Not Their Finest Hour(s)

(At rush hour on a Saturday night, a party of 16 people comes in. I am a hostess.)

Me: “It’s going to be about one-and-a-half hour wait for you guys.”

Customer: “Okay, we will stay.” *walks away*

Me: *writes down info including the time they came in*

(Twenty minutes later.)

Customer: *storms up to the host stand* “Where the h*** is our table?! We have been waiting for TWO HOURS!”

Me: “Sir, it’s still going to be a little bit. You came in at 7:20, it is now 7:40 and I quoted you at an hour-and-a-half, so it’s probably still going to be another hour.”

Customer: “This is BS. Are you stupid or something? We have been waiting two hours!”

Me: “If you want, I can get my manager for you so she can help you out.”

(My manager comes out, and says the same exact thing to them that I do. The customers proceed to go and tell all the people waiting that we are understaffed, that if I wasn’t a girl he would punch me in the face, and that we probably have bugs in the kitchen. Twenty minutes after that.)

Customer: “Can you people seriously not tell time? We have been waiting for hours!”

Me: “I promise I am trying to get tables for you as fast as I can, but it’s only 8:15 now so you still probably have another 45 minutes. It is Saturday night and there are other parties here. We do call ahead seating if you choose to come in with a large party again and want to speed up your wait time.”

Customer: “There is no way I am ever eating at this place again! I will report your horrible attitude to your manager!” *storms off*

(After all that, they still ate at the restaurant and ended up stiffing the server on an over $250 meal.)