When The Greeting Is Grating

I work in a fast food restaurant where our policy is to greet each guest as they come through the door and generally be as polite, friendly, and accommodating as possible. A customer enters the store with her husband.

Me: “Hello!”

Coworker #1: “Hi! Welcome to [Restaurant].”

Coworker #2: “Hi!”

Me: “How are you folks tonight?”

Customer: “We’re fine, thanks.”

Me: “What can I get for you?”

Customer: “I’d like a cheeseburger basket.”

Me: “And what side would you like with that?”

I continue taking the customer’s order, as well as her husband’s. I am about to finish the order when I notice that I forgot to ask what the customer would like on her cheeseburger. Since all of our non-specialty burgers come plain, this is somewhat important.

Me: “I’m so sorry, I forgot to ask: what condiments would you like on your cheeseburger? They come plain and I wouldn’t want you to get a plain burger if you didn’t want one.”

Customer: “I’d like, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onion, and pickle.”

Me: “All right! Can I get you anything else tonight?”

Customer: “No.”

Me: “Will you be dining with us tonight?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “All righty! That will be [price].”

The customer hands me her card.

Me: “Did you need a receipt tonight?”

Customer: “No, thank you. You guys are all way too polite.”

Me: *Nervous laugh* “Feel free to take this number to your table and we’ll bring your food right out to you. Enjoy!”

The customer leaves the counter and walks out of earshot.

Manager: “Well, then, I guess next time we’ll have to remember to be rude to her!”