I work at a super high-end restaurant. There’s no way around it: our place is pricey. Tourists will come here for special occasions or to splurge with recent casino winnings, and on average, each diner can expect to spend around a thousand dollars each for a meal with drinks.
Because of this, we often get famous people and celebrities dining with us. But also, unfortunately, we get influencers.
This group of girls comes in with their phones out, making their entrance videos.
Influencer #1: “Hey, guys, I’m here at [Restaurant] to show you all…”
Influencer #2: “…here to show you some fine dining and…”
Influencer #3: “Don’t forget to smash that like button and subscribe!”
I internally roll my eyes, but whatever, they’re customers, and we pride ourselves on customer service.
They’re seated, and they start with a platter of entrees, a good choice for the Instagram crowd. I bring out the tray.
Influencer #1: “Is that it?“
Me: “Is there a problem, ma’am?”
Influencer #2: “We asked for the platter. Plat… ter!“
Me: “This is the entrée platter, ma’am.”
Influencer #3: “There are only, like, six things on there!”
Me: “Yes, ma’am, that is the size of the platter.”
Influencer #1: “But your menu has like, seventeen entrees!”
Me: “The platter is our signature selection; it’s not meant to be every entrée.”
Influencer #1: “Whatever. It doesn’t look good for you, but whatever.”
I leave them to “enjoy” their platter and make their videos while I attend to more respectful tables. Eventually, they order some main courses and sides, and I bring them out.
Influencer #1: “Excuuuuuse me! I wanted my steak medium rare.”
She shows me a piece of cut-off steak.
Me: “That is medium rare, ma’am.”
Influencer #1: “I don’t think so! Let’s see what my 10,000 followers think!”
This influencer then tries to go to some live feed on her phone and get me in the shot.
Influencer #1: “Continuing my disappointing experience at [Restaurant], our waitress here claims that this steak is medium rare. What do you all think?”
I simply walk away, refusing to be part of her circus. I hear a few “Hey! We’re talking to you!” comments from the table, and they’re seriously at risk of making a scene, so I fight the urge to walk away and turn around.
Me: “Ladies. May I draw your attention to the other side of the restaurant? There you will see a certain famous celebrity chef dining with us tonight.”
The influencers do indeed follow my gaze to see a famous British chef, known for not mincing his words, enjoying a meal with some friends on the — thankfully — far end of the restaurant where we seat celebrities who don’t want to be disturbed.
Me: “He has ordered steak here before and has had zero problem with how our award-winning chef prepares them. If you do not like your steak the way it is prepared, I can bring you a new one based on your specific requirements, but I will not be part of your social media, and I will not accept that your steak isn’t medium rare when it clearly is.”
The influencers are surprisingly silent.
Me: “Now, since this is medium rare, but you do not like it, it seems you don’t actually want medium rare. Would you like this steak cooked more or less?”
After dumbing it down a little for her, it seems she wanted medium to well-done. They ate the rest of their meal in relative silence, still getting their social media on but no longer bothering staff or anyone else about it.
They didn’t tip, of course, but they stopped complaining, so for me, that was a win.
