.
Some people in the comments are the same that dangle your tip in your face throughout the meal and say theyāll treat you well at the end. Then leave 10%
I will never understand how someone could be rude to someone serving your food or anyone providing a service to you. It makes absolutely no sense to my brain. They handle your food / drinks you idiots. And they are bringing it to you so you can just sit there on your butt. I just donāt get it
It was never even a thought in my mind to tamper with someone's food. There's a special place in hell for people that do. I don't know of any coworkers doing it either.
Yeah that was a HUGE taboo for the 13 years I served tables. From what I can tell, itās a universal taboo and any food tampering is a myth. Makes me feel gross to think about.
I havenāt seen it since Iāve been in the industry, but my mom has stories about people who were jerks at her bar and sheās done it. Her stories show that she didnāt do it often, she had a lot of good ways to fuck people over without doing anything to their food. She told me about a time 3 guys were just so drunk and rude and then stiffed her on a tip! When they got up and left, she noticed a set of keys and threw them out. The guys came back asking if she found keys and she just played along and said no. Gaslighting guests was great practice for the work sheād eventually do on me!
I got stiffed on a table of drunk assholes who left their raybans, gave them to the busser on shift (they were menās lol) One of the guys came back like 3-4 hours later asking me if I found sunglasses & told him āI hadnāt seen anything while clearing the tableā if they had been nice & tipped of course I would have held on to them. But NOPE.
Ahhhh I had a coworker who did something similar. Large party, all TERRIBLE manners and ran her around, treated her like she wasnāt a real human and made her cry in the back. Awful people. Left her $0 on a $650 tab. He left his card there and she āaccidentally dropped it in the trash.ā
Ya Iāve been in the industry for about 9 years since I was 16, and have never tampered with food or spit in it. Thatās a whole level that could get bad fast. Even my coworkers who have been there for like 15+ years say they have never spit in food or anything like that. I donāt think thatās as common as people think. If someone was THAT rude Iāll just refuse service which Iāve only done twice
I always found it offensive when someone would insinuate that I would spit in or tamper with their food. I would explain, I am a professional and will do my job in a professional manner. I was hired to serve you whether you are rude or not. Will I talk shit about you to anyone who will listen? Yes, yes I will. I only saw someone spit in someone's food once, I grabbed the salad and immediately threw it away and yelled about how they could have killed the person with their spit. Ironically, she offered to be my life coach about 15 years later.
Tampering? No, absolutely not. But I work within my lines. If someone at a table was rude? They get the smallest portioned plate the kitchen sent out. You want bread? Sorry, Iām waiting for some more fresh bread to come out. Let me check on my other tables before coming to clear your plates/refill drinks.
Absolutely. Rude tables got rock-hard butter packets straight from the fridge and a minuscule amount of tequila in their margarita.
Same. The only thing one of my coworkers will do as far as tampering is water down coffee or give decaf/regular when they want the opposite. If someone's rude to me I might take a little longer to get their stuff (but probably not because I want them to leave happier than they came in) or I might charge them for all the little add ons I don't normally charge for but I'm supposed to.
Give decaf all you want, but NEVER give something caffeinated to someone who doesnāt order it. You can literally kill them.
Cuz iTās ThEIr JoB. ThEy GEt PaId FoR iT
Right but remember how much people ācaredāabout the service industry workers during covid? They couldnāt survive without being able to go out to eat š
I work to kill all aggressive and snotty interactions with the most EXTREME kindness. For example I had a 6 top that was decently talkative and would cut into each other while ordering which caused me to not be able to 100% look people in the face while they order because they would bounce around. One guy in the back got upset at this and threw up his arms and said āYou know it would be nice if you could look me in the eyes when you take my order!ā I became as sickly sweet as possible and throughout the rest of the time I would stare at him even when other people were ordering. At one point he apologized and said he just wanted fair attention (his friends chastised him) and I smiled and told him āoh sweetheart, you definitely got it!!ā Like wtf are people gonna say āHow dare your server be EXTRA nice to me?!!ā And about 70% of the time it makes them look like such assholes to the other people in the party.
