Overbooked Leads To Overcooked Attitude
(I am the owner of a family restaurant in the country and we are the only place open during the December holidays, and do get fully booked quite fast. A customer walks in 15 minutes before all our bookings arrive. We only serve 60 guests per night due to our small kitchen.)
Customer: “Good evening, Can I please have a table for 16 guests?”
Me: “No, unfortunately we are fully booked at this stage; we could however seat you at 20:30 or 21:00?”
Customer: “No, I don’t eat that late. Why can’t you just squeeze us in?”
Me: “I can do that, but if I do seat 16 of your guests with our other 60, then it’s just a recipe for disaster. As I said, I am more than happy to accommodate you when it has quieted down, at around 21:00.”
Customer: “No. You are a restaurant and you have to serve me!”
Me: “I am sorry, sir; we are fully booked.”
Customer: *to waiter* “I am never coming back here again! This is f****** ridiculous. I will tell all my friends and family that you don’t want to serve guests.”
Me: “Excuse me? I don’t understand. We are fully booked and can not serve you at this stage.”
Customer: “Who is the owner? I want to speak to the owner right now!”
Me: “I am the owner, sir, and as I explained to you I can not serve 16 guests on top of my other 60.”
Customer: “Well, you won’t be an owner for long!”
Me: “Well, then I wouldn’t have to deal with customers like you.”
(Customer left, still swearing, and eventually posted a complaint on a review website, to which the locals of the town ripped his comments a new one.)
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