Awful woman complains about me at my brand new job

[Nemesis44UK]

Sometimes a restaurant is just really busy. It happens, particularly as popular places. If its busy this will not be very difficult to notice. Line out the door, huge crowds of people waiting around outside. That sort of thing.

This gives you the opportunity to decide if you want to tough out the wait, or if you want to go someplace else where the line is shorter.

That's exactly the point. When attending a restaurant, you need to balance whether you want to wait, because if the queue is coming out the door - there will be a wait.

Welcome to the board, we have cookies, bacon and brain bleach, depending on your story

[Nemesis44UK]

well if her money's that good, why doesn't she hire a damn cook at home?

Or go to an "exclusive" restaurant, where they don't let in serfs or peons and have personal waiting service.

Or don't they have that much money?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I wouldn't start from there as a default position; you weren't wrong, she was, and no amount of "old money" will change that.

I have a funny feeling the OP's workplace may be one of those that'll side with the crabby woman because she does have money and they don't want her to spend it anyplace else.

A lot of places are like that, unfortunately. They figure the staff is replaceable, but the high rollers aren't.

[blas]

Even if they aren't "high rollers", they value their regular assholes more than the people who show up for work.

I worked at a small gas station who had a clientel of just the trashiest people, but because they didn't want to lose business to Kwik Trip or any other stores, we had to put up with a lot of crappy treatment and entitlement in the name of keeping the regulars happy.

[MissAnnThrope]

Another reason I'll never be a manager! This restaurant has SO much business and TONS of regulars. A member of the staff that I see every day is more important than one asshole customer. Toss out the bad apples. I don't want them at my restaurant anyway.

[reimero]

It sounds to me like management isn't training waitstaff correctly. (Please don't take that the wrong way.) I used to work at a Meat & Booze restaurant. During my training, my trainer made a point of mentioning certain regulars, pointing out who they were, and (it's been awhile) I think she even introduced me as a trainee. I was briefed on how they like things and provided a rundown on what to do and how to do it.

Now, it may sound like there's a bucket and a half of entitlement going on there, but regulars are regulars for a reason, and giving them what they want the way they want it every time means they spend lots of money, tip well and bring treats around holiday time In other words, if there's a sense of entitlement, it's because they've consistently demonstrated they're precisely the sort of customer you want to keep around.

To be clear, you didn't do anything wrong here. It's management's responsibility to let you know who is a regular, and really, other waitstaff should have been alerting you to that as well. Additionally, where I worked, when possible, regulars tended to get the more experienced wait staff who knew how to make things just so. When you were allowed to wait on the regulars, you knew you were good to go.

[PepperElf]

alerting her to the "regulars" and perhaps... the "troublemakers" too.

especially since sometimes they're the same people

[Sheldonrs]

... In other words, if there's a sense of entitlement, it's because they've consistently demonstrated they're precisely the sort of customer you want to keep around...

I have to disagree with this. Right is right and wrong is wrong. If a customer treats you like crap for no good reason, that customer is in the wrong and is un-deserving of respect or any special treatment. And any boss and/or owner that would place that customer above the good employee is un-deserving as well.

[Brojekk]

She left me 10%

What's really going to suck is being called in by the manager and owner and having to bite my tongue and say I'm wrong. That is NOT my personality. I try to always follow the Golden Rule and that applies to customers too. I'm providing a service to you...just because I'm bringing you food doesn't mean you have transcended me as a human being. If you act like a jackass and a child you will be treated as such. This is why I'm not a manager, haha. I would never side with a rude for no reason customer.

If you do get called in to the managers office, the above is what you should tell them.

[reimero]

I have to disagree with this. Right is right and wrong is wrong. If a customer treats you like crap for no good reason, that customer is in the wrong and is un-deserving of respect or any special treatment. And any boss and/or owner that would place that customer above the good employee is un-deserving as well.

Maybe I phrased that badly. The regulars we had were actually really nice. They had certain expectations, but they did not treat the staff as being beneath them or anything like that. They just had high expectations, but expectations we had proven we could deliver on with consistency.

[emax4]

Too bad you don't know if it's their first time there, and if so, maybe they are surprised of having to wait so long for their food. If it wasn't their first time and know that the place goes above and beyond what is normally expected of a restaurant (not normally expected solely of your workplace), then maybe they would have high expectations. If they can't comprehend that a busy night means that the delivery times might be a little long, i'm surprised they made it this far in life without having an adult chaperone them.

[downforit2008]

I've seen people at my work deliberately say crap like that to cause trouble with the employees. But when I eat out, I'm reminded of that, treat the servers with respect regardless of how long it takes for my food to come out, since I think that they have to be backed up anyway, and leave a pretty impressive tip. Servers in my area love it when I come in!

[Mytical]

But when I eat out, I'm reminded of that, treat the servers with respect regardless of how long it takes for my food to come out, since I think that they have to be backed up anyway, and leave a pretty impressive tip. Servers in my area love it when I come in!

This..if they recognize me..servers love to see me come in. They go out of their way to make sure my drink is never empty, that everything is right..or make it right. Why? Because no matter what happens, I know it is rarely ever the SERVERS fault. I tip well, unless they basically ignore me..even then it is usually 10% (ie never offer to refill my drink..have to basically hog tie them to get my check, etc). Pizza delivery guys love delivering to me as well. Even though I am poor, I only go out/order when I have the extra money ..and that includes for a generous tip.

[Racket_Man]

This..if they recognize me..servers love to see me come in. They go out of their way to make sure my drink is never empty, that everything is right..or make it right. Why? Because no matter what happens, I know it is rarely ever the SERVERS fault. I tip well, unless they basically ignore me..even then it is usually 10% (ie never offer to refill my drink..have to basically hog tie them to get my check, etc). Pizza delivery guys love delivering to me as well. Even though I am poor, I only go out/order when I have the extra money ..and that includes for a generous tip.

Mytical: can I clone you about 10,000 times and move the clones to my area???? PLEASE??????

[Mytical]

Sure In return you can teach me how to make 'temporary' clones of myself so they can do the cleaning, working, etc *laughs*