Restaurant Skills 101: The Things They Do! 08 Aug 07
I’ve worked at multiple restaurants before (well, 2), and let me tell you, there’s no other job quite like it. I’ve worked as both a cook and a server. You meet a lot of people, and you see a lot of things. When people trust you with their food and drinks, sometimes they let their guard down and reveal their true personality and traits…
Last time, we went over the finer definitions of Seat Hogs: people who take up more seats than they need (LINK). In this installment, I vent about the annoying habits of customers who just don’t get it.
- Blitz Customers are the ones who, upon entry into the restaurant, immediately head to the buffet table. They just can’t wait to get to the food, and won’t even sit at their table first. The bewildered waitress can only wait until their feast is over and they notice that there are tables at the establishment. Hey, Dasher, why don’t you relax a bit and at least hang up your coats at the door? It’s not like the food’s going anywhere.
- Special Requests are those who constantly badger you for bonus extras. I’m not talking about allergies here; that stuff’s serious. I’m annoyed at those who think they’re extra special or on good terms with you and thus deserve a little something. Can they have a free dessert, even though it’s normally a menu item that costs money? No. In case you think it’s no big deal to dole out company assets, think again. These people rarely tip heavily. I think it has something to do with the fact that they’re cheap.
- The Guy Who Owns the Place is a regular customer who thinks he’s special since he’s a familiar. Regular customers are nice people who you might get to know their names, but the GWOP is just annoying. He speaks loudly to you to let everyone else within a 50-km radius know of his prestige, and he makes jokes to you like you’re lifelong buddies. He also makes chatter with other guests who don’t want to be disturbed. My suggestion on dealing with this guy? Send him to a secluded corner and tell him it’ll be his usual spot. Heck, name it after him; anything to get him away.
- The Loiterers don’t know when to leave. When I was growing up I didn’t know what “No Loitering” meant, and just figured that the public school systems didn’t teach children to spell “littering” properly. Now I know — they’re the ones who come in, order a single cup of coffee (or some other inexpensive item), and sit there for hours. Seriously, they just park themselves in a spot, sipping that bottomless cup of beans. The individual Loiterer is creepy because he checks out the waitresses the whole time, and the group ones are probably lost and looking for Starbucks.
There are more types of annoying customers, but I can’t think of them right now. Maybe there’ll be a sequel to this post.
This ClashBang.com article was written by Chris Chu. Tired of privately venting his frustration in vain, Chris decided to share his discontent with the rest of the world.
