Sometimes It Pays To Be Lazy

I was a server and bartender in an upscale Italian restaurant in the north suburbs of Chicago a few years ago. I remember one fairly busy night. We weren’t quite slammed but starting to run. My section was already full when I was given a party of about twenty people in a separate room. As one of the more experienced staff on that night, this wasn’t unusual; the manager knew I could handle it.

The group was a little rowdy, but they were having a good time. We had obviously not been their first stop of the night. It was no big deal as they were the only ones in the room, but there were a couple of other tables in there that likely would have been seated given the pace that things were moving. As I was getting their attention to introduce myself, one of the patrons interrupted.

Patron: “Can you move these other tables over for us to make some more room?”

I explained that I needed to check with the manager and host since I didn’t know if those tables were reserved for other guests. As I was walking out of the room but not yet out of earshot, I heard the same guy say:

Patron: “He’s just lazy. Let’s move them ourselves.”

I found the manager, explained what was up (and what I had heard), and brought him back with me. He DID let them take the additional tables, even though he was planning to fill them. Before he could leave again, I stepped up to the group and said:

Me: “Hi, I’m [My Name] and I’ll be your lazy server tonight. Could I start anyone out with something from the bar?”

It was an uncharacteristic outburst for me, but I just lost it in the moment. My manager’s jaw dropped, the guy’s jaw dropped, and the whole group suddenly got really quiet. The manager took me aside and asked if another server should take the group. The moment had passed as soon as it came on, so I said I could handle it. I went back in and picked up right where I’d left off as if nothing had happened.

From that point forward, the entire group was polite, well-mannered, and complimentary while still having a good time together. As I recall, they left me 20% as a tip, which had to have been at least $100. On their way out, “rude guy” even apologized. The manager gave me a warning about controlling my temper, but he also agreed that the guy was being a d**k, so he let it slide.

Sometimes the customer is NOT right and it pays to stick up for yourself.