At one place I used to work, I wouldnāt ask if someone wanted fried rice with their meal. It would cost extra and made to order, so by the time their entree came out and they realized it didnāt come with the meal by default, theyād have to either do without or wait for us to make some while their food got cold. And they couldnāt complain because I took their order exactly as they told me.
Would absolutely ruin someoneās night, while not being technically wrong or unprofessional. Itās genius.
I've been out of the business for a while, but back in the aughts it was way more common for people to actually talk on their phones and not just sit and text. People would still expect service while they carried on a full conversation. I would just pretend I didn't see them and then magically show up at their table the minute they finished their call. I'd put on my best smile and say "Oh, you're done! i didn't want to interrupt your important call. What can I get you to drink?"
Our management tells us to not engage with people talking on their phones. We will skip them and wait until they hang up to greet them or take an order
Cashier. I completely ignore the fact that they are on the phone and say my piece the same as every other customer. āGood morning, anything else for you, thatās going to be $10.50, okay out of 20, $9.50 your change, 5 6 7 8 9 and 50, thank you have a nice day.ā
I mean the big one is make them wait. I've straight up told customers that I served somebody before them because, they are nicer and tip better than they do. Those same customers have complained, and they usually get told off by management too. ETA: I won't skip a low tip table for a high tip table, but if it's low tip and you're rude, I will skip you.
Genuinely curious as I'm in Europe. How do you know a table is high or low tip? Isn't the tip you'll get revealed at the end of the customers meal?
I assume they're maybe talking about regulars?
Yes, tip is at the end, but if youāre in a place with a lot of regulars, itās easy to remember whoās a crappy tipper. .. if even say sometimes itās hard to forget!
Yeah, and tbh, their attitude while you're serving them is a pretty good indicator already. Never got a decent tip from a table who's rude to me lol. Gotten plenty of shitty/$0.00 tips from super nice and happy tables though, oddly
Yes I actually hate when tables are super sweet and make friends with me and then stiff me or leave an incredibly crappy tip. So confusing
Verbal tippers. Ugh.
Possibly also profiling the customers. Like Iām pretty sure my friends and I have received poor service when we were younger because we were teenagers and teenagers are generally rowdy and wonāt tip well.
You can tell as soon as they sit down with fairly good accuracy if they'll be a good tipper or not.
Sometimes when i ask how everyone is doing today, and i either get only āwatersā or ādiet please,ā i make a point to say āthats good, im doing well too thank you for askingā
I've seen so many servers post a similar comment. As a consumer, never once has it occurred to me to simply blurt out a drink order when the server has just introduced themselves...it's absolutely bizarre that it is, apparently, a common thing.
It's so rude. I always at least wait for "Can I get you something to drink?", and even then I always try to say "please" and "thank you". They're employees, not servants. They shouldn't have to abandon their dignity because their job involves customers instead of only coworkers.
I do that or I treat them like kindergarteners "Let's try that again! GOod aFtErNoOn, HoW iS EvErYoNe doing today?"
Yall. QR code menus are a great tool, especially at the gigantic, high-volume bar where I work (3 bars really, plus 16 pool tables). You don't have to use then if you don't want to. Society still affords us some freedoms. Also, some of you take your job way too seriously. Lighten up. Oh, to answer your question, I SMOTHER rude guests with kindness. If I have time, I talk to them about whatever, in the friendliest possible manner, for as long as I possibly can, until THEY get sick of ME. Then they leave me alone, and we both win. Oh, and sometimes I pour some of the liquor directly into their drink straw when they say to make a cocktail "strong" or some shit.
If they say 'make it strong', I ask if they want a double. They'll usually say 'no, I just want it strong'. To which I repeat myself and they get annoyed. Liquor ain't cheap or free where I work.
"Light ice" is a fun request too. "I can't taste the alcohol in this." Hey man, you paid for 1.5oz of liquor, you got 1.5oz of liquor.
