Getting Owned By The Owner, Part 24
I am working my first job at a restaurant.
Customer: *Demanding and rude* “I want chili cheese fries!”
Me: “That’s not on the menu.”
Customer: “But I want it!”
I figure, “H***, we have the stuff. We can make it for her.” Again, it’s my first job; I haven’t yet learned the slippery slope that follows making off-menu items for people and I just think I’m being nice.
I enter it as a custom mod. The cook doesn’t see the mod line and gives the customer regular fries. I don’t bring her food to her table, so I am not there to notice. She comes up to me and thrusts her fries toward me, and I have to grab them to keep them from going all over me.
Customer: “These are supposed to be chili cheese!”
Me: “I am sorry. It must have been a slip-up since it’s not a menu item. I’ll get it taken care of.”
I bring her the chili cheese fries and then regularly stop by the table to check on her and the others at her table. They tell me they’re fine but then continue to complain about everything. They ask to talk to the manager, and they complain to him.
Manager: “If you’re unsatisfied with your current meals, I can remake them free of charge.”
Customer: “Fine, but we want them to go.”
Manager: “Fine.”
I go to the patio to clear off some tables, and a guest from the table next to them follows me out to talk to me.
Guest: “I know the owner. I’m gonna call him to explain that this is not your fault. They were saying some awful stuff out of your earshot and taking photos of you when you weren’t looking.”
He calls the owner right there. Our owner has cameras everywhere and lives about five minutes from the restaurant. The owner watches the cameras and then calls the guest back. He hands the phone over to me.
Owner: “Go to the back of the restaurant and stay there.”
He drives up and walks in just as our manager is handing the group fresh to-go bags. He snatches them away from these people.
Owner: “We’ve already refunded your money. Get out. If I see you here again, I’ll call the cops on you for trespassing.”
They later left a Yelp review, and [Owner] went off on them. He was a difficult boss, but in that moment, I felt so vindicated. They were clearly just trying to get free food at the expense of my work reputation, so it meant a lot that they didn’t get away with it.
Related:
Getting Owned By The Owner, Part 23
Getting Owned By The Owner, Part 22
Getting Owned By The Owner, Part 21
Getting Owned By The Owner, Part 20
Getting Owned By The Owner, Part 19
