So Long, And Thanks For All The Chicken And Fish

I work at a small chain fast food place famous for our fish. It’s late, about 9:00 pm. Fridays are our busiest days, so I’m tired, behind on my dishes, and going through a lot of mental stress. I just want to get this last hour over with. Three customers walk in. [Customer #1] and [Customer #2] pay together. [Customer #3] pays on his own.

Customer #1: “I’d like a #3.”

Customer #2: *before leaving* “I’ll take a #6.”

Me: “All righty!”

[Customer #2] leaves to go to the bathroom. I finish their order and call out all the food items. [Customer #1] sits down and I make their food. At my restaurant, we usually bring the food to your table just as a kind gesture. I take the food to [Customer #1] and it seems normal. I go back and take the next order.

Customer #3: “I’d like a #3 and add—”

Suddenly, [Customer #1] is yelling at the end of the counter.

Customer #1: “THIS IS WRONG!”

I apologize to [Customer #3] and walk to the table to see what error I made.

Me: “Sir, the #3 is two fish, one chicken, three shrimp.”

Customer #1: “NO! IT’S JUST THE FISH AND CHICKEN!”

I begin to walk to the menu board to show him that he is incorrect, but [Customer #1] just sits back down and glares with his arms crossed. [Customer #2] has walked in from the bathroom. [Customer #1] demands he follow me to the board because I will not back down that I am correct. I’ve worked here for two years; I know this menu better than my own birthday.

Me: *Pointing* “The #3 is here. Two fish, one chicken, three shrimp.”

I then point to the number above.

Me: “The #2 is the two fish, three chicken.”

I’m annoyed because I am being rude to [Customer #3], who tries to defuse the situation and offers to buy his friend the correct meal and simply switch with him. Nope. I walk back around the counter and begin to finish his order.

Ten seconds later, [Customer #2] runs to the counter and begins pointing in my face but only looking at my coworker, who happens to be my best friend. He is leaning on my shoulder to make sure the man doesn’t try to come at me.

Customer #2: “You need to get her to check her f****** attitude and she needs to apologize to my friend for being such a f****** b****!”

Coworker: “SHE’S DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE NOW!”

I then promptly finish [Customer #3]’s order with the sweetest attitude I can muster up before storming out for a short smoke break. My manager comes out a few minutes later to ask for my side of the story. 

Manager: “F****** morons. You don’t get paid enough to deal with their s***.”

After our smoke break, my manager and I walked back in smiling and laughing. The men glared at me while I continued to walk to the back.