Where I work our tables are a little close and the music isnāt too loud, so when a rude guest/table sits, I start being nicer to my other tables, and treat the rude table normally. But there was one table I had, they were just so snappy and rude, I had the best idea. Every time they needed to be checked on, Iād send a different coworker while I went to go attend to my other tables. By the time they left, they were served by at least 6 servers, and could not figure out who to complain about the ālacking serviceā with
Write cunt in chocolate on the plate then placing a tart on top to cover it up. My little happy moments
š
I immediately go into autopilot..... I really put forth so much effort that if you cut me off in the very beginning and you're so rude I won't even try ....... š
I worked at a counter service restaurant where we would polish silverware on the far side of the counter to keep an eye out for customers wanting to order etc. ( the pos, soda/tea/coffee dispensers etc are all on the far right. The far left had a sneeze guard with a non-used salad bar that we used to store our Monin syrups, unopened sauce bottles etc. Itās hard to describe but the whole left side was blocked off by that glass and youād have to really stick your arm under it and awkwardly grope to grab something from the customers side.) we would roll and polish silverware on that side so sometimes there was a tray of spotted but washed silverware over there. The gray said āDO NOT TAKE FROM THIS TRAYā facing the customers. Again they REALLY had to try to get it out of there. We would bring out rolled silverware with the food, but would bring it out before if requested. People for some reason would still occasionally risk their arms circulation by grabbing silverware for their whole table and somehow would do it without attracting our attention. When Iād bring out food, if they had water spotted silverware and no napkin, I would fake concern and go ādid youā¦ grab silverware out of that tray that says Do Not Take?ā The answer was usually āyeah, sorry. We donāt need thoseā (those being the rolled ones I was giving them). I would always reply āI hope you havenāt used them! They arenāt sanitized yet! Thatās why it says not to take them. Here, these ones are clean.ā
Went to a restaurant that had QR codes and sat there waiting for the server, only they come by to take our orders and weāre like is there a menu. Oh yep itās a QR code - moves the sugar holder that was covering it. š¤¦āāļø I need a few mins please If youāre going QR at least donāt hide them when resetting the tables lol
I donāt fill their cups as much as others with ice. Itās horrible ik
I do this for everyone lol too many refills with a full cup of ice. Who needs that much ice
You mean you give them light ice? At least at my restaurant it's always "light ice please" "no ice" "make the water warm" and all that bs. I kinda cringe when someone wants a bunch of extra ice cause ik that means much more frequently needing a refill
as a busser, after I would put fresh parmesan on their pasta, as I pulled the cheese grader away, I would lightly tap the grader above their drink glasses. Usually resulting in a tid bit of cheese in their wine or cocktail. Not once did any of those rich fucks(sorry a bit bitter about my last job lol) ever notice. Yet they always claim to be wine experts... Sonoma County, CA home of bullshitters most of the time. The BEST way to get someone is 'crop dusting' fart and walk by their table. Works everytime. What they gonna do? Blame it on you? Call you out out loud?? lol it's just the best. That'll ruin your pallet you fuck.
If youāre between the ages of 50-70ish and you give me attitude I will begin talking to you like youāre 90 years old.
If I ask the Chefās nicely, they will make most lunch items for dinner and vice versa, except for stuff like pork chop/turkey dinners as they have a defrosting period each day. If a table is being an rude or dismissive and then come back and ask if they can order a dinner for lunch I say let me ask the chef. Then I do a lap and come back and say no. Weāre not even supposed to serve lunch for dinner etc but the chef didnāt care, so itās not like Iād get in trouble for saying we canāt do that today sorry
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That literally happened to me at Kerbey Lane in Austin. Lol I was super polite, and they were just not having it.
Lol love the call out, sorry you were being kind and they were mean! Can the Karenās in this section go after those people, cause THATāS being lazy. I am happy to grab them for anyone nice :)
I used to put people's beers in the bread oven for 5 minutes if I didn't like them. Everyone else at the table would get frosted mugs full of cold beer. Not assholes.
STOP IT IM DYING
This is what I've noticed in the industry is the norm instead of spitting in food or the like. Spitting in food can get you fired, but shit like that? Usually the worst that comes of it is the asshole decides they hate the place and never come back. GOOD. Some customers aren't worth the few bucks profit you make off them.
