Top Tales From Your Server (October 2, 2023)

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Oct 2, 2023 4:00 PM EDT

Welcome to server life, where you get paid next to nothing to deal with entitled customers and power-tripping managers while working on your feet for seemingly endless shifts. You can just imagine the cast of characters that everyday servers are forced to encounter, confront, work with, and work for day in and day out. So let the following stories, which were compiled from Reddit's r/TalesFromYourServer subreddit, ~serve~ as yet another reminder to be kind and generous with your servers. Tip them well and recognize that everyone makes the occasional error, especially when you're forced to juggle a million tasks at once.

Some of these stories include insight and advice about how to deal with managers who disregard and disrespect your time and customers who demand way too much. If you yourself have been or currently work as a server, feel free to share your own experiences below. For more stories like this, here is one about someone who got fired over a hash brown order.

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  • 01
    Font - "I've ordered CHIIIIPS on the side,WWWHYYY ARE THEY NOT HERE YYYETTT??" m
    via Jason Leung
  • 02
    Font - My manager scheduled me for days I'm not available and now says I have to work them. Medium Im a first year college student and had taken a gap year all last year and decided to stop working but technically still be hired there for when school started. I'm feeling more comfortable with what's going on and wanted to to start working a bit. I contacted the new manager I haven't met yet since they changed in the beginning of the month and said I can work Mondays and Thursdays
    via u/UnfairAthlete2214
  • 03
    Font - afternoons. I checked the schedule on the Wednesday and saw they scheduled me the mondays and thursdays... but also weekends. I never told the manager I could work weekends and I wish they asked first because when I emailed them about it they told me I'd have to either work the shifts I'm already schedule or find someone to cover them.. which is nearly impossible considering it's a super small store and under staffed so there's only about 3 other part- timers working there. The weekend sh
    via u/UnfairAthlete2214
  • 04
    Font - shifts and I have like 10 quizzes due that weekend I'm scheduled to work both days. I didn't think I needed to specify I'm not available the other days when the manager knows I'm in school and I told them what days I COULD work. I sort of already said okay because I knew I was screwed despite it being a manager schedule problem... any suggestions how I can tell them nicely and get out of it?
    via u/UnfairAthlete2214
  • 05
    Font - Mirianda6667 hr. ago Why worry about being 'nice'? You have been scheduled for shifts you cannot work and which you didn't consent to. 'You've scheduled me for days I cannot work. YOU will need to find other employees to cover the shifts you've scheduled me for'
    via u/UnfairAthlete2214
  • 06
    Font - Because this really isn't 'your' problem and you don't have to be 'nice'. You just have to be clear. "I gave my availability to the manager who hired me. I cannot cover shifts outside my availability, it's just that simple.'
    via u/UnfairAthlete2214
  • 07
    Font - If your manager threatens to fire you, shrug and say 'Well, if that's how you want to handle it, I guess you'll need to find someone to cover those Monday and Thursday shifts, too."
    via u/UnfairAthlete2214
  • 08
    Font - Because you can always find another job. Really. And jumping through hoops for a company that doesn't even pay attention to your availability is a terrible idea. Work for someone who works WITH you. Best of luck. 283 Reply Share
    via u/UnfairAthlete2214
  • 09
    Font - Patrons Suffering From The Main-Character Syndrome Long The way some people think is honestly fascinating to me. Being convinced that the world revolves around you must be such a wild experience. This mindset just doesn't compute with me & I've stopped taking from entitled people after 10+ years in the industry. To the story now.
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 10
    Font - There's some comedian in the city, from what performing I've heard, & some musician somewhere nearby too. Our location is close to both venues. Traffic is wild. It's around 5PM, I get relieved from my main job, & I walk into absolute chaos. We have 4 big reservations & the rest of it is just walk-in tables. People are LINED UP TO BE SEATED (something I haven't witnessed EVER since I've started working at the place). There's only 3 servers (who work as bartenders as well) & 3 cooks (1 of w
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 11
    Font - Obviously, I get right into it. Can tell off the bat 2 other server girls are already overwhelmed. There's completely 0 structure. We normally work on rotation for taking tables but today that just doesn't exist. I help girls to clean their tables, new guests get greeted, everyone is informed that their orders may take twice as long to take care of. Whoever is okay with waiting gets seated (the performances hadn't started yet, so people had some time to burn).
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 12
    Font - In walks a very positive & polite woman, asks for a table of 4. She says that she's here for the comedy show & her joiners are arriving shortly. 2 ladies had joined her in about 10 minutes. 4th woman is MIA for now. I pour them all some beer on tap, make them some cocktails, make sure that they aren't ready to order their food just yet, & we're rock-n-rolling with the rest of the pub. We don't stop for a minute to stretch, hydrate, graze, scream in the walk-in,,, or smoke. Everyone's in t
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 13
    Font - After 45 minutes of the aforementioned table being seated, the OH (short for Old Hag) finally joins them & they start looking through the food menu. I get back to them in about 5 minutes & of course everyone is ready with their orders except for the OH. I asked if they'd like me to come back & take everyone's orders at once but I think they are just sick of waiting on her & they start ordering, forcing her to make a choice as well. She gives me some dirty looks & attitude, obviously, beca
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 14
    Font - I'm on the top of serving the ladies' table, having silverware, napkins & condiments out right away, promptly refilling their drinks, & politely conversing with them every time I approach them. 40 minutes goes by since they've placed their food order, I'm taking care of someone else at the bar & punching in an order for another table. OH runs up to me, I let her know I'll be with her in a moment. She starts slapping the bar with her wrist, saying that "WE'VE GOT TO GO TO THE CONCERT & OUR
