Being a server is a special kind of job, you end up dealing with people more than food, and if there is anything I have learned about people it's that they are pretty ignorant. For some reason when people walk into a restaurant they think their server is their servant and they can snap there fingers at you treat you like garbage and expect you to take it all with a smile on your face, which you will. If you work in a restaurant you know what I am talking about, and if you don't you should probably read these over to make sure you are not one of these people; and if you are you should probably make some adjustments to your manners. Here are the 10 worst kinds of customers that servers have to wait on.
1. The people who want to contort the whole menu.
You know that couple that comes in once a week with their specialty directions for you as if you are their personal chef? Everyone else you work with knows them too, "You got the half diet coke half cherry coke with a lime, chicken sandwich with no bun, no cheese on, three cups of cheese on the side, extra lettuce, four sides of ranch, chicken cooked in a pan instead of the grill and specially made under cooked bread with no butter people, didn't you?" Yep.
2. The people that like to argue with you about the menu.
"I would like my steak cooked medium." "Is a hot pink center OK?" "Oh no I don't want any pink." "So you want your steak well done sir?" "Oh no I want it cooked medium, I just don't want any pink." OK well I'm going to ring it in well done and your going to like it.
3. The people that don't give you a chance to introduce yourself.
"Hi guys how are.." "Diet Coke." OK great well my names Madison I will be your server, not that you care, I will be right back with your precious diet coke, jerk.
4. The people that need 10 refills before they even order.
You have just consumed 5,000 calories worth of sweet tea and you have only been here for five minutes, do you think that is normal?
5. The people who don't feel like using the menu.
"You get two sides." "What sides do you have" *recites all 20 sides* "I'll have fries and a salad." "What kind of dressing would you like?" "What kind do you have?" *recites all 10 dressings* "I'll just have ranch." Oh you needed me to recite all 20 sides and 10 dressings to you for you to get the most popular sides and dressing that literally every restaurant has? *moves on to next person at table* "What sides do you have? I wasn't paying attention" *repeats entire process four times until the table finally finishes and you are practically twitching*
6. The people that like to argue with you about what they ordered.
"Is this a filet? It doesn't look like a filet." "It is a filet, ma'am." "Well is it eight ounces? Her steak is eight ounces and it looks bigger than mine." "Well, you got yours well done and hers is medium rare so.." "I want to see a manager." Of course you do.
7. The people who think they are the first person to tell you an overused, unamusing joke.
"Can I get you guys anything else?" "A winning lottery ticket." "How would you like your steak cooked?" "On the grill." or "Cooked, I don't want it to come out still mooing." *Fakes laugh and holds back eye roll*
8. The campers.
Arguably nothing is worse as a server than having a table sit and talk for hours after they paid, especially when it is your only big table and they only left you $4.
9. The $5 tippers.
You know the people that choose to pay you in compliments and tell you how wonderful the service was and how superb the food is and then leave you a $5 tip on an $80 check? Yeah, don't be that person.
10. The people that want to control everything
"Oh no why are you trying to seat me here!? You just follow me and I will decide where I sit. Oh God and can you turn the music down it is way to loud in here I can't even hear myself think. And that air conditioning that has to be turned down I practically need a winter jacket, can you turn the lights up, I can't read the menu, do you have any other butter? I don't like this butter." How about you just eat at home if you want the perfect dining environment?
Don't get me wrong, serving does occasionally have its perks, but it is these kinds of people that make you wonder why you are still server. Remember, servers are people just like you and we were probably at another job or at school for eight hours before we came to work for eight more hours or we might be going onto hour twelve of our serving shift. Just treat your server like the person that they are, not a servant. We are doing our best to fulfill all of your needs with a smile on our face.
