If you work in any kind of business that deals with the public, you’ve surely had at least one experience…
The customer you can never please. Who complains about everything. The one who ruins your day. Maybe even makes you cry.
In other words….
The customer from HELL.
Every server in a restaurant has had their fair share of these, including me.
My worst time happened when I worked at the café in St. Michaels, Maryland.
One Saturday night we had a big group for dinner – a bunch of “sailing couples” who were getting together with old friends, also to meet some new people. A regular customer of the restaurant made the reservation. He had met a few of the couples from his own sailing excursions. He thought it’d be nice to arrange a dinner for his new friends, and their friends.
They were set up in the back room of the café. I, along with another server, Corinne, were put in charge of them. A third server was left to take care of the walk-in customers in the front of the house.
Everything started off well. The group was happy. They were nice to us, joking, having a good time, drinking…
And drinking…
And drinking…
Time for dinner. The chefs had several selections for their entrée. Corinne and I took the orders and turned them into the kitchen.
That’s when the night took a downward spiral.
The dinners were taking longer than usual to come out.
Complaints…
When the food finally was served, the customers were not happy. Half of them complained about their meal.
It wasn’t cooked enough. It was too well done. It was SHIT. It was this, it was that.
Nothing was right.
The group was getting nastier and nastier.
Actually, the really awful ones were at my station. They were seated at a long rectangular table. Corinne had the rest of the couples at a large round table. They were the nice ones, including the cafe’s regular, the man who arranged this event. But, the two of us worked together, helping each other out with getting more drinks, clearing the plates, etc.
This was one of those evenings when I really just wanted to walk out, or at least run in the kitchen and hide.
I could place the blame on the chefs. They were both kinda new and still getting their “sea legs” in this kitchen. But, that wasn’t fair. They were doing a good job. The fact was, the customers were just plain NASTY.
I realized they were going to complain, no matter what happened.
That’s when my attitude changed. I knew that nothing would please them at this point, so there was no use in my being upset about this situation.
So, whatever they said to me, I just laughed. Not at them, but to myself. I smiled and said, “No problem,” or something to that effect.
All I could do was keep going, knowing that these jerks would be gone in an hour or two. I figured there was no way they’d leave us a tip, the way they were acting. If I could just get through the night, and get the hell home.
The worst part came when Corinne was trying to talk to one man (the nastiest of the group), showing him the bill and explaining how it was set up.
He basically pushed her aside and said, “Don’t even talk to me right now. Get out of my face.”
With that, Corinne walked up to the cashier station and burst out crying, “I can’t believe what he just said to me.”
I guess there could have been worse things for him to say to her, but after all the crap they had given us all night, that was the last straw.
Mr. Regular, who knew Corinne, saw her upset and went to console her. He talked to her a bit, then approached the rude crowd, telling them they BETTER give us a tip and pay their bill. He then apologized to us and our boss for their behavior. He didn’t actually know the meanies, and had no idea they would act like this.
Miraculously, they did manage to tip us. Nothing huge, but not piddly either. But still, no where near what we should have received for putting up with their treatment.
I’m sure there are horror stories much worse that fellow servers have gone through.
But, what is the right way to deal with awful customers…
Without offending them, and, without losing your job?
There’s no manual on this, at least, that I’m aware of.
I guess it depends on the particular situation, as well as the type of restaurant or bar you’re working at.
It’s one thing if it’s a rowdy, roadhouse type joint, where this is part of the whole experience. It wouldn’t matter much if you threw a drink in their face, or told them off.
But, if it’s a fairly nice establishment, and, you really want to keep your job, you must find different methods to handle the unruly and unappreciative.
Do the best you can to make the customer happy (within reason). Be polite, even when they’re being schmucks. Like me, remember that they’ll be gone eventually, just get through the ordeal somehow. If there’s no pleasing them, get the manager to take care of it.
If you don’t care about your job, then go for it. Tell the customer(s) off, dump the food in their lap, etc. Whatever makes you feel better. Just be prepared to look for a new place to work in the morning.
If anybody would like to share their own “Customer From Hell” story, feel free to put it in the comment section. I’d love to hear it!