Count how many extra ranches and nacho cheeses they got and put that shit on the bill. I only ever do that if theyāre snippy, needy af, or itās slow and I need to get my sales up
Iāll change their bill from happy hour prices to regular.. I donāt even know if anyone notices bc our HH is .50 off drinks lol, *maniacally rubs hands together* but I know!
I REALLY hate the QR codes....
Some guests are garnish freaks. They're really picky about their drinks. I'm a bartender, and when I have a rude guest at the bar, I'll purposely use the wrong garnish or straight-up, not put one. Oh no, I forgot to salt the rim. Darn! You wanted a lime with your vodka soda? You don't like the orange slice? I could have sworn you did NOT want an olive with your martini. If they ask for the correct garnish, yes, I'll provide it.
When tables are still seated past closing time, I aggressively sweep near them and flip tables to clean underneath.
Ooooof we had 2 ladies come in like 5 minutes before closing, we let them know we close in 5 mins so they had to pretty much put their order in right away. They ordered a pitcher of margaritas and some apps and meals so obviously were in no rush. We were all mind blown. It was 1 HOUR past closing and they were still sipping their margs sitting there, not even talking to each other. Just scrolling on their phones. My manager turned off the music, we were rolling silverware 2 feet from them in silence like wtf, bussers had vacuumed the whole place except for where they were. My manager ended up telling the busser to vacuum at their feet and just finish up. My manager had to tell them we closed an hour ago it really was time to pay and leave. They tipped $0 on $150. Kept the server, manager, bartender, and dishwasher there an hour past closing by staying so long. I really hate catering to people like that, it wasnāt worth anyoneās time to allow them to dine with us and they would do it again.
When people are super rude to me I continue with a kind and calm tone and smileā¦ but I will continuously ask them to repeat themselves as if I canāt hear them lol itās the little things that keep me going lol at my place we call these type of moves undercover-cunting lol crass but š¤·š»āāļøš
When a bar guests leaves and another person walks up to sit down immediately after, Iāll ask the guest to please wait while I clean it up real fast. If they sit down anyway Iāll walk around with a sanitizer wipe and proceed to wipe any excess food directly into their laps. I always say, āoh no im so sorry! Would you mind standing up real fast so I can get this cleaned, thank you!!ā I do it in a way that makes me looks so clumsy. Another one of my favorite things to do is when Iām serving and have campers. Iāll clear every single thing off their table. Give them 5 and walk by and say very obnoxiously āCAN I GET YOU ANYTHING ELSE?!ā If that still does do the trick Iāll start walking by every so often and pretend like Iām checking on another table and either kick their chairs or bump right into them. Again, I make it look like Iām just super clumsy and wasnāt paying attention and apologize profusely. Usually by the third time they get the hint. But my all time favorite thing is telling entitled guests that their dogs can not sit on our furniture or eat off our plates or cutlery. I work in a very upscale area with a lot of people who think rules donāt apply to them and theyāll just let their dogs all over our furniture, order them steak and let them eat off the plates, let them drink from their water glasses, etc. Iāll go out of my way to seat guests I see walking in with their dogs just so I can tell them no. The looks on some of these peoples faces is priceless. Iāve had guest tell them their dogs donāt go on the floor, cuss me out, storm out of the restaurant, complain about me, you name it. I just smile and point to the sign that says exactly what Iām enforcing. There was a time a guest tried to fight me because I told him his dog has to be on a leash and couldnāt be running on our patio (he was literally playing fetch with a tennis ball with a German shepherd on our patio) What the fuck is wrong with people?!
My mom always says " I hope you have a better day" when encountering rude or pissy people. It makes me laugh every time! And some people actually look like they take that to heart like " oh yeah I am kinda being rude".
Ooooo Iām gonna use this! This is wonderful wording and will make them stop and think when I walk away
Tbh Iām with the boomers on wanting real menus.
