Don’t Double Your In-Tray

(It is near closing time. There are only two customers in the store and both came in at the same time and are waiting on orders. Their food comes up at the same time so I put it on separate trays and take it out. Customer #2 is in the restroom but Customer #1 comes to retrieve food and asks for sauce, requiring me to put down the other tray. When I turn back around Customer #1 has begun to move all of the food onto one tray.)

Me: “I’m sorry, that’s not your order. Only the food on the tray I handed you was with your order.”

(Customer #1 ignores me. By this point Customer #2 has come out of the restroom and sat down at a table close to the counter.)

Me: “Are you and the other customer eating together?”

(Customer #1 barely nods and takes food to the farthest table in the restaurant. When Customer #1 sits down Customer #2 comes up to the counter.)

Customer #2: “How much longer till my food is ready?”

Me: “Are you not with her?” *pointing to Customer #1*

Customer #2: “Um… no.”

Me: “One second.”

(I told my team leader what had happened and the food was remade. Customer #2 took his food back to the table he was sitting at and the two customers never interacted. From that point on, everyone on the night shift was very careful to only take out one order at a time.)