Providing Assistant Manager Assistance

(My boyfriend and I stop in to get a pizza at a popular place that has hot pizzas ready to pick up. The customer in front of us has placed a specialty order and, apparently, an employee forgot to mark the box. The manager is irate and begins berating him in front of a queue of customers.)

Manager: “I can’t believe this! I am so sick of your mistakes! The next time this happens, it’s a write up. I’m so serious! Get out of my sight!”

(The manager turns to serve us.)

Boyfriend: “Are you the manager?”

Manager: *cheery* “Yes, I am! What can I do for you?”

Boyfriend: “I don’t appreciate you reprimanding your employees in front of all of these customers. And I’m sure your employee didn’t enjoy being embarrassed like that.”

Manager: *shocked* “Oh… uh… well, that was the assistant manager… and I was just relaying that to him.”

Boyfriend: “I understand. But that is probably something that should be handled in private, don’t you think?”

Manager: “Oh… okay.”

Me: *cheery* “Could we get a [Pizza] with breadsticks? And a soda for your assistant manager, on us.”