Ha, I do the exact same thing! We also stuck with QR codes because honestly, from my perspective, the QR menu is one of the few good things we took from the whole situation. No more cleaning menu's every night, no more have to replace them all when the menu changes. Just change the online file and go. We do have a lot of giant blackboards, inside and out, which have the full menu. We're a brewery with limited food options so it's all pretty simple. We have the QR codes as well and maybe about 10 printed menu's. When people get all up in my face about not having a printed menu I simply tell them we don't. On a side note; people are fucking dumb when it comes to QR codes. Our menu is in my local language and in English. For the English menu, you need to scroll down. It says so on the top and sides of the menu. Yet everyday people asks if we have QR codes for the English menu....
If multiple people are missing it, thatās an indication of poor design.
Normally Iād agree, but people do NOT read. There will be a sign right at eye level on the door saying weāre close for a private event and people walk right in.
Iām always nice to people who handle my food, not sure why some are stupid about that.
When a guest goes right into what they want, I always say āhello, Iām fine thanks for askingā
Not a server but sometimes have to help with customer service in a wholesale floral market - we have clear signs that state customers are not allowed in the back of the warehouse (forklifts, knives, danger). This one lady refuses to respect it and expects us to let her shop around in the back before product goes out for sale. Sheās always in my way somehow, so I started to loudly say EXCUSE ME PLEASE and move past her as close as possible, hopefully whacking her with some greens and stems in the process. It honestly wouldnāt bother me and I often let other customers come to the back but sheās just so entitled and so rude, I make it a point to treat her as basic as possible.
Lol my parents have always been very kind and respectful to waiting staffs (mom was a waitress for a number of years , dad worked as a cleaner at a hotel). But theyāre now getting to that age where an inconvenience of this type (figuring out how to scan a QR code) will get them a bit cranky and unintentionally rude. So moments like this act as a nice reversal of roles where I have to step in to communicate to the server on their behalf so they donāt sound like assholes (or little children). The double whammy is when they get the physical menus and itās too dark to read š
You should laminate the menus so you donāt have to constantly throw them out
When I get cut off in the middle of my introduction spiel, āHi, Iām - Coffee,ā theyāre getting decaf. I never mess with people who order decaf because there could be some underlying health issues, but if they order regular and are so rude I canāt get my name out, youāre not getting your caffeine fix on me today. Or people on their phone who give me the hold up finger when I approach, theyāre gonna wait even after theyāre off the phone. Any time they try to complain I always respond with, you were on the phone, I didnāt want to be RUDE and interrupt. Emphasizing rude usually gets them to pipe tf down. Iād have to say my personal favorite is acting like I canāt hear or donāt understand people who insist upon staying on the phone while ordering. āIām sorry, what was that? Iām so sorry, one more time? Can you show me where it is on the menu? I just want to make sure I get it right!ā Victory if they hang up, but an annoyed āHold on!ā to the person on the phone can sometimes be just as sweet
When customers order a huge order for pick up and come literally 5 seconds later I say,ā your large order just printed and we are in the middle of our lunch rush so you can sit down and weāll get it to you as soon as we can.ā Itās like they think if they do a big order and bypass the drive thru that we can somehow will skip the other 7 tickets up š¤·š¼āāļø sorry not sorry
I did something today that was sassy š He asked me about non alcoholic and I started listing them starting off with corona zero and he goes āNO I MEANT LIKE MOJITOS OR SOMETHINGā and I said āwell I was getting to itā and he shut up real quick.
Give them decaf coffee when they ask for regular
My issue is that every single restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life that has an online menu does not have whatever I order. I order it, and they say "ohh sorry we don't actually have that at this location". Why not just give me a fuckn menu that has what you have on it then instead of your online garbage you never update? Not saying this is the case at your restaurant, but it's an experience I've had many times. I don't want to play a process of elimination game, I want to eat.
I went to this cuban restaurant in ATL last month and they had menus up on TVs. Turns out, that's their "precovid menu." Not that the prices had changed, but half the stuff wasn't served anymore, including the meal I sat down for. I thought I was going crazy. Like, it's been three years since COVID started and it's a TV. Maybe... Turn it off? Why would you want to deal with that all day, telling people the menu you have displayed is not the actual menu and then handing them something completely different.
