Service with a Smile
or
Clean food? You'll want to stay away from the clam chowder.

Man, haven't you heard the phrase,
"the customer is always right?"

Let me share a little secret with you...
the customer is always an ASSHOLE!

Let me share a little story with you...

One night we decided to order a pizza from Pizza Hut. (Twisted crust pizza? Is it pizza? Is it breadsticks? It's both!) Now rather than having to wait for the pizza to be delivered, I figured I would pick it up.

I walk in... actually it was more like wading through people. There was practically a line out the door. No one dining in, mind you, just picking up. So I get in the back of the line. I'm in no rush to get home. But, apparently everybody in front of me and behind me are.

They start muttering under their collective breaths uttering an occasional, just loud enough so that the service staff could hear them, "They should get more people on the register" or a "This is the last time I come here" or a "Why are these people so damn slow."

So you're probably wondering where I'm going with this.

Now, I used to be in the service industry and I can't tell you how annoyed I got when I heard this from customers. Fortunately for them, I was never really in a position to do any harm to them.

Which brings me to this point. These people hold your lives in their hands. If not your lives, then certainly your well being.

The food you ordered? Made by the people behind the counter. So what happens if they're not happy with you? More importantly, what happens to your food if they're not happy with you? I'll bet you can think of a few unsavory things. So, if you were particularly snobbish to a waiter and the next morning you wake up feeling terminally ill, you'll know why.

Now, I'm not saying that consumers don't have the right to complain. You do. After all you are laying down hard earned cash (or credit) for your food. Just be humane about it. But just because you're paying for the food doesn't give you the right to treat the service staff as your slaves.

So let me finish my story...

After a long wait, I finally get to the counter. Now the guy at the counter is stressed. He's been dealing with nothing but rude customers. So I give him my name, he gives me the pizza and I pay for said pizza. He's nice and courteous in spite of all the rude comments thrown in his direction.

So I go to him (in a non-sarcastic tone), "Keep up the good work."

To which he replies, "Thanks, you are the light in my otherwise dreary day." (OK, maybe he didn't say that but he did thank me.)

So next time you're being waited on and they're doing a particularly good job, tell them so. You'll feel better about yourself the next day, not to mention the stomach pains you'll save yourself.