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 15
    Font - Another 5 minutes passes by, I finally hear BOH ringing for their dishes. What a relief. Plates & trays come out extremely hot & I only manage to take out 2 entrees at a time for these folks. While I'm delivering their dishes for them, she is rolling her eyes because it wasn't her plate I was bringing over. Well, too bad - you'll have to wait another minute. I bring over 2 other dishes, including the Old Hag's one, & she starts SCREECHING at me "I've ordered CHIIIIPS on the side, WWWHYYY
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 16
    Font - "I'm sorry ma'am but PLEASE LOOK AROUND YOU! 90% of the people also have places to be at after they're done dining. I'm sorry I don't have 6 hands but I'm doing my best with what I have. The kitchen is behind & your table had been informed of that before getting seated. Your table had to wait on you & this is exactly how you've ended up in the situation. I've been here for your table this entire time, so I don't understand why you feel the need to make a scene out of this situation. I'll
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 17
    Font - I bring her the side of chips & see that her friends are absolutely mortified at this point. To break the ice wall the Old Hag had created, I offer everyone more refills & ask how their food is tasting. They all instantly perk up, converse with me, & she just huffs & looks away. Fine then, enjoy your wings & chips with those ice cubes you've got hanging around in your cup.
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 18
    Font - Of course she is the first one ready to close her bill. I happily close everyone's bills before hers, bring out takeout containers for them, all while she keeps turning her nose away from me, all toddler- like. All these wonderful ladies tip 20-25%, which I'm sincerely surprised & grateful to see. Needless to say, the Old Hag decides that my reality check wasn't gratitude-worthy for her & I just widely smile right after I see her receipt, following by a private & very personal, yet outspo
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 19
    Font - TL;DR: an entitled woman who is 45 minutes late to join her party (waiting for her to place their food order), turns into a complete after realizing that her food takes time to be made, loses it on me, & gets a reality check.
    via u/ZedzBread
  • 20
    Font - Just quit my job Short hey all, i just quit my job this past week and was requested to work a notice. this has never happened to me before especially in a restaurant setting, but i didn't mind and obliged due to it being the respectful thing to do. however, i am not being scheduled the day of my two weeks and after. the schedule for the week after has not come out yet and i am a very non confrontational person so i am not sure how to go about this. i am so unbelievably tired of being used
    via u/No_Pop5213
  • 21
    Font - comments get made. i'm so tired. I'm expected to act like a full time person and clear my entire schedule if they somehow randomly schedule me for a day i've never had before, whilst i am in school. i cant request off and everytime i do it's met w backlash ex: i have a surgery x date. i request for x date two months prior as well as two days after (my thought process is id much rather not be scheduled than call out if it goes wrong) i am met with disrespectful attitude and being told that
    via u/No_Pop5213
  • 22
    Human body - sl59y2 12 hr. ago Do not work it. Enjoy your 2 weeks.
    via u/No_Pop5213
  • 23
    Font - am i overreacting? Short today my boss clocked me out when it was almost closing time and the night was becoming slower, than she told me to go do my closing chores, i was already going to start them before she clocked me out. i asked her why i am doing them when im off the clock and she basically stared at me in "shock" and said some like "you're the first person to make this a problem, you always make everything simple a problem" and i said i don't understand why am i doing work for fre
    via u/not_circumventing
  • 24
    Font - my hourly base pay is like 5 bucks but still, my closing chores take around 20 minutes. i don't get why i am being a problem for asking to be paid for it. "its only like a dollar and a couple cents why are you making a big deal out of it" okay then if its a dollar and a couple cents they can pay me for it...? since its not a big deal? literally so simple Imfao. but she tried to make me feel insecure and like i am at fault for asking this.
    via u/not_circumventing
  • 25
    Font - just because every other server doesn't have a problem with this doesn't mean it's right, and it doesn't mean i have to do charity work for someone who makes my weekly earnings in less than a day.
    via u/not_circumventing
  • 26
    Font - AJT- 7 days ago Not over reacting... she's trying to drive down labor hours. It's illegal for you to be working for the company while you are off the clock against your will... idk if you work at a mom and pop restaurant or a cooperate managed one... but you are supposed to be on the clock until you are ready to walk out the door. If she thinks you are going to violate and wants you to get off the clock... too bad that's her fault as a manager and she has to deal with it. 772 Reply Share
    via u/not_circumventing
  • 27
    Rectangle - wolfie379 7 days ago Federally illegal. Get a new job and report this thief to the Department of Labour. 575 Reply Share
    via u/not_circumventing
  • 28
    Font - Moscow Mule is made with Bourbon? Short Went to a mostly empty restaurant/bar out of town and me and two friends ordered a round of Moscow Mules. They came out as Kentucky Mules. Figuring maybe our order just got put in wrong, I went to the bar and politely said something like "I'm sorry to bother you, but I think these maybe got mixed up, we ordered Moscow mules but theses have whisky". The bartender gave me the absolute worst attitude and scoffed at me saying "no, Moscow mules come with
    via u/yeehawsharknado
  • 29
    Font - Instead I went with "well on the menu it says it comes with vodka" to which she replied "no it doesn't". So I picked up the cocktail menu off the bar and showed it to her. She remade the drinks but the attitude was unreal. I could maybe understand the attitude if she was busy and I came at her with an attitude to start but the place was dead. Now we know why I guess.
    via u/yeehawsharknado
  • 30
    Font - TellThemISaid Hi - 6 days ago She probably makes a White Russian with Tequila, and and Irish Car Bomb with Sake. 473 Reply Share
    via u/yeehawsharknado

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customer service karens server karen-customer customers restaurant server life entitled reddit thread Reddit tales from your server entitled people
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