We all have to work for a living. Until someone wants to pay me to do this, I'm forced to have a part-time job. Mine? Bartender. I know what you're saying, "cliche. A bartender with a story" Regardless of the image of people in the serving industry it is a great way to see an accurate slice of society. On my website I've discussed how entertaining it would be to have a show on TV that was called, the customer's always Wrong! Any of you that have worked in a restaurant or bar know this to be true. People's expectations have been thrusted beyond normality. People are coming in with the sole, intention of getting something for free. Not to mention that they are placing the onus on the establishment to provide their happiness. I don't know if it's misplaced anger, or ignorance, but you see it everyday. It is your job as a part of this society to put a stop to it whenever you can. I encourage you to stand up and say, that's wrong!
What the fuck are you talking about Jamie? I'll tell you. Long ago I remember noticing little things that went wrong when out with my tyrant of a step-father. He would belittle the waiter at a restaurant, he would demand from grocers. He was an asshole. What I remember more than anything is how I felt. Embarrassed. Uncomfortable. I could comprehend that something was not satisfactory, however the person being ripped a new asshole had little to do with it. That's where the problem lies. And it's people like him that needed to feel like a big man all the time. Probably why he felt okay about knocking around a little boy. Those people need to tower over others because they feel that it's what makes them a part of the elite of the world. But they are wrong. they must be told!
About six years ago I went to Toronto Island to watch the airshow with a friend. After the Snowbirds we headed to the ferry that takes you back to mainland with the hundreds of others. People lined up in an orderly fashion( Canadian, so polite!) and waited. And waited. Finally a young man working for the ferry got up at the front of the line and told us that one of the ferries had broken down and it was the one that was supposed to be there. Another ferry was coming, but because it was a bigger boat it had to use the dock about twenty feet to the right. Pretty much everyone that was at the back was now at the front and vice versa. Well after everyone had moved, two men who were there with their families, started to scream at this seventeen year old employee. And they were loud. They went on about how they were at the front (as if that mattered)and that this was bullshit. What struck me was that they were with their kids. They were looking like assholes in front of their children. I began to feel uncomfortable again. I could feel for this guy who probably hated his job as much as the rest of us hate ours, but he was being scolded in public. Before I knew it I spoke.
"Hey" I yelled in a loud booming voice.
"Do you think that he had anything to do with the boat breaking down? You think it's his fault? You're embarrassing yourself."
behind me I heard the beginning of a slow clap, and then a couple more people agreed aloud. One of them told me to mind my own business, but I reminded him that we'd be on the same ferry and we could talk about it then. He hung his head when I walked by him on the ship. Maybe it was the dreads, maybe it was the tone of voice, but I hope they stopped because they realized at that moment that it wasn't the worker they were mad at. It wasn't the line-up. Maybe it was them? Maybe they're upset with themselves? I don't give a shit what your problem is, when you are talking to someone show respect. As long as they deserve it.
You see in the service industry you have a lot of complaints. What makes it difficult is there is a lot of grey area in the complaints. People feel as if they can actually not like something, and not have to pay for it. Where in the real world that doesn't really work. You can't get off your flight and then go tell them you didn't like it. " Yeah, I opened this can of pop, and now I don't want it."
You'd think that we're printing money in the back. So many are under the impression that absolutely everything should be up to, or above their standards or else. They won't tip, come back, or recommend it to their friends. I find it strange that so much is put on the shoulders of the staff at certain places that you'd think that if everything is good, maybe fifteen percent is an insult. If it is within the right of the customer to say, " I would've tipped more, but.." Then I should be able to tell the others that their gratuity is unsatisfactory. It can't be a one way street. The rest of the world doesn't work this uneven, so why here.
The other night at the small place I pull pints at, there was an incident. A woman brought her Mom for her fiftieth birthday. She wanted very specific things for this occasion. You can understand that it is her mom, and fifty's a big day. Now here are some details that you don't know. 1) I work at an Irish Pub, not a fancy place, it's a pub
2) The cake that she bought for her Mom was a $20 generic chocolate cake from the supermarket.( Lame!)
3) She ordered a series of food platters, that were to be brought out two at a time. they forgot to mention that.
4) After she dropped off the stale cake, she left only to return two hours later pissed right off.
Now, these details are important because they led to her behaviour. Which was childish, and rude. Sadly the other people were affected by this attitude. And they were angrier than the staff. They thought that we should have thrown them out. By them, I mean the woman and the birthday girl.
The two girls serving the party hid in the back when they were winding down. The tyrant still ran amok, everyone trembling. I overheard her say that it wasn't how she wanted it to be. Everyone was mellow, and not much energy. There wasn't a large "surprise" or anything like that. Funny, that sounds like something that the daughter would be responsible for. She was also disappointed with the food, yet wasn't willing to pay a lot for it. She approached me and told me her peeves, I handed her a business card and told her she should explain her concerns to the manager. She continued and asked me to agree with her regarding the poor service and poor food, which is rude considering that I worked there. I repeated that she should tell the manager, and she said, "oh, I'll tell everyone". Then the highlight of the night. Her mother standing at the front door of the restaurant, said really loud, " This place sucks! I'm the birthday girl and it sucks! I'm telling everyone!"
What a gem! What a family! When you yell something like that as you're leaving, you have voided your chance to complain. Everything that you think, that may have been valid has gone out the window. How can you even have the gall to think that someone would listen to someone that deliberately tried to ruin the dining experience of others. Of course they just thought she was some drunk. They hurried off to the car, husbands in tow with their heads hanging in embarrassment. She probably should have picked up that pen with her name on it. I mean they're one google search away from knowing everything about her. Idiot. What's worse as that our paths will cross again, and then what? How proud was her Monday morning hangover, sitting in front of the computer screen, approving mortgages. With every house sold is she going to tell them not to eat at the pub? Is she going to brag to her friends that she yelled like a teenager, before running away? Proud? You always hear about comedians saying that they would like to go to someone's day job and heckle them, I can't tell you the desire I have to book a meeting with her. But I must be better. I have to be a part of the solution.
Fortunately for all of us she is also part of the solution. She said it perfectly; She's never coming back, and neither is anyone that she likes. Phew! Thank you for not putting my in a postion of having to retaliate.
2 comments:
do you think the slow clappers behind you were just happy that they were in front now? and i think is was the dreads. boo ya.
I love our jobs, people are so classy. I especially hate people who don't tip the waiter/waitress because their food was too slow, or too cold, or too something. If customers could hear the way the wait staff is hollering at the kitchen folk trying to get their food as fast as possible they would see that it's not the server's fault if your food takes a while to get out, don't like that, talk to the manager, don't blame your server.
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