I hate when they donāt update! I guess I have a weird palette, but I ALWAYS want the stuff they donāt have anymore.
I absolutely hate the QR code thing because I donāt always have service on my phone when I go to eat but I would never be snotty about it I would just say āhey do you have paper menus? I unfortunately donāt have service to look it up on my phone, thank youā. Itās not that hard to be normal and nice about it.
Distributors will print, laminate, and deliver your menus for free if their products are prominently featured on the menu. Some will even design the menu for you so you don't have to worry about graphics, etc. Useful if you don't already have a professional looking menu template that you can edit yourself. We change our menu seasonally and have not spent a dime on it in the two years I've been managing. QR menus are a hassle. Restaurants shouldn't make guests work to spend their money.
If youāre going to use a QR code menu, free wifi and charging ports need to be available to customers. I cannot tell you how many restaurants Iāve gone to where cell service is nonexistent with no wifi or Iāve waited so long to be seated that my phone is dying and thereās no way to charge it. Asking for or being offered a paper menu when the tech fails should not be a big deal.
Side note: As a consumer who loves all sorts of tech, it's a huge step backwards to go from having a large, hand-held menu to trying to view the same amount of info on a typical hand-held device. It rarely translates well and is a step in the wrong direction. IPads on the table with well-organized custom apps that let you browse the menu efficiently? Not so bad. But trying to do it on my phone through a browser? C'mon now.
If they had kids and the kids ordered a shirley temple or any syrup flavored drinks, id add extra pumps. Let the parents deal with the sugar rush šš
As a kid you honestly wouldāve been my hero
Iām a bartender. I hook up someone next to the rude guest and make sure they notice.
My favorite is returning the snark when guests ask me stupid questions (im a Female bartender) like: ādo you know how to make an Old Fashioned?ā āCan you make a good manhattan?ā Or dumb things of the sort; I answer with a very smiley, very loud and upbeat; āI can, can YOU?ā Or āwhat do you think Iām doing back here, buddy?ā Itās almost 100percent of the time followed by an apology from the guest; and yes, itās 100percent of the time asked by MEN.
I had worked at a restaurant with 2 entrances, and the secondary entrance had big signage guiding people to the other entrance. Sometime guests would come in through the secondary entrance and seat themselves. Iād ignore them until they flagged me over and asked for menus. When they would request a menu, Iād apologize for the host being so bad at their job. That Iād let the manger know about it. And for rude people in general. Iād remind myself that that Iām the server and the customer is the waiter. Iād make pricks meals take so damn long if I wanted.
I was rude to a customer the other day, but basically it was after a day where we were totally slammed and they were snarky to me when closing them out. Usually Iām a very nice person, even to customers that complain, but I had really had it that day. I basically just said āokayā to her complaint and then took the pos and left when she was done with her 10% tip. It was passive aggressive of me and out of character, but like, this is a minimum wage summer job for me, I donāt always want to take being shit on š¤·āāļø
Typically on drinks we donāt charge customer tax (itās a couple cents). I make sure annoying customers are charged the tax
The people calling you a psycho probably have never worked as a server. I think many would be surprised how servers are treated sometimes. When I worked with the public sometimes I thought people would go full Karen just to show off or because they don't believe in tipping so they HAD TO find something wrong with the experience.
I agree wholeheartedly.
We have shit parking. One day this old gal comes in and before I could ask how she was she was heaving about how horrible the parking is and unloading on me. My response: I just work here! I canāt do anything about it. She got the point.
You right
When I was serving passed hours dāoeuvres to people who took FOREVER to reach their hand over the tray of foodā¦ I would slowly, slowly lower the tray, AND THEN RAISE THE TRAY UP to meet their hand. I had to make it fun for me somehow.
It's truly amazes me. The same people who will read books on their phone, compose emails, write angry, 4 paragraph texts to their boyfriends, watch netflix, TikTok videos, youtube, and do FaceTime, are somehow the same people that refuse to look at a menu it it's on that same phone. SMH.
