Booths and Stupidity

[Athaelia]

I work in a Florida restaurant chain/sportsbar known for its wings. I'm a hostess there, which involves (of course) seating the patrons, and taking to-go orders.
While relatively minor, these situations with customers really add up when hearing them 10 times a day.
Tonight's theme is "booths"

We have an assortment of four-person tables, "hi-top" tables with stools, and a few booths along the wall, as well as three huge 12-person booths. We try to give the patrons a choice; however, all the booths were taken.

me: Hi, welcome to ****** ********, how many is in your party?
sc: 3
me: and do you prefer a table, or a hi-top?
sc: booth
me: well, we have no booths available, ...you can have a table or hi-top
sc: *whine*BOOTH! *insert temper tantrum here*
TOO BAD, so sad, looks like your shit outta luck pal

Big Booths
As per company policy and as a favor to the larger parties, we will seat no less than 5 at a 12-seater booth. Guy comes in with son and wife, wife goes to bathroom. I say my speel, and he wants a "big booth" and points to a 12-seater. I told him sorry, ill have to seat him some where else, I ask if thats OK, he says NO! sternly, then smirks and laughs with his kid, right infront of me. What a douche. I was tempted to tell him to bend over so i can forcibly insert that 12-seater right up his ass in front of his kid So the booth that I seated him at after that..get this ...wasnt big enough

Same day, another husband/wife/kid come in, man walks away, woman wants the "big booth"...yes the 12 seater, you guessed it. Manager came up and told me to give it to em to shut em up basically, when i sit them there...husband says "theres NOT 300 of us, is there? " lets sit over there" grrrrrr wtf

Or the woman that agrees to 2 tables pushed together, (party of 6) so i do that, seat them, then she whines to me about why she cant have a booth, after agreeing a table is ok
Sc:You know I'd rather have a BOOTH!
Me: Sorry, all our booths for large parties are taken
Sc: *dramatic sigh*
Sc's hubby: (to her) look its ok, we got a table, practically no wait..we can deal with a table cant we?
Me: I can give you a big booth once one of the parties leave
Sc: WELL HOW LONG IS THAT GONNA BE?
me: it depends on how long it takes one of those parties to eat
Sc: (obviously either stupid or deaf) HOW LONG???? I WANNA FRIGGIN ANSWER!
hubby: How about we just sit here until one of em opens up, if it does soon we'll take it please.
Me: (to woman) is that ok?
Sc: Since i have no CHOICE!
I dunno what she wanted me to do. Kick a 12-top out of their booth so she could have it? Stupid, spoiled entitlement whore. Always wants her own way. She should do humanity a favor...and get sterilized... as for the husband, I think what pissed her off is he agreed with my logic, and he was smiling at me alot
Thanks CS for letting a gal vent!

[Belari]

Thank god for the sane spouses/children/random friend. My favorite is when the SC's wrath is diverted to the traitor and I can beat a hasty retreat.

[Kiwi]

good lord how do these people survive when something terrible happens
Id hate to see how they would react to one of the children going to hospital or god forbid someone dying!

The only time Ive insisted on a booth is when we walked into a local place, the waitress said "sit were ever you'd like" and there were two places open. A 4 seater booth or a 4 person table, we choose the booth and she came over and told us to move to the table just incase a party of 4 came in.

Dont tell me to sit where I would like when there are only two choices then come over and MOVE me to the only other choice!

[Mike Taylor]

Thank god for the sane spouses/children/random friend. My favorite is when the SC's wrath is diverted to the traitor and I can beat a hasty retreat.

It's even better when the SC is berated by their companions and made to feel like shit for their asinine behavior.

[AriRashkae]

Me: I can give you a big booth once one of the parties leave
Sc: WELL HOW LONG IS THAT GONNA BE?
me: it depends on how long it takes one of those parties to eat
Sc: (obviously either stupid or deaf) HOW LONG???? I WANNA FRIGGIN ANSWER!

"Well, Ma'am, maybe you should go over to each party in each booth, and ask them how long they plan on eating, and tell them to hurry up so you can have a booth."

[Lingering Grin]

i think i know where you work!

do the waitresses where tiny shorts, but it's not hooters?

if so... the burgers are better than the wings

[wagegoth]

good lord how do these people survive when something terrible happens
Id hate to see how they would react to one of the children going to hospital or god forbid someone dying!

They're just as bitchy about being "inconvenienced" by having to wait in the ER, or having to wait for the doctor to talk to them personally, or not havin the nurse rush in within two seconds of them pushing the call button, or not having a real choice when it comes to the menu, etc. Pretty much everything in their lives is some kind of imposition on them. Sometimes they get angry that they actually have to do their own breathing.

[rerant]

What is people's fascination with booths? You're going there to eat so just sit down, shut up, eat your food, pay and go home.

[CaroPhoenix]

I hate booths! My husband's way too big for them (and I'm getting close to being too big or them either).

Or, if I can fit in a booth, then my feet can't touch the floor. I'm a 36-year-old, 5 foot 3 inch female. I'm an adult. Why can't booth makers make sure I can put my feet down on the floor without them dingling?

[Sableonblonde]

I definetly prefer booths, because they are so much more comfortable! Restaurant chairs are usually wooden or only lightly padded, which makes my butt sore. But booths are nice and cushiony, plus there is usually more table space and it's a little more private. But I'll still sit wherever they put me, and will only request a booth if asked for a preference. With the amount of people that bitch about getting stuck with a table...maybe restaurants should start having mostly booths, with the stray table here and there.

[Athaelia]

I definetly prefer booths, because they are so much more comfortable! Restaurant chairs are usually wooden or only lightly padded, which makes my butt sore. .

The funny thing is, at my work..its the other way around. the booths are wooden, with no padding at all, while all the chairs/stools are padded.

[Peppergirl]

I've never understood wives/husbands/partners of the SC's that act like that.


I would SOOO call my S.O. out if they dared talk to anyone like that and every man I've ever dated/been married to would NEVER tolerate that sort of behavior if I would act like that.

[blas]

You forgot to mention that when most people get all huffy about booths, it actually sounds more like "BOOF!"

[Nyoibo]

I like booths, but I don't fit in them well if there's someone next to me, I have really wide shoulders and I always end up squishing the person next to me, so unless I'm really close to the person next to me we tend to get a table.

[Lingering Grin]

I like booths too, but I always sit on the end, never on the inside. Which means most of the time I get one side of the booth to my self. Cause most of my friends like to sit on the end too