I upset someone at lunch, today.

[DarkElement]

This is what I can only assume to be a self-sighting. I went to lunch at the place that cows endorse for their own survival, and ordered a sandwich. I ate. It was delicious. When I finished, I wanted a refill on my drink, so I went up to the counter, and when the girl who had taken my order asked what I needed, I decided to try and be funny, and said, gently, 'That sandwich was terrible. I demand a new one, made exactly the same way!'
Apparently, she thought I was seriously angry and this poor girl, who from her reaction of looking so scared she might cry I guessed must be newish to the food industry, started looking panicked and calling a manager over and apologizing... I quickly told her I was kidding and that everything was great, and I just wanted some more diet coke. She look relieved, but I felt bad for upsetting her with my joke.
Maybe I should avoid trying to be funny in the future.

[Hyndis]

I've long since learned to never, ever use humor at work when a customer is involved, or if I'm a customer myself and talking to an employee.

While most people are okay with humor and even enjoy it, it only takes one person to not get a joke to completely screw up a day.

As a result, I'm completely and utterly humorless. I'm polite, but no joking around when it comes to anything work or business related.

[Pixilated]

While I do joke with staff, I rarely do so in relation to the products the place of business is offering ... especially if it's a food place ... for exactly that reason. If I do joke about the product, I try to always make it positive ("Well, I'd like to buy 10 more, but I haven't won the lottery yet ...")

I'm sorry your joke backfired. I've had that happen and it sparks a mix of embarrassment and "OMG!!!" dismay.

[ShadowTiger]

Agreed; I feel really bad that although humor would have been a wonderful tool for that scenario, it didn't go as well as planned.

For that reason, the most amount of humor I can safely use at the workplace is when I have to sign for a truck or UPS deliver: "Gee, I woke up this morning with the really intense urge to sign something. I was hoping you could help me with that." Somethin' like that.

[Flying Grype]

Heh. This summer I went out to the patio to collect a diner's plate after she'd eaten, and I said, "How was your meal?" and she looked me in the eye and said, "Oh, it was horrible, just look at how much I couldn't eat." I looked down and saw an empty plate with the sauce mopped off it. We met eyes again and grinned.

But yeah, I can see the situation you're describing. I think I wouldn't use such a joke just because I have no idea how much a person will rely on my words and how much they can take cues from facial expression, tone of voice, etc. If they can't read the latter they'll take the former at face value. I never liked teasing and I never got good at it.

[Food Lady]

I'm so deadpan when I tease that I have to explain that "it was a joke."

[thehuckster]

When me and my fiancee go out to eat, she'll often tell a waiter how "awful" her food was as they take the completely clean plate off the table. Her tone is obviously jokey and tongue in cheek, and only once had someone who at first was sad until she told them she was joking.

I like my father's line after licking a plate clean: asking for it to be wrapped up.

I get the feeling, though, both of these lines are probably common enough in the food industry to be stale and old, possibly even the food establishment equivalent of "it must be free."

[Draco]

Perhaps, but I'd rather hear a stale joke that is in fact a compliment than a stale joke that is in effect a complaint.