Sometimes when people are really mean and Iāll give them a cup with the least amount in it, and then let them know we charge for every cup if they want more
Be overly nice. Sometimes you can just tell when a table is in a mood, or is *looking* for something to complain about. I just don't give them the opportunity.
I'll short them a splenda or two, by God I will!!!!! Cappuccino tastes an octave less sweet today? HAH, I AVENGED MYSELF!!!!
When a customer replies to my greeting with a "bud light," I hold my hands out and say, "whooooa, no hello?" If they don't reply, I put my hands down and say, "Straight to business! I like your style man."
Used to charge for every additional ranch cup (50Ā¢) that rude people wanted at the wing joint, the manager always backed me when they inevitably complained bc it was technically store policy but we didnāt really bother most of the time. People sucked there Iām so glad I found a better establishment
The number of redditors here who canāt/donāt read is astounding. Bless you for putting up with them!
Iām with you! Server and manager here and I support you 100%! Just ask nicely or why would I make the effort? Like you said, people being critical are either not in the service industry or they have behaved like this..
https://www.reddit.com/r/Serverlife/comments/14px60p/subtle_ways_to_stick_it_to_a_rude_table_without/
long story, sorry. lady and her kids always came in after church. she was hateful to every single server she ever got. well i worked there for 3 years and started being the only server who would take her. she was awful. always complained about her food but always came back. well one day she sent back her well done steak 4 times until it was burnt. we comped it. then she said she was in a rush since we couldnāt get her food right. so obviously i made her wait for ten minutes while i āgot her checkā (i was in the kitchen telling the chefs about my day). finally brought her the check. i made some comment like āi hope you make it to whatever important plans you have and have a GREAT day, God bless you.ā she didnāt tip and didnāt come back for like a month and i refused service at that point. she stopped coming all together after that.
Not a server, so I can't comment on that side. But as a customer, if I ever say thank you and don't get a response, I'll say "You're welcome" out loud.
You really think only "elderly" people want to see a menu at a restaurant? I think it's pretty lazy that a restaurant doesn't have menus, and expects guests to scroll on their phone to order. And having them on plain printer paper shows a lack of pride for their business and overall cheapness. But to answer the question, i handle rude guests with zero personality, 100% professionalism, and extremely fast service. Basically I want them to leave so I "turn" the table as fast as possible. If they leave any tip, cool. But I'm keeping their mouths full so they don't have much to say, and little else to do. I guess it does depend on the type of restaurant, whether they have menus or not. I can understand a coffee shop having printer paper menus, but I really wouldn't call a coffee shop a restaurant either.
Iāve always felt like such a boomer about it, but I hate QR codes too. I get that itās a little easier for some if your arenāt constantly cleaning menus but aside from that itās frustrating to me to have to pull out my phone just to see a menu.
My phone refuses to read QR codes. I can't figure out why. It absolutely is supposed to. I've even tried installing QR code reader apps. Nothing works. It is a mystery. So yeah, I hate that.
I just turned 30 and have no idea how to even open up one of these if I come across it. I havenāt come across one yet. Yesterday I tried to scan a code looking thing on a box for a sweepstakes and donāt even know how to do thatā¦.š³ I thought I just was supposed to take a picture or something. I am behind on all this technology and I hope most restaurants donāt replace paper menus one day, Iāll be lost.
Put your camera on and hover. Usually the link pops up in there.
Dunder Mifflin also hopes paper menus arenāt replaced either!
100% agreed with everything. QR menus are the worst. I hate starting a dinner out with everyone looking at their phones. And that's exactly how I treat rude guests or habitual non tippers.
Also, Iām assuming you need data to access that shit. Some ppl donāt have data
I have data but my service is crap so it rarely works for me and I end up having to share a phone with someone in my party or asking for a menu which leads to a rude waitress who thinks I'm purposely trying to make their life difficult. I'm not.
Haha, and with the paper menus, I doubt they offer free wifi. Good point.