(My husband and I have had a normal meal so far with the food and service being fine. Everything is going well until we hand the server money for our bill.)

Me: “The gift card has $25 on it so the $20 is to cover the rest of our tab.”

(On top of the $20 bill and the gift card, I had put the 43 cents that was the change due on our bill. The server picks everything up and cups her hand so the change doesn’t spill and walks away. A few minutes later she returns with our change.)

Server: “Okay, guys, here is your change for today. After the gift card and the cash, you are left with $12.57. Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

(My husband and I look at each other since we should not be getting any change back. We gave exact change for our bill.)

Me: “Um, there shouldn’t be any change back to us. We had the 43 cents on top of the gift card and the $20 for you.”

Server: “Really?”

Me: “Yes. It was the $20 bill, the gift card then the change sitting on that.”

Server: “Oh, I really don’t like dealing with change.”

Me: “Well, we still gave you change.”

Husband: “Yeah, we needed to break the $20. We should be getting $13 back.”

Server: “Fine.”

(In a huff, she grabs the change that she gave back to us off the table and lays down another dollar.)

Server: *with attitude* “Anything else now?”

Me: “We’re good. Thanks.”

(After the server walks away.)

Husband: *confused* “She doesn’t like dealing with change but she gave us change back?”

Me: “I’m not going to try to figure that one out. You ready to go?”

(I go out to eat with a friend at an Italian place. I am mildly lactose intolerant.)

Me: “Can I have veggie panini, but without the mozzarella?”

Waitress: “It comes with the cheese.”

Me: “Yes, I realize that. I cannot have large amounts of cheese.”

Waitress: “But it comes with the cheese.”

Me: “The menu says everything is made to order.”

Waitress: “Yeah?”

Me: “So… just ask them to leave off the cheese, please? I don’t want to be ill.”

Waitress: “It’s just cheese. It’s fresh.”

Me: “I get that. I also know that I cannot have it. I am allergic. Can you please ask them to leave it off?”

Waitress: “Okay, but it’s supposed to come with it.”

(We get our food a few minutes later.)

Me: ‘Miss, uh, this is full of cheese.”

Waitress: “Yeah.”

Me: “I asked for no cheese when I ordered it. I am allergic. I cannot have it.”

Waitress: “It’s just cheese.”

Me: “Yes. It’s just cheese. However, I am lactose intolerant. I cannot have cheese. It makes me ill. Can you please have them remake this?”

Waitress: “But it comes with cheese!”

Friend: “Listen, miss, I have no idea what the problem is here, but when things are made to order, it’s entirely possibly to swap out certain ingredients. She is not asking you to change the bread or the veggies and make a miracle happen. She just wants you to respect her allergy and simply ask the cooks to make the sandwich without the cheese. It’s not difficult.”

Waitress: “Oh, please! Everyone knows that allergy is a myth! She can eat it if she wants to!”

Friend: “Lactose intolerance is not a myth, a fad, or anything like that. It’s an actual problem. It’s an allergy to lactose, which is in dairy. Now, she asked you to do something incredibly simple. Can you please take the correct order so she can eat?”

Waitress: “You are so rude!” *storms off and points us out to her manager*

Manager: “Excuse me, is there an issue?”

Me: “Yes, actually. I tried ordering this without cheese, as I am allergic. She fought with me over it and then said she would do it. She brought me this which, as you can see here, has cheese. She then refused to have them remake it and essentially told me that I am a liar, since she doesn’t think lactose intolerance is real.”

Manager: *turns to his employee* “Is this true?”

Waitress: “It’s just cheese!”

Manager: *to her* “Are you kidding me?” *to us* “I am so sorry. I will have that properly remade and both of your meals will be on the house. I can promise that if you ever return here, she will definitely not be waiting on you – or anyone – at this location.”

(The cheese-free panini was fantastic, even though it took about an hour to get it!)

This story is part of our Food Allergies roundup!

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(I’m a junior in high school, working the drive-thru, which can generally be difficult but manageable. A family whose order is large but not difficult is just about done with their order.)

Customer: “We would also like to add a single vanilla ice cream dish, but with M&M’s on it as well.”

(A dish is about 50 cents cheaper than a sundae; the difference is a dish does not have toppings a sundae does. So I change their order from dish to sundae so I can add their toppings.)

Me: “Will that be all for you today?”

Customer: “Yes that will be fine.”

