Why are people so rude at restaurants?

Question

And I am sure at any other public places as well, I just notice it more because I work at a restaurant. I am talking about grown adults that can't make eye contact and stare at the menu when they order instead of looking at you and speaking clearly. Rarely do I get a please or thank you. Parents make their children say please to me, yet don't do it themselves and they wonder why their kids are brats. It really is pretty repulsive. Where did manners go? When you go out, do it with class, don't embarrass yourself. When I wait on business people during lunch, I just wonder how they survive in the professional world with such crap people skills. Do they stare at their desk when talking to their co-workers? What is so scary about servers that people can't make eye contact or actually listen when being spoken to?

Answer 1

I always try to treat everyone I encounter with respect and politeness, because I wish to be treated that way. As for your rude customers, I hope they and their children die in horrible auto collisions right outside your restaurant, so you can watch.

Answer 2

Agreed. Absolutely.
I think it's often a power trip. And because they can.
I used to work at a 'service' desk in a supermarket. What an absolute nightmare.
Sweet looking little old ladies would come in and scream like banshees cause they were overcharged a few cents. Like I personally was responsible for doing it. I wish people would remember that the person behind the counter is there to draw a paycheck. Not to cop abuse and be treated like a leper.
People would shout at me if their credit cards were declined! Awful stuff. Yes, it was my fault their spending habits were obviously out of control.
Personally no matter how rude an employee in a restaurant was to me, I would be SUPER POLITE. After all, he/she is serving my food, and, well, you just never know...
Personally, I am a big believer in what goes around comes around. These rude people will get their just desserts. It'd just be great if you were there to see it when fate comes and bites them in the a**.

Answer 3

i work in restaurant for many years,not everyone is rude de most the are so demanding and rude as server in texas the server make $ 2.35 for hour not only me but we try to give we are best server special the senior tip $ .50 to 1.50 they are so demanding son customer they get angry because they paid $.36 cents for chz or 40 cents for tomotoes , some parties are5 to 12 persons and they tip $ 5.00 they a lot of mess. so is really sad how people can be so rude

Answer 4

Never before had I met more miserable people than when I worked in the restaurant industry. Even people who were pleasant and nice to me in other contexts would turn into obnoxious, condescending ogres when they were the customer at the restaurant I worked at.

I think that people like to have someone to pick on and assert their social position over, and someone with the title of "server" is obviously beneath them in that situation, so they'll take advantage of it.

The funny thing is that in my experience, it isn't the wealthy who are the worst - they have some level of class. It's the lower middle class family that goes out only once in a blue moon and wants to take advantage of the situation that is most likely to be mean and stiff you.

Answer 5

This is a commom problem everywhere, people are under the impression that they are spending money at the resturant and therefore since they are a paying customer they can get away with being rude to the employees.

Im in the cable/satellite industry and I talk to dozens of customers every day, and there are nice people, but occasionally I get customers who are just nasty when they call you on the phone. The general attitude is that they want everything for FREE, and they feel that since that in some cases they are paying over $100/mo for television it gives them a right to be rude to us on the phone, since after all we should be so luckey to have their business or they could switch providers on us.

As a manager, I take the brunt of the nasty customers and the thing people don't understand is that they think asking for a manager is going to make things go their way.

Look at it from my point of view, I got certain things that need to be done everyday as part of my Job. I get half way through doing something and I get one of my customer service agents come up to me and have me to take a call for a disgruntled customer. So now im a little ticked off because I had to stop what im doing to talk to them, just to basically tell the customer the same thing my customer service rep tried to explain to them before they asked for a manager.

For the customers that are nice to me, I'll bend over backwards to take care of them. For the customers who want to be rude, I hold back but there are even times where I get so worked up I add fule to the fire.

Its like the other day I talked to a customer who's satellite Dish was not working properly. The sad thing was that my sales office didn't even sell it or install it, and im trying to explain this to the guy and look up the company that sold it, but he doesn't want to listen to me.

So finally he says to me "I should go up on my roof, take down this darn Dish and take a big crap on it" I just about had it with him at this point and said "Sir, if thats what you got to do, then thats what you got to do, just don't expect us to come out and clean it"

He said a few 4 letter words and hung up on me :)

But seriously, a smart A$$ Comment deserves a smart A$$ Ansewer. Don't let these people get to you

Answer 6

WOW!!! What a reaction you have gotten to your question!
I believe it is a very good and valid question to be asking and I see others in the service industry agree with you as well.

I don't know where you are from, but I have visited in the USA several times and found the people in stores, restaurants, parks, hotels, very helpful and openly friendly. I don't believe it was necessarily because I was a tourist because people were friendly from the moment they asked to help me. This has impressed me so much I have often commented on this to other potential tourists.

Cheers and praise for those of you who work in the service industry. We all should try a little harder to realize your stamina and worth, to be honoured, and recognize you to be a very important asset to your country and its society. Thanx

Answer 7

I think that many people , especially Americans , come to expect a certain form of extra royal treatment at Restaurants!
I am American , but I have manner , i eat at Asian places , and always say thank you , and treat whoever serves me with politeness , It is more of the state that America is . On the other hand sometimes people are just plain rude!

Answer 8

You're right. I have seen customers at restaurants treat the employees like crap, causing scenes, acting very demanding, etc, which is complete BS. I used to work at a restaurant and have also been on the receiving end of this rude behavior.

However, as a customer, I have also had to deal with restaurant employees acting in a rude manner, rolling their eyes, acting like they are inconvenienced by taking my order, etc.
I think this rude behavior isn't limited to the restaurants- its due to a lack of politeness in society in general.

Answer 9

Bravo !
I couldn't have said it better myself.
I've been in the business for 20 years and what you said has become even more true in the last 10.
I'm sure people in retail and other service industries feel the same way !!
Funny thing is that I also have realized in 20 years that I probably make more than a lot of the Aholes that treat me that way.
Always remember that you have the power in that situation !
Never let 'em see ya sweat, my dear, never!!

Answer 10

Because of this "customer is always right" philosophy, people have learned to take advantage of the people who work in customer service. They know that the person can't fight back if they treat them badly or bully them. They would never behave like that towards some random person on the street since they'd get punched in the face. Quite simply, they're cowards and bullies.