As you all know, I got a job at Denny's recently. I've been working there for two full weeks, and I've noticed a couple of things about the establishment itself, and the customers who come to eat at it.
I've decided that I hate old people. I've never hated old people before, but here a couple of reasons why:
1. They forget. I had a customer order a Build Your Own Grandslam, which comes with 4 items and 4 items only. He wanted double bacon and double hashbrown. Weird order, but I complied. He is after all over 100, and who am I to question? Turns out he thought a sandwich came with it, and then insisted that he ordered a Grand Slamwich. He got really irate, and demanded to see my manager, who didn't blame me at all. She said he comes in here and does this every time, and that eventually I'll just remember to get him the Slamwhich.
2. They feel like they deserve everything. I had an elderly couple ask for a free desert. I was like, "Well there weren't any accidents with your orders, and I was attentive to your table- I can't give you a free desert without cause, my manager just won't let me do that." It was true though. I never let their drinks get too low, and I kept them stocked on coffee cream and napkins. So he says:
"Listen here. I shed blood for your country and I'll be damned if I can't have a little ice cream."
Ho boy.
What now.
"Sir, I respect you and all of your accomplishments, but I don't have the power to do that. Would you like to speak with someone who can do that for you?"
He replies. "Ah forget it! This generation has no respect."
It almost ruined my day.
3. They're stubborn(and sometimes really stupid).
"I WANT 4 PANCAKES!!"
"Ma'am, we don't serve a dish like that. What I can do is get you the "all you can eat" pancakes, and start you off with 4 instead of two."
"I WANT 4 PANCAKES AND THAT'S IT!"
"You don't have to order more pancakes if you don't want them."
"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!?? 4 PANCAKES, HOW HARD IS THAT?! HOW HARD IS YOUR JOB?!"
"... Coming right up."
4. Some of them are def, and talk to low for me to understand their order.
"i want some food... with some sauce... and a new pair of underwear..."
"I'm sorry? I don't think I caught that."
"can i get the underwear out her first and the food later?
"One more time sir, I'm so sorry."
"ARE YOU DEF?!?!?
Me: Poker face.
5. AARP. Some of them have this discount card called the AARP card, and it's really difficult to do it in our computer system. Considering half of our clientele are fossils, you think it would be easier to do. Not even my manager knew how to work it, I had to find someone who's savvy with the register.
Don't even get me stared on the Vietnam Veteran I waited on... That was scary. :'(
And THIS is why I will never be a waiter.
However, I am curious to know about the Vietnam veteran.
I wanna hear about the Vet too.
MOAR
This is actually a really interesting read. Please, continue.
Alright, so you want to hear about the vet. He never outright said he was in Vietnam, but it was heavily implied, you'll see. My friend sat him down and got his coffee, but she said he needed a refill, and she had a food order to take out. So I grabbed the pot of coffee, and quickly made my way across the restaurant to his table. He was sitting by himself.
Here's the gist of the conversation:
"More coffee, sir?"
"..."
"Would you like a refill on your coffee?"
He turns and looks at me like he wants to hurt me. He then asks me the strangest thing:
"Do you know Harv?"
". . . Excuse me sir?"
"Harv... He was with me earlier."
"No, I haven't seen Harv, I'm sorry. Was he sitting with you?"
"When the fighting started we got separated."
"There was a fight?" I was a little alarmed.
"The damn Vietnamese... They're still here. They're everywhere."
Now I honestly didn't know what to say to this.
"Can I get you some more coffee sir?"
"Yeah, I spose."
He handed me his cup, and said something that I didn't catch.
He looked at me like he was about to cry, and said:
"I'll let you know when Harv gets here. He's gonna want some coffee..."
I actually felt really bad right about then. I was overcome with sadness, as Harv was probably a friend of his that he lost in the war. We lost a lot of good people over there, and the survivors are pretty damaged in the head. The psychological warfare was unbearable. He was crazy- but he was over there defending my country. So I made sure he never ran out of coffee. :)
Another thing I've realized is that people don't leave. Yesterday I was working from 5pm to 1am. There were people there that stayed for an excess of two hours after their meals were finished. It's really hard to turn tables when people won't leave. I want to print out maps of the restaurant with a line leading to the exit so I can hand them out to these people when I see them... But no, I'd get fired. :-\
Actually, that story made me...sad.... :'(
I feel your pain. I worked at Denny's for a year and a half and I've had to serve many of the same types of people that you mentioned in this thread. Most of the times it's annoying but oftentimes it's downright depressing. I could get into a discussion about stereotypes because I live in a very... culturally diverse... area, but I don't think this is the time for that.
Oh hey, look what today's SMBC was:
(http://www.amazingsuperpowers.com/comics/2011-05-27-Scrambled-Eggs.png)
Zelda Veteran, I would like you to know that I read your story off to my parents, and they laughed. I really hope they sorry for you as well.
Ooh, that poor veteran. :(
Ha, glad your parents liked it. Mine did too :P
Today was eventful. I worked from 5 to 10, and here's how it went down:
5-6 (dinner) DEAD.
6-7 (late dinner) a couple of people.
7-8 (Why would you eat this late?) A lot of people.
8-9 (I give up) Dies down a lot. Gives me a chance to finish all my sidework on time.
Ten o' clock rolls around, and all my stuff is done. It's time for me to get the heck outta dodge. Before I can swipe my card to clock out, a party of 23 shows up. FML. So my co-worker and I decide to tackle the table together. It was a lot of work, and they made a horrible mess of the floor (which I would later have to vacuum again). They didn't leave us a single dime for a tip. Suddenly, we get slammed. Like a full house, we were having to seat people in the back room. I wound up being there till one in the morning again. :'(
I made like 35 bucks in tips, which isn't terrible, but I should have made a lot more. No weird stories today, everything was pretty straight forward. My manager is so lazy that instead of cleaning the tiles on the ceiling, she bought some white spray-paint and had us paint it clean XD
That's about it.
Today was my last day for a while. I've got the next 5 days off, so Im'ma have to budget like a pro. I'm sitting on $148, and I've got a lot of running around to do tomorrow. Cash check, hair cut, buy a headset, pre-order a couple of games, buy a new hat, get some new clothes for work, put gas in the tank... It's gonna be a long one. I'm my own man again, and I couldn't be happier.
A NEW HAT, GUIZE!!!!! :D
YOU GOT A HAT THAT'S AWESOME
About the not leaving right away thing ZV, me and gamefreak do that all the time, as do me and whatever woman i'm on a date with at the time
Quote from: Portal Veteran on May 28, 2011, 02:18:17 AM
A NEW HAT, GUIZE!!!!! :D
Does it qualify as a nice hat? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NiceHat)
Come to think of it, I'm surprised that you can do all that with only $148. You really do need to budget like a pro.
Quote from: Portal Veteran on May 28, 2011, 02:18:17 AM
Ten o' clock rolls around, and all my stuff is done. It's time for me to get the heck outta dodge. Before I can swipe my card to clock out, a party of 23 shows up. FML. So my co-worker and I decide to tackle the table together. It was a lot of work, and they made a horrible mess of the floor (which I would later have to vacuum again). They didn't leave us a single dime for a tip. Suddenly, we get slammed. Like a full house, we were having to seat people in the back room. I wound up being there till one in the morning again. :'(
No tip? NO TIP? WTF!!!!