Causing The Problem

(I am a hostess at a pancake house. A pair of customers asks to be seated by the front door due to a leg injury, and their server is double sat. After a quick burst of people I equalize everything quickly and the server isn’t seated the next round since he was double sat the last. The server that got double sat comes up to the hostess stand to check the list as the owner of the restaurant counts the register next to me.)

Server: “Hey, did you skip me?”

Me: “No. The man with the crutches needed a table up front, so you got double sat for a bit. But now everyone’s caught up, so I can seat you again.”

Server: “Oh, okay. Thanks.”

(He walks away, and the owner hunches over my list.)

Owner: “What’s the problem?”

Me: “Oh, there wasn’t a problem. I was just telling him what happened.”

Owner: “What?”

Me: “Before, he was double sat for a bit because the man with crutches needed a table at the front. But I caught everyone up now, so it’s fine.”

Owner: “I don’t understand.”

Me: *explains everything again*

Owner: *getting angry* “I don’t get it. What was the problem?”

Me: “Don’t worry, there isn’t a problem.”

Owner: “DON’T TELL ME THERE ISN’T A PROBLEM, BECAUSE THIS IS A PROBLEM! WHAT IS THIS?!” *points to the chart where I marked the requested table*

Me: “I just told you. That man there wanted a table close to the door and [Server] got double sat, so I didn’t seat him this round so I could catch everyone up.”

Owner: “Then who’s next?”

Me: *points to chart* “This one.”

Owner: “Oh. Well, that guy was just wondering why he got skipped. He shouldn’t even be up here talking to you. Servers aren’t allowed to bother you or tell you how to sit.”

Me: “But that was never the problem…”