To my fellow servers, what is the craziest complaint you have had?

Question

I have been serving for several years, but tonight was a particularly strange night. It was like people were in their rarest form. Really, I am looking for people to share stories of crazy customers, or even crazier complaints.
I work at a corporate steakhouse and tonight I had a man order a sirloin well done (which is a tough steak anyway), but when he got his steak, he ate half of it, then complained that it was too tough. What I thought was, "well, obviously," but managed a smile and offered to fix it. As if the man had a point to prove, he cut off another piece, chewed it a couple times and spit it out. Then he said "See, I can't chew it." Besides being repulsed, and getting him a new dinner, I found myself quite amused.

So after this night, I am looking for people to share their stories. I think the best way to deal with these things is to share and laugh it off.

Another fun one I had tonight...

Another table can in in a bad mood, fighting with eachother. They said they were happy with everything and thanked me on the way out, but when I picked up the check, they had a line drawn through the tip line but wrote the total in wrong, for $2 dollars more than the total bill. I thought it was funny...the table that meant to stiff me, did it wrong. I never thought I would say that someone stiffed me the wrong way! I contemplated adding a $2 dollar tip to the bill just to see if they would refute the charge, but honesty got the best of me and decided that it...they were not worth it. However, sometimes I think I would like to come face to face with the people who think we enjoy working for $3/hour.

Answer 1

had a lady complain that her martini was too strong...hum

had a man order calamari and ask if we served the rings and testicles (instead of tentacles) I could only respond that I didn't know squid had testicle


Had many parents over the years get mad at me because I would not serve there under aged kids. (one was even a bar owner but they are Italian and therefore I should let him drink wine) hum?

Don't even get me started on all the people that order stakes well done and then complain that it is dry (duh )

My favorite are the trashy people that come in and let there kids write on the walls and on the table. Then throw food everywhere and on the floor. Ask for drinks to go ( I didn't know I worked for Mc"d) Then leave you no tip.

Have had people leave me their babies dirty diaper on the table,

I have been sworn at and talked bad about in Spanish. That one was fun because I understand Spanish and responded to them politely. That one was fun. They didn;t expect a white girl to understand. hehe

I could go on and on I have been doing this for 20 yrs

This is why I have decided to go back to school this year. I am tired of the people that come in and look at you like you are some dumb idiot.

best of luck!!!

Answer 2

We had two ladies come in one Monday lunch. When the waiter came up they told him they did want him as there server they would only let a female wait on them. The funny thing was it being a Monday lunch we only had 3 servers on and they were all guys. The manger ended up waiting on them because she was the only female there at the time.

We had a couple that would come in every Sunday night and order nachos. Then they would complain something was wrong with them after eating 3/4 of them and get them for free. After the 5th week of this happening the manger told them he was sorry we must not be able to make nachos good enough for them and he wouldn't be taking them off the bill. Then they told him they didn't have any money on them so they couldn't pay. When he informed them we took credit card they said their had been stolen the week before. He let them going with out paying but told them not to come back again.

Ok one more not so much funny customer but a funny server story. One night a new girls aunt and uncle came in they didn't know she was working there and didn't ask for her as there server but she asked the girl who was waiting on them to take good care of them. When they left the server went out and didn't see a tip on the table and came back into the kitchen and started yelling at the girl about how cheap her aunt and uncle were and why had she told her to give them good service just then the bus boy walked up and handed her the tip ($10 on a $20 bill) from the table it had been under the desert plate that was on the table.

Answer 3

I can't speak for myself, but my daughter was a server in a popular restaurant in town and she and another server got stuck with this group of about 20 guests of a certain ethnic origin that are quite well known in the food biz as not tipping, even though this group kept the servers hopping through out their stay and they tied up the tables for an extraordinary amount of time, they asked for separate checks. If it had been one bill, an automatic 15% tip would have been added, but the registers there are not set up for auto tip on separate checks, and they both were stiffed. A tab in excess of $500 and the servers got nothing, but their hourly pay of less than $2.00 per hour. Sad.

Answer 4

Working with another chain steak house in Nashville Tenn. I had a large wedding party using one of our banquet rooms. The menu was pre planned, and gratuity was added to everyone's check since it was to be included. The first funny complaint I got was the customer that ordered the Chateau Brignon, and had pput ketchup all over it, then complained it tasted funny. (It's kills me when people take the tenderest, most expensive steak on the menu, and smother it in ketchup, then complain about it's taste) This guys didn't know what he was ordering in the first place, the Chateau is seasoned with a light cajun spice to begin with, and that is what he said taasted wrong, but the funniest complaint out of that party was a guy that once he got his check, called me over and insisted that he didn't order any "gratuity" ( he saw it at the bottom of his reciept, and though it was a menu item) I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing, as i tried to explain it meant the tip was already included in the total... That's our public education system at work...

