I just got home from one of the busiest lunches I've worked since starting my career over in Florida. It was a hot sunny winter day and was sweating before I even clocked in.
By two, the place was rocking and people continued streaming in the door. Of course that's a good thing but sometimes isn't the easiest thing, for a server. I saw my manager at one of my tables speaking with two guests and the instant I saw her standing there, remembered they had asked me for some ketchup. I got the ketchup and went to their table with it, apologizing the moment I sat it down.
Ironically enough, the customer who had asked me for it didn't seem too upset but the other did
Regardless, it was my fault and accepted the blame...as a server should. My manager told me to offer free dessert after the meal...and I did.
Yes, it was totally my bad and tried to execute recovery. I was also engaged with about six or seven other tables by then, with people still streaming in the front door.
They both ordered dessert and the unhappy one ordered another drink. I specifically remembered the accompanying instructions...still trying to make a recovery.
Seems I was wrong about that as well.
Details don't matter but would swear on my own mother's grave I did as I was asked.
I apologized at least two more times and asked for forgiveness.
One of the customers forgave me and told me to have a good day. The other one had obviously been disappointed beyond recovery and is not what you want as an employee, representing your establishment and your reputation as a server.
I felt like a loser.
I pride myself on being a pretty excellent server and felt I had dropped the ball. Yes it was busy but shouldn't be a factor when giving good service. It's not the customers' fault I was busy.
It frazzled me, which got me totally discombobulated and messed with my 'Mojo'. My eyes welled up with tears and my snot locker got quickly full.
I turned into a hamster on that little wheel spinning and couldn't catch up for the life of me.
They both left the table and I picked up their checks. Both had left me a tip, one receipt with a frowny face drawn on it and just didn't feel right with me.
As they walked out the front door I followed them out. One had left a tip on a credit card, the other in cash. I handed one the cash back and told the other I had closed out the credit card without including the tip.
It was almost getting old by then but like a hair in a biscuit, I hung in there wanting them to leave happy.
Here's the thing which made me loose my cookies, totally.
The one who wasn't happy, rolled her eyes and accepted the cash back but the other reached out to hug me...it tore me slap up.(total southern speak)
I went back in to the chaos of a still busy lunch shift.
About ten minutes later, one of the sous chefs came out and asked me if I had time to step into the kitchen, saying he knew I'd had a rough time but needed to speak with me.
Rut Roh...
That's when my heart fell into my shoes.
I was getting fired...they must have complained again to management.
I walked into the kitchen and there, on the expo line, was a plate of Miyazaki ribeye ($60 per pound) and our hands down best hand cut fries ever.
Chef said they knew I was having a pretty tough shift and wanted to buy me lunch.
Miyazaki prefecture is the only region in Japan that raises cattle by their breeds and biological types. For the past 10 years, Miyazaki has produced the highest qualitybeef in Japan, even higher than Kobe.
I satrted to cry again.
How lucky am I to work for a place who not only strive to make the guest happy every single time but also take care of their employees as well? They seem to love me and the feeling is totally mutual. To love your job is one thing, to be appreciated for doing it makes you love it even more.
It was a belly full on the run. Every time I circled through the expo line after dumping dishes in the dish room or heading back out to chaos in the dining room with my arms loaded with more plates, I snagged a piece of Miyazaki and a couple of fries.
Even with giving back the two tips, I made more money than I ever have on a day shift. I didn't get home until almost dark and Tim was already there. I told him about my day. He told me the sooner I forgot about it, the better. He also said the one woman was most probably appalled and embarrassed by her lunch companion's behavior.
You know, I've been a server close to forty years now and this was only the second time a customer has brought me to tears.
I'd say for dealing with the public on a daily basis, those are pretty good odds. It still bothered me a bit but a couple of glasses of wine later barely bothered me at all.
I had taken the high road. I knew the customer was blowing it all out of proportion and basically making their self look like the bad guy to everyone else but apologized again and again and again and in a sincere and generous way.
Take that to the karma bank and make a deposit...cha ching!!
So I guess I'm good for another forty years before another customer makes me cry. By then I'll be so old I won't remember it anyway.
I just take my job very seriously, as crazy as that sounds. I also have never once complained about a server to a manager when eating out somewhere...anywhere. You never know what's going on with that server or what may happen to their job if you complain about their service. I'd hate for someone to lose a job over me not having ketchup for my french fries in a timely manner. That even sounds ridiculous, and most certainly is.
Till next time,
Plate Slinger Extraordinaire, COTTON
