It's a weekend night. Friday or Saturday. I don't remember exactly which night. But I do remember the table with one of the rudest people I ever served.
The scene was Outback Steakhouse. It was the second restaurant I worked as a server. At Outback they train servers to greet the table: "Hi, welcome to Outback. Have you been here before?"
Meanwhile, you're supposed to be either sitting at the table opposite the customer if space allows, or bending down on your knee to be at eye level with the customer. It's supposed to create more of a personal connection with the guest.
It's still early in the shift. The rush hasn't fully hit yet and I'm not in the weeds. (That's server lingo for extremely busy.)
A four-top is sat in my section; that means four people. Two guys and two ladies. More than likely two married couples going out for a fun dinner on the weekend to chit chat it up.
I go through my spiel. "Hi welcome to Outback. Yadda, yadda, yadda. What can I get for you to drink," I ask.
Four drinks are ordered. I disappear into the kitchen and get the drinks. Now, I leave the kitchen to drop them off at the table. As I walk out I notice some other guests have been seated at another table of mine. I think to myself, I was in the kitchen for at least a couple of minutes so the new people need to be greeted immediately.
Quick stop at the first table. Drop off the drinks and say, "I'll be right back to take your order."
Greet the second table. "Hi, welcome to Outback. Yadda, yadda yadda."
Return to the first table to get the guests orders. Bend down to one knee. It's been just a couple of minutes since I dropped the drinks off. I ask the ladies for their order first.
Okay, I've got the first order down. Taking the second order.
Slurp. Slurp. Gargle. Slurp. "What the heck," I think to myself.
Out of the corner of my eye, the guy sitting next to the lady who is giving me her order is leaning across the table with glass in hand. His drink is completely empty. I know this because he is sucking so hard on his straw that the glass is making that obnoxious gargling noise that echoes in the glass when the drink is gone.
He's starring right at me and totally ignoring the fact that his wife or girlfriend is giving me her order. Instead of using English to communicate his desire for a refill he has opted to gesture and suck on his straw until he gets my attention.
"Mam, just one moment please," I say politely. I turn to the guy and look him straight in the eyes and say, "My mom says when the straw starts to make that noise it's time to stop sucking on it. I'll get you a refill as soon as I'm done taking the rest of the orders for your table."
Everyone erupted in laughter at him and I could tell by his reaction that he felt at least in a small part like the idiot he was acting.
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