Bad Coworker Reaches The Tipping Point

(We have a customer that will come in around the same time, after work, every other day. He is polite, but never makes chit-chat, always knows his order, says please and thank you, and never complains if there is a wait on anything if we are busy. On top of that, he always pays with a $20 on a $9 charge and leaves the change as a tip. For some reason, new waiters and waitresses don’t like serving him because they think he is intimidating, or rude. Most of the time they get over it, especially with the good tip and the realization that this is pretty much a perfect customer. Order, eat, leave. For some reason, he just enrages a new hire we have. She has already had attitude issues, disappeared on her third day for forty minutes on a half-day shift without telling anyone, and is just really standoffish. Nobody likes her, but we try to get along. One day, the new waitress stomps up to me with a red face and instantly starts ranting:)

New Waitress: “That guy is h***a rude; I asked how his day was and he said it was fine and gave me his order. He didn’t even try and ask how my day was going. He didn’t even look at me for more than a second when he was talking before going back to his book! So disrespectful; I’m not his servant!”

Me: “What? No! We love that guy.” *tells her about him* “Are you sure that’s him?” *points him out*

New Waitress: “Yeah, he’s rude. He isn’t going to get any refills or anything else from me! Rude a**hole! He’d better tip me like you say!”

(The customer never gets a refill of his drink and has to catch a passing busboy to get his bill. He doesn’t cause a scene, and to be honest I forget he’s there until I see him at the till.)

Me: “Was everything okay? How was your meal?”

Customer: “It was fine. I never got a refill on my drinks, and had to ask someone else for a bill, but the food was good, as always.”

Me: “Oh, I’m so sorry about that! Do you want to speak to a manager?”

Customer: “No, it’s fine; you didn’t do anything, but may I have my change?”

(He left without giving a tip. It was literally the first time anyone I know had seen him do that. The new waitress threw a fit, called us liars, and made a scene. The manager tried to calm her down and try and figure out what happened between her and the customer. After a lengthy rant at all of us for “tricking her and sticking her with an a**hole customer!” she tossed her apron down and left. Our customer came back, like clockwork, the day after, and was just as polite and courteous as always, and I got a huge tip. Thank you, Super-Customer, whose name I never got the whole time I saw you! You always made our day better AND you drove away a terrible employee!)