The customer is not always right. Even in our capitalistic world, I’m not sure which societies truly believe the customer is always right, let alone established businesses adhering by the phrase “the customer is always right.”
Sure, in some cases the customer is right.
However, in my personal experience within the food service industry, the customer is usually wrong. The customer is an arrogant asshole who reeks of entitlement.
It’s hard to contribute new insight to the discourse surrounding the food service industry.
There are so many thoughts on the restaurant industry already publically shared within essays or in list form available online, such as pieces that start with “dear rude customer” and end with “sincerely, a stressed out server.” Let’s not forget fan favourites like, “10 things all servers can relate to.”
People have their individual opinions about their experiences at restaurants that they discuss amongst friends and family, both good and bad.
It is extremely important to understand that it is difficult to get good service when you’re a shitty customer. When you are rude to your server, it speaks volumes about your character. When you yell at your server for things beyond their control, it is embarrassing for both parties.
It seems as though customers blame the server for just about everything beyond their control, such as the temperature of their water—yes, I recently received a complaint that a customer’s water was not room temperature.
Another absurd complaint from customers is about wait times for food on a Friday night—as if it’s a surprise the restaurant is at maximum capacity at the end of the work week and the kitchen is overwhelmed with orders.
It’s funny how those who have never worked a day in their life at a restaurant think they know how a restaurant should be run; they are suddenly smarter than the server and manager combined and they are an expert on customer service.
There’s a routine when going out to eat: you arrive, wait to be seated (unless told otherwise) you order drinks, your server brings your drinks then takes your food order, brings your food, then quality checks your food, drinks and over all experience.
Your server will remove dishes, and then ask if they can get you anything else, like dessert. If not, the bill will be brought over and the server will take payment.
It is fine when customers deviate from this routine.
If more people show up for a reservation than originally stated, it can be dealt with. If you decide to order more food after your server has put your order through, you better be prepared to wait longer.
What is not okay is the adult version of a temper-tantrum in a restaurant because you can’t add two extra chairs to your table that you reserved for ten, not twelve.
There is a sense of entitlement I constantly see within restaurant patrons and it’s alarming how I’ve grown accustomed to it.
Serving isn’t easy and for a restaurant to operate smoothly and successfully, servers need to be good at their jobs.
Next time you’re out at a restaurant and having a bad experience, really think about whether the issue is the server’s fault.
Don’t give your server a hard time and write a bad review online just because you’re hangry.