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I've noticed that the hardest part of my job is not dealing with the stress, aching feet, angry customers, incompetent co-workers, or even the screaming children. It would seem my breaking point is when I have to keep a straight face during a customer's complaints.
My restaurant has a promotion thing about our steak. We have a few posters and a menu insert advertising it with a photograph of a cow and the text "Yo, what's your beef?". You encounter this image twice before you even get to my host stand.
Last night I'm working when this guy beckons me over to his table. I'm used to people asking me for a drink refill or a spoon or whatever, so I go over. Instead of responding politely to my smile and greeting, he waves the cow menu insert in my face. He barks out, "This is so inappropriate!! I cannot believe your corporate offices would do this to your customers! I don't want to look at an animal right before I eat it!". This man is seriously agitated.
I begin an inner debate about if he's joking or not. People have done that before. Wait... wait... no, damn, he's serious. Cue the facial twitching. I quickly stutter out a "I can go find a manager for you; just a moment." and make my escape. When I tell a manager what's going on, I find out that he has pretty much waved over every visible employee to complain. But he's staying! HE'S EATING THE STEAK! But he just wanted to complain about how mean our advertising was; were we trying to make our customers feel guilty? Every single employee had to listen to this. None of the solutions we offered were accepted. He didn't ask for free food. He just wanted to let us know. Thaaanks, buddy.
If you have a problem with our advertising, talking to the hostess isn't going to change it. That's why we offered you the number to corporate. You don't have to eat the beef. We have other meats. I'm pretty sure we don't a picture of a catfish. You could also leave. If you feel guilty when you eat an animal, becoming a vegetarian is also an option. Personally, I favour the solution of you shutting up and eating your damn food. If the cow has such a big problem with being eaten, it can evolve and learn to fight back.
On the plus side, my co-workers and I got a lot of jokes out of it. The bartender and I now constantly moo at each other.
Me: Moooo can you put in mooooo some food for mooooooooo me? Moo.
Bartender: Mooooooo. Moooo. Moo. Moo. Yeah. Moo.
Me: Mooooo. The moo ham platter with apples moo and, uh, moo moo fries? Mooooo.
Bartender: Mooooooooo. No salad today? Moo.
Me: Mooooooo..... naw. Moo.
Bartender: *nodding* Mooooooo.
Me: Mooothanksoooooooooo.
My restaurant has a promotion thing about our steak. We have a few posters and a menu insert advertising it with a photograph of a cow and the text "Yo, what's your beef?". You encounter this image twice before you even get to my host stand.
Last night I'm working when this guy beckons me over to his table. I'm used to people asking me for a drink refill or a spoon or whatever, so I go over. Instead of responding politely to my smile and greeting, he waves the cow menu insert in my face. He barks out, "This is so inappropriate!! I cannot believe your corporate offices would do this to your customers! I don't want to look at an animal right before I eat it!". This man is seriously agitated.
I begin an inner debate about if he's joking or not. People have done that before. Wait... wait... no, damn, he's serious. Cue the facial twitching. I quickly stutter out a "I can go find a manager for you; just a moment." and make my escape. When I tell a manager what's going on, I find out that he has pretty much waved over every visible employee to complain. But he's staying! HE'S EATING THE STEAK! But he just wanted to complain about how mean our advertising was; were we trying to make our customers feel guilty? Every single employee had to listen to this. None of the solutions we offered were accepted. He didn't ask for free food. He just wanted to let us know. Thaaanks, buddy.
If you have a problem with our advertising, talking to the hostess isn't going to change it. That's why we offered you the number to corporate. You don't have to eat the beef. We have other meats. I'm pretty sure we don't a picture of a catfish. You could also leave. If you feel guilty when you eat an animal, becoming a vegetarian is also an option. Personally, I favour the solution of you shutting up and eating your damn food. If the cow has such a big problem with being eaten, it can evolve and learn to fight back.
On the plus side, my co-workers and I got a lot of jokes out of it. The bartender and I now constantly moo at each other.
Me: Moooo can you put in mooooo some food for mooooooooo me? Moo.
Bartender: Mooooooo. Moooo. Moo. Moo. Yeah. Moo.
Me: Mooooo. The moo ham platter with apples moo and, uh, moo moo fries? Mooooo.
Bartender: Mooooooooo. No salad today? Moo.
Me: Mooooooo..... naw. Moo.
Bartender: *nodding* Mooooooo.
Me: Mooothanksoooooooooo.
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