Entitlement That Sets Off Alarm Bells

It is a nice sunny day, and a coworker and I are both working our busy patio. I have just brought a table their round of drinks when I hear a bell ringing noise that I haven’t heard before, but I think nothing of it.

I go to the kitchen and get some plates. As I bring them out, the bell ringing continues more vigorously than before. My coworker comes up to me.

Coworker: “Uh… I think the lady at your six-top wants your attention.”

We both look over, and one of my customers is ringing an actual bell, glaring in my direction. This woman has bought her own bell to get my attention instead of actually using her words.

Me: *To my coworker* “That’s a new one.*

Coworker: “Can I try something?”

Me: “Uh… sure?”

My coworker gets her phone out of her apron and loads a specific niche app inspired by a single scene from a famous fantasy show.

The customer angrily rattles her bell again, but then my coworker flies over to her and shakes her phone in a similar manner.

The app, detecting this motion, makes its own bell-ringing sound and shouts out the word:

Phone: “Shame!”

Some other diners giggle.

Customer: “I just wanted your attention!”

Coworker: “We have basic language comprehension skills, ma’am. Please do not use a bell to summon a server; it is considered disrespectful.”

Customer: “I need my water refilled!”

My coworker looked at me, and I nodded and brought them a refilled carafe of water. When I returned, the bell was noticeably missing and it looked like the other diners at the woman’s table had given her a stern talking-to based on the body language and how silent she was now being.

Gotta love my coworker’s “I don’t give a s***” attitude.