Even if your work, knowledge, and contributions make you irreplaceable in your organization, your employer is never going to admit it. For one thing, they probably aren't even going to be aware of it until long after you're gone. They probably think that there are dozens of people out there who can do exactly what you do. For another, if they did admit how valuable you were, they know that you'd likely want to be paid fairly for that fact—and that's just never going to happen. No, it's better t…

Perhaps everyone should have made their resolutions this year to be kinder to their servers and bartenders. If you're not part of the problem but you are witnessing a Karen customer throwing a tantrum for no good reason, perhaps you should consider stepping in and defending the people who have been on their feet for multiple hours and are just trying to get you your food and drinks the way you ordered them. No one is trying to mess up, and so much of what goes on in a bar or restaurant is outsi…

There's nothing more confusing in life than someone who refuses to accept that withholding a part of their order actually makes it a different order. It's like when someone orders a cheeseburger without cheese but refuses to accept that all that does is make it a hamburger. Similarly, if you're ordering eggs Benedict without Hollandaise sauce, you might as well just be ordering a poached egg on a bun. Making an issue of that fact really just betrays your lack of ability to think logically. So,…

Working in a kitchen is an eye-opening experience that will forever change how one eats at a restaurant. Not only does one gain further appreciation for what servers and restaurant workers have to put up with, but also one has a greater sense of the pandemonium that occurs behind the scenes. Yes, television shows like The Bear provide some insight into this visceral world, but hearing from actual restaurant workers directly is the best window into that experience. These restaurant secrets, whic…

Whether we would like to admit it or not, some people have been blessed with endless patience—or at least, what passes for boundless in our minds when we have the patience of a ten-year-old. However, does that suggest that those people are suddenly better than us mortals? No, it does not. It does, however, imply that we still have room for growth. In the story that follows, a displeased waitress talks about having to cope with a continuous flow of rough customers. However, OP explains that she…

Working in customer service is both a blessing and a curse. While it is true that you interact with a variety of individuals throughout the day, you also sort of roll the dice and hope that the people you meet will greet you with a smile and a friendly attitude. Well, the story below is of a girl who hosted/managed the restaurant she has been working at for the last five years. On that particular night, though, in contrast to other nights, OP encountered one of the worst couples she had ever me…

The wider world of the internet is filled with stories of ill-mannered customers, making life unnecessarily difficult for the humble working-class customer service rep who had the misfortune of serving them. Still, it's important for us to take a step back and realize that, while it may be nice to root for the everyman, we can't blindly assume that the workers themselves are infallible. There are entitled people on all sides and from all walks of life—and there are certainly plenty of people wo…

It's not uncommon for those in petty positions of power to vastly overestimate the reach of that power. Whatever the words of the message, the point this manager is trying to convey is clear: we know that you need us more than we need you, so we're going to see how far we can manipulate the conditions of your employment in our favor and you're just going to have to deal with it.

Consider this: You have been working for what seems like forever. Just as you are about to clock out, a couple enters the restaurant and asks to be seated. You obviously attend to the unwelcomed couple, and then just like that you realize that you're not going home anytime soon. As if that weren't awful enough, the couple now treats you like they own the restaurant, giving you the run-around, yelling at you, and expecting you to treat them like royalty. Well, that's exactly what happened to our…

Running around the restaurant trying to take orders, pick up dirty plates, and grant ridiculous requests such as ‘Give me a literal bowl of ketchup’ is exhausting. Especially when your entire wage depends on the kindness of strangers, also known as customers. Are they going to tip? How much are they going to tip? Will I be able to afford to fix my car this month, or am I going to cry when I see my account balance instead? You never know. Around the holidays, people are often a little more gener…

Before we wrap up the dysfunctional year that was 2023, let's do a recap of the most dysfunctional customers servers were forced to encounter on the job. Being a server requires a certain bandwidth to be able to withstand a lot of unfair treatment from managers, Karens, etc. That being said, every so often, that bandwidth is tested no matter how much experience one may have in this field. Sometimes, customers demand something so outrageous (like seriously, dude? you can't live without tartar sa…

One thing's for sure: there's no greater relief than quitting a bad job, especially when you already have another one lined up and ready to go. Everyone, at one point or another, has dreamed of doing this—preferably in explosive fashion. One day, walking and just letting your honest feelings fly before walking out —never to be seen again—while everyone is still sitting there stunned and processing what has just occurred.

The best part of managing or owning a business is that you're the master of your own destiny; success or failure rests primarily on your shoulders. The worst part of managing or owning a business is that you're always going to be at the whim of petty delusional customers who, for some reason, any reason, may at some point perceive that you've wronged them in some way, even if the result they're upset about is directly a result of their own actions. Still, they'll leave reviews and maybe even ma…

It can be incredibly difficult and frustrating working in customer-facing roles where your managers refuse to face up and take accountability on behalf of the operation they are managing, instead throwing the lowest-level workers under the bus for things well out of their control. When you're an honest, well-intended person, it can take an unfortunate amount of time to realize that not everyone is wired to be honest and well-intended and that there are, in fact, people trying to take advantage…

Being a customer-facing worker means having to put on a smile even when you are about to spontaneously combust underneath the surface. This is a grim and unfortunate part of the reality of what it is to be a server or to work in customer service in general. However, every so often, you get the opportunity to serve a little malicious compliance and/or some petty revenge along with an entitled customer's meal. Sure, you're still serving your customers with a smile, but little do they know, you ha…

Karens have the uncanny ability to identify, single out, and berate people who work customer service jobs, accosting them with wanton fury regardless of whether or not they even happen to be working at that time—or are even employed by that place at all.