Answer 5

I worked at a Pizza Hut in a very small town. It was a slow night. Didn't have any customers, all us workers standing around talking. Customer called and said that they wanted a large pan pepperoni pizza delivered. The cook was right be side me, I whispered to him a large pan pepperoni, he made it right away while I was still getting the ladies delivery information. The pizza came out of the oven right after I got off the phone. It takes 8 minutes for a pizza to go through the oven at Pizza Hut. The delivery driver left and came back 15 minutes later, with the pizza! The customer thought that she received the pizza too quickly and didn't like that. So she didn't want the pizza because we made her order too fast!

Answer 6

This woman ordered one of the hamburgers off the menu that came with all the little veggies like pickles, onion, lettuce, tomato, etc...

Anyway, she said, "Can you please make sure the lettuce is handled with care, I don't want it to get damaged. It is very fragile." I honestly though she was joking or retarded, so I became a smart *** about it. So I'm like, "Would you like me to place it on a pillow for you." Then she says, "If you think you can handle that please do, if not I will get someone else."

I seriously had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. So I tell the cook "No Lettuce" so that he does not put it on the hamburger. But when I bring the food out, I grabbed a separate plate and made a cushion out of a napkin and placed a few lettuce leaves on top of it and brought it with her order.

I really was just trying to be a smart *** about it, but she was so happy! She thanked me and left me a great tip for the check she had, lucky me for being such a punk kid back then :)

Answer 7

One time I had a gentlemen order Chicken Fettucine Alfredo. Now, with a name like that, you'd have to be sure there'd be alfredo sauce on the plate. When the order was brought out, he poked at it, and said, "this isn't what I ordered. I ordered Chicken Fettucine Alfredo." I told him that was what it was. He said I was a liar, I was trying to "play him for a fool." I just stood there, smiling, took his plate, and said, "well, this is what you ordered, and this is what i brought out. Obviously you're illiterate, so let me read the menu for you." And I proceeded to read the description from the menu as I pointed to all the ingredients listed in the plate before me. when I was finished, he said, "Well I guess I made a mistake, but you should know better than to bring people out food before being sure that's what they intended to order." I just said, "um sure" and walked away. I didn't care that I didn't get a tip, I enjoyed making him feel like a dumbass.

Answer 8

Well, as an atheistic individual, my greatest gripe approximately theistic humans is the entire blind religion factor. They suppose in an entity that they can't see, listen, or contact (in a literal feel, no longer figuratively) with out wondering any of it. But however, that's the groundwork of faith itself. But, I digress. My specific greatest gripe might be that after arguing theism with theistic humans, I typically occasions realize extra approximately their faith and the bible than they do. I want a few humans might do study on their possess ideals earlier than looking to argue with me approximately it. Also, theistic humans have the misunderstanding that because I do not suppose god exists that I haven't any morals, values, and many others. and that I have no idea proper from fallacious. I are not looking for a ebook to inform me all that. However, I even have a gripe approximately atheistic humans. Please quit calling your self "an atheist." It makes it sound like a faith. Try to mention "I am an atheistic individual," it appears like a attribute instead than a few perception approach. Our most effective perception is that god does no longer exist.

Answer 9

I have been in the business for many years and have heard many complaints. The two that stick out is one woman wanted to see a manager for a complaint, I went to the table to ask what was wrong and she said her ice water was too cold. I was totally caught off guard on that and asked if she was serious. she informed me that is was in fact too cold and I simply told her to order water without ice if she thought it was too cold. she then told me that she did not like warm water. that's a table I walked away from!!

another time, a man complained that his pasta dinner was too hot to eat when it got to the table. I tried explaining that our local health department requires all food to be served at 140 degrees. the man did not want to hear this at all and made a few rude coments. I did tell him to complain to the health department if he wanted and from now on, let your food cool before you eat it.

another guy came in one day when my restaurant had an nfl game on all the tv's and our local university's basketball game on our radio. he looks at me and says he wants all of it to disapear. that got a "sure and you can deal with all the other customers who will rip you in half." that really made him mad and then his wife told him to shut up and grow up!! she was cool. about a 1/2 later, the basketball game was over and the crowd started coming in, and a line formed out the door as they waited. it was feb. and cold, the man came up and told me to lock the door and let one table in at a time. he got totally ignored on this one. but, I stood there and thought, was he serious, stupid, sheltered all his life or just plain crazy?

Answer 10

One time I had a lady tell me her extra dry grey goose martini didnt taste like grey goose... when thats all that was in it.. I just looked at her and told her um I cant make it stronger.. its just grey goose..I would give you more but that would only give you more grey goose.. not make it taste more like grey goose....

A much better story is what happened to my friend one night at work.. When she took a table their food a man at the table grabbed her arm and squashed a french fry on her arm like he was putting out a cigarette.. she just stared at him not knowing what to say.. he told her if it was hot enough she would have screamed and said take it back.. my friend had a great sense of humor about it and didn't freak out.. we just all had a good laugh about it

What the heck is wrong with people!!? Everyone should definitely have to work in the service industry for at least a year so they know how to act when they go out to eat..