Quite common actually. Often I would approach, requesting orders... the two would discuss their orders as if I wasn't even there, without looking up through all this. At the end of the order, the gentleman would look up with a 'did you get all that?' look.

Fact is somepeople are just like that. Much BETTER than the ones that are plain out RUDE!

Hey, there's different ways for a server to deal with that.
1) suck it up and take the order
2) talk back and look for another job
3) be miserable... and see how that affects your tips:P


I'll share with you my own favorite quote (spoken in the back, not with the customer
"Sir, if you think I need that dollar fifty....
...
...
you're absolutely right!"

In fact this (In my opinion) is a good question. And it's where I can share my observations on:
what I know of the dish, and
reactions to customers that have ordered it.


2 ways to answer... I call it steering.

1)It's Great, yada yada yada

or listen closely, because I can't say NO. And in fact, despite my opinion, it still may be the right choice for you

2)WHAT ABOUT the *....* ? , or THE *blank-blank* is fantastic, My favorite is the *boop-di-doop special*

(If I don't care for it, I'll steer you away from it. If the dish stinks, I'll completely change the topic to the better quality items.)

My grandmother must think she is a food critic. At each and every meal, she will find somthing to complain about. The veggies are too overdone. The meat is undercooked. She will explain to the waiter exactly what she wants, and they will bring out what she asks for, then complain about it (this often get's a shut up and eat it from her kids). When ordering wine one time, the waiter asked if she would like somthing dry or sweet. Her answer? Medium. Unpleasable this woman is, but I do love her.

Pucci, please stop taunting us and tell us the rest of the story!!

He should have burst out laughing, then promised not to have the hired help bother her anymore, walked away & ignored them the rest of the flight. (Could you do that & not get fired??)

If said FA owned even one piece of stock a snappy response could have been. "Actually, I'm not hired help...I'm one of the owners."

Speaking of 'spitting' in nasty customer's food:

I used to manage a bar (15 yrs ago or so) and one night this very rude customer brought his drink back because it 'didn't have enough liquor in it.' The bartender put a little more vodka in it. A few seconds later the same guy came back with the same complaint (same drink). (Here's where he makes his fatal mistake) he actually turned his back to the bar! The bartender takes IT out and gives the drink a little stir and gives it back to the customer.

While I should have stopped the transaction, frankly there was too much opportunity for a classic story to stop it. I should note that I was also duly impressed with the tenders speed and agility in fixing the customers drink one handed.

A person telling a waiter that they want my dish and then trying to start a conversation that does not end.

Customers spitting in other customer's food is also not unknown. Children may do the same thing too. When someone sees an adult do it, it's even more shocking.

One of those things that could turn a person off public dining forever. FWIW, the local newspapers ran a story about two-three months ago of a police officer who stopped at a local hamburger place for a hamburger. Gave his order, drove around to pick the order up. The cook (assembler, whatever?) spit into the hamburger, wrapped it and handed it to the officer. Fortunately for the officer, someone had seen what happened and reported it. It made the news. One comment by a newscaster on that incident was that tampering with a food product is a felony. I am wondering if that is true, and, if so, why we still hear anecdotes about spitting into food. There is also the issue of civil liability, I would think. Maybe some attorneys among the FT posters might have thoughts on the matter. Normally I have a sense of humor but if someone spit into my food, I would hire an attorney who didn'tk. Not criticizing the poster, who is just reporting, and who had nothing to do with the event. I am just curious. It's an issue that has been in the news, and I've wondered about it before.

So would I. But what would be your damages? Assuming you did not contract an illness, perhaps $1 actual plus punitives, and the Supreme Court has declared (in a recent, infamous opinion protecting an insurance company from its own oppressive conduct) that it is unconstitutional for punitive damages to be more than 5x actual damages. So spit away, all you have to fear is possible criminal prosecution.

P.S. After writing the above I found a civil case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in which an award of 37.2 times compensatory damages was upheld [pdf] against Motel 6 for knowingly renting bedbug-infested rooms. There is a discussion of the possibility of punitive damages for spitting....

When I waited tables, we would often get patrons who would complain that there wasn't enough alcohol in their drink - was almost always pina coladas and strawberry daquiris. The standard bartender response was a few drops of alcohol in the straw before sending it back - worked almost very time.

"mmmm... now THAT has alcohol in it"

On the topic of tampering with food.

Local radio got good play out of that one for a few days.

Well, let that be a warning to everyone who thinks they can get away with complaining more than once in a restaurant.

Sorry, I don't believe there is any discussion possible for punitives in your example. Motel 6 KNOWINGLY rented the rooms. Restaurants do not KNOWINGLY serve food their employees spit in. I am not a personal injury attorney, just a plain old transportation attorney. I am responsible for my employees conduct, BUT. I could make a good case for insubordination, with no negligence on my part. Enjoy your discussion.

I have a friend who seems to have good manners except in a restaurant. She never says please and thank you to the waiter/staff. It bugs me!

That said, I often ask the waiter which of two meals they would order. I know they get feedback from other patrons and most places feed the waiters the same food you're having. I wouldn't know, of course, whether they're right about which is better, not having tried the other, but it works for me.