Server or "Servant"?

I had a table tonight at work that exhausted me beyond belief. A couple with their two young sons.
Another server ran the salads to the table..came back and said that the woman had wanted more onions for her salad...so she took her a small oval plate with some red onions on it. When she sat it down by the woman, she replied (not sweetly) "I didn't want THAT many"! Let me point out that we did not put them on her salad ourself or force her to eat every one of them.

Next came when I asked her sons if they would like some more tea. Her quick response was that they had plenty. She flagged me down not 2 minutes later , had both of their kid cups, tops off and sitting right on the edge of the table...and said "Can you get them some more tea"?

After refilling their drinks, the food arrived at the table. I asked if everything cooked perfectly and was there anything else they needed, they shooed me away saying it was perfect. Two minutes later the husband came up to me in the hall, saying to come to the table. His steak just "had a smell". I said I would be more than happy to have another steak started immediately...and did just that. I came back to the table to check on them, when the wife stated that her two sons steaks were not seasoned enough...(Didn't I JUST ask them if everything was OK?) They were all eating sirloins...our toughest steak (and cheapest). We put a seasoning on them that is similar to a Lawry's seasoning salt. It is quite salty so we don't use a lot of it on kids meals or on their french fries (like we do adult orders). I told her I would be happy to bring the boys some more of the seasoning that we use, and her husband said that would be fine. When I returned with the spice, the wife said "You know it won't be the same thing". I told her that in fact it was the same seasoning that we cook that particular steak in. She continued to test me by saying "I don't want to sprinkle it on...I want it cooked in it". I said to just let me have the boys two more steaks cooked, but she said it would be okay. Her husband's second steak was already on the grill, so I took it upon myself to go ahead and order two more steaks for the boys...telling the cooks to go heavy on the salt.

At this point I got a manager involved and sent him to the table (I felt she should have a shot at him as well). Once we had fed the three males again...and it was perfect this time...the mother said "Well, it is my son's birthday and this was really disappointing." I am not sure what was disappointing to her, the fact that my manager bought all three steaks ($30) or the fact that we bought them an $8 dessert for their son's birthday...and let me say that at no point in the evening did either son seem upset OR disappointed...neither did the husband. But the wife got what she wanted...a $58 meal for TWENTY BUCKS.

We KOW TOW, pamper and bend over backwards to please our public..and yet they smugly shake their heads like they are letting us do them a favor by our store biting the bullet of eating $38. The economy isn't THAT good. Of course I feel like she knew that as well...and decided if she picked apart the meal and made a huge deal out of everything...they could save enough money to buy the boy a present.

So "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUDDY."...hope ya liked your present...and if you didn't...your Mama will take it back...don't worry!!

Till next time...COTTON