Me: *I read back order* “…and a small vanilla sundae with M&M’s, is that correct?”

Customer: “Wait, I just wanted a dish with the candy…”

Me: “That’s what is, sir.”

Customer: “Oh, okay.”

(He pulls up to the window.)

Customer’s Wife: *yells from across car* “I really hope that wasn’t a sundae. On your menu it’s, like, 50 cents more!”

Me: “Yes, our toppings are fifty cents each, and a sundae has toppings. The first topping is included in the original price. A dish has no toppings, so it costs less.”

Wife: “But I only want M&M’s. Why do you have to charge me?”

Me: “Because adding something to your dish costs 50 cents…”

Wife: “You’re wrong! Fix it. Fix it now.”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m doing this right. This is how it works.”

Customer: “Shut up, you little s***. Don’t talk to my wife like that, you little b****. Get a supervisor or manager! Now!”

(I go grab my supervisor who is only a year older than me.)

Wife: “Finally a mature adult. Your person put our order in wrong; she is trying to charge us extra.”

Supervisor: “Oh, I’m so sorry; what is wrong with your order?”

Wife: “We want a single vanilla dish.”

Supervisor: “Oh, you didn’t want the candy?”

Wife: “Yes, we do.”

Supervisor: “I don’t see a problem…”

Wife: “F****** scammers! Why is it so much for the topping!?”

Supervisor: “Ma’am, without it we wouldn’t be able to buy more toppings, and then where would we be? And may I ask what’s the big deal about two quarters, when you large sized everything and got extra fries and extra drinks?”

Wife: “Whatever.” *she pays and drives off before she gets her food or ice cream*

Supervisor: “Hey, [My Name], let’s go on break and split all their food.”

(I work at a restaurant that can get packed, so we hand out numbers for the waiting list. We call the numbers three times, and the fourth is a ‘final call’ before we move on to the next number. Sometimes people decide to leave without even turning in their numbers, but it’s not a big deal, we just move on. A father and his two children get a number to be seated and is given an estimate of about a 15 minute wait. We also record what time the number was given and the estimate wait time given. About 10 minutes pass and we call his number, no answer. We call twice more and I even check the parking lot just in case they are out there. No response and five minutes after the first call, the final call is given and we move on. About 30 minutes after I call his number he walks up to me:)

Customer: “Why haven’t you called my number yet?”

Me: *checking records* “Sir, we did call you at [time]. We called your number four times with no response and I even checked the parking lot.”

Customer: “Well, I want to be seated right now.”

Me: “I’m sorry; we had to skip your number you will have to be put on the waiting list again.”

Customer: “But you skipped my number. I want to be seated now.”

(By now he is getting close enough to kiss me.)

Me: “I’m sorry, sir. Like I said we did call your number and you did not answer.”

Customer: “I wasn’t here!”

Me: “What do you mean?”

Customer: “I went to go run some errands.”

Me: “So how were you going to know if I called your number?”

Customer: “I do this all the time everywhere else.”

Me: “I’m sorry, you did not inform me you were leaving. How was I supposed to know you would be coming back?”

Customer: “You should have held my place.”

Me: “We did. We gave you five minutes to claim your spot.”

Customer: “You should seat me now.”

(By now he’s getting irate and he’s actually balling up his fist ready to swing.)

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t read your mind. You can’t get a number then leave and just come back whenever you want. You have to be present when your number is called.”

(At this point the customer moves behind the host stand to confront me and I’m still giving him the biggest smile I can muster. I’m smiling because I can’t believe how ridiculous he is and I guess that made him angrier. A manager steps in and because a couple tables left at the same time, tried to defuse the situation by offering to seat him quickly. The next customer I call promptly answers and says:)

Next Customer: “That guy is crazy!”

(My manager on duty receives a call that a coworker won’t come in. Three hours later a second coworker has failed to show up. It is my manager working the drive-thru window and me preparing all the food. Three hours into what becomes a five-hour rush with us alone, an older lady gets to the window.)

Manager: “Hi, sorry about the wait.”

Lady: “Oh? Is there a problem?”

Manager: “Oh, we had two coworkers who didn’t show up and we’re stuck here alone.”

Lady: *rather sure of herself* “Well, that’s nice. It’s good for you.”

Manager: *silently closes window then turns to me* “What a c***!”

(We finally got help when the night crew got there but I left an hour and a half late. Whoever that lady was, she’s no one I want to meet!)