'They're refusing to seat us!': Crazed customer flips out on waiter after she tries to eat in restaurant that's about to close

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 21, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

Waitstaff have to deal with wild customer interactions constantly, like this woman, who just didn't understand why she had to take her food to go. 

"I'm sick of being screamed at by entitled people that don't get their way," wrote u/Kathisobelallyss. This waiter was so annoyed by this crazed customer that they had a breakdown after the yelling was done… in the comments, people came to reassure them that Karens are the worst, and customer service has never been harder to deal with. 

It seems like common sense to avoid restaurants that are just about to close. Especially if the place closes in 10 to 15 minutes, as the OP noted! Their boss told them not to seat people more than 15 minutes before close, yet with 10 minutes til the end of the day, this woman demanded to eat and also to get to sit at a table. Taking food to go? Not for this crabby Karen!

Up next, these people are face-palming over their massive, messy mistakes. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 9745309440
    via Dayanara Nacion
  • 02
    Font - r/r/Tales From YourServer Posted by u/Kathisobelallyss I'm sick of being screamed at by entitled people that don't get their way.
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 03
    Font - So my boss has us not seat anyone past a quarter to close. From that point until 5 minutes to close we are to-go only. After that we are essentially closed, but we make exceptions, especially if someone comes in at the last minute and just wants like a cup of soup or some meatballs or something of the like.
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 04
    Font - Monday night it's 8:48. We close at 9. Three people come inside and I IMMEDIATELY tell them we are to-go only. We aren't seating anymore for the night. Pretty much everything except the floors are done and the kitchen is 2/3 of the way done cleaning up.
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 05
    Font - Anyway, it's two women and a one guy. The first woman is the main aggressor here, she starts trying to barter with us to let her sit essentially, before going nuclear. "Well, why can't we sit? There's people still in here!"
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 06
    Font - Me: "Ma'am all the people in here are finished eating and about to leave." Stuff like that. I proceed to tell her I'm sorry, it's not my rule, our boss doesn't want us seating until the last minute because we are a local place (and he doesn't want to have to pay the entire staff for over an hour after close because you decided you can't go out to eat until 10 minutes before the restaurant closes).
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 07
    Font - This woman LITERALLY STOMPS HER FOOT and starts throwing a tantrum like a child. "This is BULLS I WORK IN RESTAURANTS! NOWHERE ELSE DOES THIS! THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE IN HERE! YOU SHOULD LET US SIT ANYWAY!"
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 08
    Font - The other woman in the group is peppering her friends tirade with insults and screams of her own. "THIS IS HORRIBLE SERVICE! HOW DARE YOU NOT SEAT US!"
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 09
    Font - I offered them to-go like six times, wasn't good enough. This entire time I'm staying calm and apologizing, it's not my rule, I'm not doing this just to be rude.
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 10
    Font - They go to stomp out the door and they hilariously try to slam the door which has the thing that makes it shut slowly because it's glass. I don't know if that made them madder or what. As the door starts to shut I'm ashamed to admit I lost my patients again and snapped at them (without raising my voice), "You don't need to be so rude!"
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 11
    Font - A guy comes to grab his to-go and she SCREAMS in his face. "THEYRE REFUSING TO SIT US! THEYRE TO-GO ONLY, SO I HOPE YOU DONT WANT TO SIT AND EAT!! THEY WOULDNT LET US SIT!!"
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 12
    Hair - The poor guy just shrimks away and comes inside. The lady's friend comes back to the door and opens it again.
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 13
    Cheezburger Image 9745309184
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 14
    Font - After they leave I lose it a little and kinda start to break down in front of my coworker. "I'm so sick of all these people screaming at me for stuff that isn't my fault or I didn't do!"
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 15
    Font - I went outside and called my mom and cried. I've been doing this for over 10 years and I've never had so many rude customers the entire time I've been doing this as I have in the last 3 months. Can someone please tell me what the F going on? is
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 16
    Font - EvoSP1100 Question: why are you having to handle this at this point? The manager or owner should be fielding this s if it's become an issue of this magnitude at your restaurant
    via u/EvoSP1100
  • 17
    Font - Kathisobelallyss OP The owner is there every day, usually leaves around 830. We don't have an official manager but I get paid a little more and am the senior most employee and he trusts me to handle things like this. I have his manager codes for the computer and everything. If this kind of thing happens while he's in the restaurant he kicks them out and I've had him almost fight a customer that was nasty to me before.
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 18
    Font - Kathisobelallyss OP Also, it's literally never been an issue until thus season and I've been here for three years. Usually it happens while he's there and he's like old school New Yorker and doesn't put up with anything like this.
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 19
    Font - TexasLiz1 "We won't seat you or tolerate abuse. You are now trespassing. Leave before i call the cops."
    via u/TexasLiz1
  • 20
    Font - SnooConfections7276 People are a virtual hug because you did everything right s. Sending you a
    via u/SnooConfections7276
  • 21
    Colorfulness - Kathisobelallyss OP Thank you Usually it doesn't get to me this much but people have been so awful lately. Don't get me wrong we have loads of amazing regulars that are so nice, but the people that come in and are nasty are just so terrible they ruin your entire day.
    via u/Kathisobelallyss
  • 22
    Font - wrloftis After the second round of screaming began, you could have called the local police department and - loudly - reported trespassing by a party of three. 40 Reply Share Kathisobelallyss OP I really should have. And next time something like that happens I will. I even have the non-emergency number saved because people park in our handicapped spots all the time and then literally sit in Starbucks for 2 hours.
    via u/wrloftis
  • 23
    Font - ego41 Pleasantly: "May I have your names please?" psycho, suspiciously: "Why?" "So I can put you on our no-service list, of course." 30 Reply Share Kathisobelallyss OP I love this.
    via u/ego41

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closing workplace-stories waiter customers mean restaurant yelling karen
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