We will always be affected by favoritism. Parents make an effort to convince us that there is no such thing as favoritism and that people evaluate us based on our qualifications or lack thereof. As someone who has worked at over a dozen jobs, attended roughly six different schools during her life, and is one of twenty grandkids, I can vouch for the fact that favorites exist. The story below is of a strong single mother who is having a hard time providing for her kid. OP is a hard-working waitre…

As someone who has worked many years in the service industry let me tell you, when an unruly customer gets what's coming to them, it is the most satisfying feeling in the world. Service industry jobs are usually low pay, you're running around on your feet all day, and you have to deal with the most entitled customers. It's not always like that! Sometimes you have great regulars and a fantastic team. But, unfortunately, those more annoying events are more common. The longer you work in the servi…

If you have worked in the service industry, then you know that the best thing about the job can really be your coworkers . They're going through the same work struggles as you and know you both are definitely not getting paid enough. Unfortunately, when they aren't good coworkers, they are the worst. When they don't have your back and throw you under the bus constantly—a real tragedy for the service industry. A server wrote on Reddit that they took their friends to brunch at the restaurant they…

Whether you're working in a spotless kitchen or not, hearing that the health inspector has showed up unannounced sends some sort of chills down any service industry worker's back. Maybe it's PTSD from getting pop quizzes in high school, because that's exactly what it feels like. Even if you are sure you are an expert on the topic, something about being put on the spot and quizzed about it at random makes you doubt yourself. So you can image the sort of chaos that ensues with an inspector shows…

HOLY MOLY, a human was decent. Alert the news! Sound the sirens! Everybody hold hands and enjoy this moment of faith being restored in humanity. It's quit uncommon to find a store on the internet that does just that. Usually, it's people venting about some horrible incident with a Karen or incompetent manager that makes life feel unbearable. But, hey, it's the holiday season ! Some wholesomeness and empathy is called for. This Redditor recalls an embarrassing moment in his life that he will nev…

If there is one thing that working in the service industry tends to teach you, it's to hold your ground. You can't let everyone walk all over you, because there will be people who will most definitely take advantage of that weakness. For example, this server who either came encounter with a male Karen or a really empty-headed scammer. He was working a very slow morning shift, we're talking just several orders, enough to count on one hand. So when a mad came storming in demanding a refund, the f…

When it comes to sticky situation, you're going to want an expert in charge, right? Unfortunately, sometimes, like in the instance of this Redditor's story, the “expert” in charge is actually the worst. This Redditor was new to working the service industry. (They have since worked it for many years, but this was from the start.) The were working at a big chain steak house when they got a male Karen . This guy ordered something off the menu that did not exist. When OP pointed that out to him, he…

Welcome to working in the service industry!

When you don't want fast food but also don't want to pay $35 for an entree, it might be time to head to a chain restaurant. The prices of everything these days have gone up to utterly comical levels. While looking to find a nice dinner at a spot in Manhattan, I found one place that looked stunning. Then, I took a peek at their menu to find that the cheapest item was an $18 appetizer of potato chips. Just let that sink in: nearly $20 for potato chips, as the cheapest menu item . I weep for the f…

Everybody who has every worked in the service industry has had their own embarrassing story. Honestly, it's better to get your front of house fail out of the way early so you know you can get through it. Dropping a full tray is the classic one and might even get you applauds. Then there is the dropping of a tray directly onto a customer. That one is way harder to bounce back from , but if you have nice customers, it can also feel like a good lesson. Then there are whole other instances that jus…

This waitress wanted to share a story about a family interaction at her job, but commenters took the customers' side! The OP has a few memorably cringe lines. If a waiter ever handed me water and in the same breath told me about how it had “came out of the dinosaurs years ago. [It's] just filtered super well," I'd hesitate to eat there. What a weird thing to say about a fresh beverage! Perhaps one of the worst ways to make water sound appetizing is to remind the customer of how water filtration…

Some managers just show up, take their paycheck, and leave. Why bother actually doing your job if you don't have to? This teen was working as a “waitress/server/cashier” at a chain restaurant where she could have really used some extra support from her managers. She writes that she, a new girl, and one other employee were at work with a manager who was being totally useless. Some managers who've worked their way up the ladder feel entitled to their new “good life.” If you've worked in a restaur…

Who actually orders food like this? In a prompt to r/AskReddit, u/Graceful_Swan_Ronson asked waitstaff about the most ridiculous things their customers have ever wanted to eat. The resulting answers are hilarious and strange — and some are even a little bit wholesome. I have a few friends who order weirdly at restaurants, and dining with them is a delight. Sometimes I'll order a burger and fries, while my friend orders a slice of ham, a fruit smoothie, and a bowl of tater tots. It's like food r…

This dad was humbled after placing an order he couldn't eat. U/ClassiestRobin shared a story from her time waitressing as a 16 year old. It was the OP's first job, and though she generally enjoyed it, there was one family that stuck out in her mind due to their quirky order. Burger joints that offer up dozens of free toppings to customize your sandwich have the right idea. Most places just give you the typical lettuce, tomato, onion, and maybe some ketchup. But this place has a cool array of ot…

'Ask and you shall receive'. These are certainly words to live by– but when we're talking about making modifications on a restaurant order, this phrase is more of a solemn warning.

When working in the service industry it is inevitable that you will encounter a bad tipper. Whether they're old and still think 25 cents is an appropriate tip, or their entitled and think because you forgot the ice in their water, they're allowed to tip you $0. It's a mad mad world out there working as a waiter. At least in the U.S. it is. You work for barely an hourly with usually no benefits and you relay almost completely on tips. So when you get a $0 tip, that person who you just served and…