Working as a waitress I have learned that for every grateful customer there are a dozen other customers that are there to make your shift hell. No matter how hard you work to make sure their dining experience goes off without a hitch, they will create a problem. Once these customers find something wrong, everything goes downhill from there. Here is a list of how every rank of restaurant employee is frustrated by these awful guests.
1. The Hostesses
Where to even begin, customers that are not happy with where they are seated are among the most difficult to deal with. If the host tells these guests that the tables are reserved they will just move themselves which ruins the whole plan for the evening. Among guests that are unhappy with their seat location there are also guests that just bypass the possibility of being disappointed. We call these guests, "Self-Seaters", they just walk in and pick a table. The self-seater is a restaurant's worst enemy. Actually I think the real worst enemy are the people that come in two minutes before closing demanding a table. Yep, they are the worst.
2. The Server Assistants
There is nothing better than when a server assistant is trying to fill a glass of water for a guest that is out of reach and they will not hand the glass over. Even though we all know in a few minutes the guest will demand to have more water. Better yet when the server assistant is pre-bussing the table and the customers tells them they missed something, dropped an item, etc. Lastly, those tables with the messy children are the worst. The kid is already screaming for the entire meal, and then when they leave the server assistant will just have to work extra hard to remove every crumb.
3. The Servers
One of the hardest things is when customers are trying to substitute every single item on their plate. Our menu has at least 25 entrees, you really could not find at least one that you enjoyed two thirds of the dish? To go along with this, customers that are constantly trying to get free stuff from our restaurant. If the guest eats over half of their dish and then complains about it, was it even bad?
Another group of guests that are lovely to deal with are the people that stay for HOURS. I have had a guest come in for lunch, and stay at the same table and eat dinner. I have no clue how people manage to sit for five plus hours, but somehow they do. These customers are referred to as "campers" and they are a frequent kind when you work at a restaurant with a view.
Another pleasure in the industry is the classic compliment, "Great service." When a guest tells you that, it is their way of saying "You did a great job, but we are not going to tip you the deserved 20 percent."
Lastly, split checks in general are a headache, but trust me there is something worse. When people are splitting checks and splitting items among different people in different check groups... Are you guys kidding me.
4. The Bartender
When customers order food and drinks from the bartender and then decide to move out to the main dining area. The bartender has done all of the work, but the ticket is going to be transferred to the server taking care of them. That blows.
5. The Head Chef and Line Cooks
Diners don't interact with the cooks, but the line cooks are the backbone of the restaurant. If you are looking to frustrate the line cooks simply be a vegan or gluten free (note, not gluten intolerant just the new trendy gluten free).
6. The Expo
If there is one thing the expo loves on a busy night it is when customers change their order after it has been rang in.
7. The Food Runner
When the food runner is bringing your delicious meal they enjoy nothing more than getting a nice second degree burn while customers are taking their dear sweet time to make room on the table.
