So tonight I met friends after work for a quick dinner…
we go to a family restaurant known for their burgers.
I actually eat there pretty regularly
because they do a divine Cobb salad
which is big enough and contains enough protein and greens
to allow me to have a piece of their cheesecake for desert
without making my blood sugar sky rocket
I eat my meal,
I have my desert
during which the server
drops off the bill
and I get out my debit card…
and we wait…
eventually one of the other people working that section
came by with a machine
and ran my card
at which time I gave the original server
a 25% tip
(cause I remember those days)
and this is were it all goes pear shaped….
my friends leave
and I go to the rest room…
when I come out of the restroom
I head for the front door…
saying goodbye to the hostesses
(who know me as I said…I’m there pretty regularly)
and I head out through the crowded lobby,
out the door and head to my car.
Then next thing I hear is
“hey! Do you plan on paying?”
I turn around and it’s the first server.
I say “excuse me?”
kind of hob smacked
and she says again
“do you plan on paying?
I say…”I did”
and she says “well ya didn’t pay me!
I almost blew a fuse
but I started with
“think very carefully
about what you are going to say next”
she says “whuuuut?”
I say again
“it would behoove you to think
very carefully
about what you are going to say next?”
she says “well? do you plan on paying?”
wrong answer!
I turn around and walk back into the restaurant
and ask one of the hostess’
to get the manager
as the manager walks towards me
the 2nd server comes up and asks
the 1st server what’s up
to which the first server says
“they tried to skip on the meal
but I caught “her” in the parking lot!”
all proud of herself like
now the manager is standing with us
and the 2nd server says
“but they were all ready to go
and I couldn’t find you
so I processed the charges
and put the receipts in your drawer.”
and instead of saying
she’s sorry for the misunderstanding
she says “well how was I to know?
I’m not getting stiffed again”
I says to the manager
“did you hear this?
he says yes that as a result of
the misunderstanding
he wants to cover the cost of my meal”
I said “no thanks…just give me back
the 25% tip I gave her”
after some kibutzing
where he tried to cover it
she eventually started to look sheepish
and I said “next time you want to embarrass
a customer in front of the whole restaurant
maybe you’ll think twice”
took my tip money
and came home
I highly doubt she will
manners are bred into people
they aren’t born with them
and frankly
she ain’t got none.
Seriously!
