Being polite costs nothing. It really shouldn’t be out of the ordinary.
It costs patience, but patience goes both ways.
I always have this dilemma, should I ask a cashier “how’s your day going?” To be friendly or just have basic interaction because I’m the 4307th customer to ask her this.
Wish her a good day. It’s nice, it’s easily reciprocated and it does not force any further conversation.
That’s what I do. I wish them well, but I don’t ask them questions.
Whatever you like.
Be patient if they make a mistake.
I always stack my used dishes and silverware etc. when I eat out so the server can clear them away easily. People always think this is because I used to be a waiter but I never was - I just can’t stand that awkward stretch of time where I have to stare awkwardly off in the distance with a forced half-smile on my face while the server gathers everything together. I’ve overheard servers saying “yeah, he’s a stacker” but I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.
I’ve overheard servers saying “yeah, he’s a stacker” but I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.
The times I’ve had my server friends mention this I won’t lie it’s usually a bad thing lol. Most servers are particular in how the dishes are stacked and your average diner isn’t going to do it right.
Can you ask your server friends how to properly stack dishes, and then update me? Until then I’m gonna be hella self-conscious every time I go out to eat
This is such a toughie for me. In fancy joints, they might take it as a point of frustration on your part: “ugh, this service is slow to clear the table; get this mess away from me *stacks plates*”. Or, even worse, that you’re doing their job for them.
But in a place like Waffle House, I’ll do it.
Literally me. Every time. Especially in restaurants
I wanna be the person that has a problem that any other customer would be upset about, just so that the person helping me doesn’t have to deal with someone getting upset
I’ve been that person a few times. It’s still awkward as fuck.
It’s awkward, but if they learn how to handle the situation, then it’ll save them an awkward situation and a potentially mean customer some day in the future
I was out with my nieces and nephews when they were kids. I took them to Bennigan’s, a chain restaurant in the US like 20 years ago. The waitress had a tray full of waters for us, but tripped and face planted the entire tray on my head. Glass, water everywhere. I wasn’t injured, just a mildly bloody nose and soaking wet. I saw it coming because I was facing her and saw her stumble. There was no avoiding it.
First though was how horrified she was. The entire restaurant went quiet at the noise, and were looking at me, fetching my eyeglasses which had been knocked off my face. By the time I got my glasses back on, the waitress was flailing in deep apologetic panic. She was bracing for some kind of violent retribution, I suspect. But instead I said I was fine, my clothes were all washable, and I was checking on the kids who also got wet.
The manager rushed over, horrified, asking what the hell happened. The waitress was trying to get towels from the bar, already shaking and crying from embarrassment. I helped them both mop up the mess as they apologized over and over.
Because they were human beings. What would me getting mad at them do for anyone? It was clearly not done on purpose and mistakes happen. It was only when I saw pink in my paper towel did I notice the nose bleed. But I also knew the kids were watching. What happened would be an example. I just kept saying it was fine, nobody was really hurt, at it was just water not like a pan of flaming cherries jubilee or something. I laughed it off, the manager and waitress were grateful I was taking it so well, and we got our meal comped.
The kids still talk about it. They are grown now, and I hope I taught them how to handle an accident like that.
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Even if I wasn’t a communist, the first things I learn at any job are how I can hook up people who are nice to me and how I can fuck with people who aren’t. It’s in my self-interest to be nice to employees that mostly have that same choice. I will literally do hundreds of dollars worth of free work for a customer if they’re nicer to me than my boss is because doing so fucks over my boss.
As a notorious people pleaser, I appreciate you.
First job was at a fast food place. One day, a car at the drive thru was hurling abuse, threats at the cashier. Manager of the restaurant made sure their order was ready as quickly as possible. Then, as a bunch of us watched, she opened each burger and spit on each one, smeared it into the bread so it wouldn’t be noticed, rewrapped, and then handed them to the customer personally.
That’s when I learned to ALWAYS be polite to the people who prepare and serve your food. And to always open up a burger or sandwich b4 I bite into it.
That is beyond fucked, and should have been reported by you and every single witness. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
I don’t go out enough to feel this but as someone who worked as a waiter there were a couple times where I’d have a customer that genuinely made my day better
I’ve worked enough years in retail that at worst I have sympathy for a worker having a bad day.
Never had an actually hostile experience with a service worker that wasn’t actually just the worker having a bad day.
Punctuation is important.
It often is, but what about this post is ambiguous?
Not really, in this context. It’s not a legal document that’s gonna determine the first of people’s lives in 50 years or something
The stores manipulate you so that you want to be efficient. Discounters in Germany for example have extra deep carts so it’s uncomfortable to put stuff in or take stuff out - result: You hurry at the checkout and therefore make the cashiers more effective (reducing costs due to less cashiers needed).
There’s whole departments at the discounter companies finding out how they can make the customers more efficient. It’s not only the obvious stuff like IKEA making you assemble the furniture.
Yes
