I am traveling across southern Colorado, and I stop at a campground. It is morning and people are in line to take showers. A girl goes into the shower, and about ten minutes go by. Some more time passes. We are all wondering what is taking so long.

Me: “Hey! There are fourteen people in line here waiting for you to finish your shower.”

Another five minutes go by, and the girl finally comes out

Girl: “Now there’re thirteen waiting.”

Me: “No, now there are twenty-one people waiting.”

She didn’t apologize.

My husband and I go to a sushi restaurant for dinner. We are pretty much sushi newbies, so we just order whatever sounds good. When the time comes to pay…

Me: “I wish I’d taken note of what we’d ordered. It was all great, and I’d like to be able to order it again in the future.”

Husband: *Scrutinizing the bill* “Unfortunately, this isn’t any help; it just has a few hand-written squiggles and a total.”

Server: “Is there anything else I can get you?”

Me: “Yes. We’re just curious — can you tell us what we ordered? We’d like to be able to order it again someday.”

Server: *Condescendingly* “Sushi.”

Me: “Well, yes, but what kind of sushi?”

Server: “Fiiiiish.”

I gave up at that point.

Years ago, I was serving at a casual restaurant. I’m very white with blonde hair, so you wouldn’t know by looking at me that I’m almost fluent in Spanish.

As I was cleaning a table one night, the one right next to it was seated for me. While wiping the dirty table, I heard the new table talking loudly about me in Spanish. They were saying how big my butt was, how fat I was, and how they didn’t want to be served by someone so disgusting, not knowing that I 100% understood them.

My initial reaction was anger and tears; I wanted to give them bad service and not even try to be nice. But I wanted to be the bigger person. I walked to the table and did my “Welcome to [Restaurant]! My name is [My Name] and I’m here to help you out” spiel, but I said it all in Spanish.

The look of shock and embarrassment on their faces gave me one of the greatest feelings ever.

Then, I listed every burger, every milkshake flavor, and every side item in Spanish. For the entire meal, I spoke no English at all, and I gave them the kindest and most attentive service I’ve ever given anyone. The nicer I was, the more humiliated and ashamed they were.

When one of them asked quietly if he could have some more water, I already had a tray in my hand with his water on it. They refused to speak Spanish to me and would hardly even look at me. When they left, they closed their $25 check and left me a $50 bill under a plate for my tip.

Such a glorious day! Everyone always asks why I didn’t spit in their food, give them bad service, or ring in their order wrong. Kill people with kindness, baby! That’s the way I do it.

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It’s about four in the morning and I need a snack — insomniac here — so I drive down to the nearby gas station, pick up a drink, and go to their fresh donut stand to pick out donuts. I lift the tongs from the inside of the case and start picking. As I’m picking up the last donut…

Cashier: “You’re supposed to use the napkins.”

Me: “Uh, sorry? What napkins?”

The cashier gestures to the napkins… on top of the donut case, out of visible sight.

Cashier: “Use ’em.”

Since I’m done picking my donuts, I go to the counter. She rings me up.

Cashier: “How many you got?”

Me: “Three regular, one apple fritter—”

Cashier: *Interrupting me* “So four, then?”

Me: “Yeah, sorry, I thought the type mattered.”

She tuts at me. My card goes through.

Me: “Have a good one.”

The cashier just grumbled something about sanitizing the tongs.

I understand we are in a health crisis, but if you want people to use the napkins, put them in plain sight and take the tongs from the display entirely. Also, if it matters so much, maybe wear a mask, and maybe don’t be a b**** to your semi-regulars at four am?

I am twenty years old and working my first job in retail. A customer comes up to me with his purchases. It’s a Saturday afternoon and the store is busy.

Customer: “You should really have more registers open. More than half the people are putting their purchases down and walking out. If I didn’t have [Store Coupon], I would have left!”

This is in no way true. We have had all the registers open; it’s been a sort of all-hands-on-deck situation. As for customers walking out without their purchases, I have seen nothing of the sort. It’s been a pretty normal day at the store. Most customers seem happy on their way out and they’ve been nice and understanding for the most part.

Me: “Well—”

Customer: “You should really talk to a manager about this. Every time I come here, there’s some sort of problem. This store is terribly mismanaged.”

Me: “I apologize for the wait, but—”

I was about to say we were doing everything we could when the customer stormed out. I was left bewildered. What did he expect us to do? I can’t just materialize cashiers and registers. I’m just glad that I got to take my lunch break immediately after.

Related:
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 16
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 15
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 14
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 13
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 12