People who work in hospitality run into a lot of difficult customers and often face challenging situations that require them to remain patient and composed.
So they’re usually really empathetic clients themselves — why create more problems when they’re already plentiful? Just like Reddit user Rory (who goes on the platform by the nickname Rtice001) and his wife.
However, as Rory explained in his recent post on the subreddit ‘Am I the [Jerk]?’, the waitress that recently served them was so annoying that even they couldn’t sit silent.
This man and his wife went to a respectable restaurant to have a nice dinner
Image credits: halfpoint (not the actual photo)
But the waitress ruined their evening
Image credits: rtice001
Image credits: Andres Siimon (not the actual photo)
A bad server might be tempted to inflate a customer’s bill in an attempt to increase their tip
Since most people tip a percentage of their bill, the more they spend in a restaurant, the higher the tip for the server. So someone who only cares about their own pockets might be tempted to discourage you from ordering tap water.
But is it really worth it? Not according to The Salty Waitress, which is an advice column on The Takeout run by a real-life waitress.
“Plenty of people just order water, for a million reasons,” she writes. “They don’t like soda; they’re recovering alcoholics; they’re the designated driver; maybe they’re just freakin’ thirsty. Fancy restaurants will give you the choice of still or sparkling, bottled or tap or reverse-osmosis or raw water, but you shouldn’t feel guilted into ordering the expensive stuff if you like tap.”
The person taking care of your order isn’t ‘losing’ much from this choice, either. “An iced tea costs, what, $5 tops at an expensive restaurant? If you tip 20 percent, I’m only missing out on a dollar if you just order water,” The Salty Waitress explains. “That’s really not make or break for me. It’s more important that you have a comfortable dinner, which includes enjoying your beverage of choice. Plus, you need to stay hydrated to wash down all this salt, sugar.”
Image credits: Jessie McCall (not the actual photo)
People who read the story unanimously said that it was the waitress who was out of line here
Some even shared their own similar experiences
So the consensus seems to be that either the waitress was an idiot or the restaurant are awful and insist she upsells. Leaving was the correct decision in either event.
As a hotelier/restauranteur, let me offer you a more nuanced possibility. If the tap water was metallic or had a slight aftertaste, I’d encourage severs to steer diners away from it. I’d prefer they don’t directly describe the negative qualities of anything. The response isn’t necessarily to upsell, but to help the customer not make a poor choice. Since she isn’t allowed to say “the tap water tastes like c**p” she was pointing out the only positive quality & trying to drive that home. The problem is not everyone picks up on subtleties like this & she didn’t have the skill set to guide them to the proper answer. When asked what she meant by “it’s hydrating” she should have recognized the customers inability to get the hint. Maybe reply with “most guests send it back or order something to replace it” or “this may not be the refreshing, delicious tap water you’re used to. I’ll bring you a glass. Just let me know if you decide you want something else.” Maybe it had a slightcolor or odor.
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$12 for water? Rip off, I'd leave as well... especially if you perceive that this server is judging you by your choice of beverage
We don’t have the full context here, and it’s important. A lot depends on HOW she said it, and what her facial expression was while the words were coming out. She may have been trying to hint that the tap water was bad, without coming right out and saying it and possibly losing her job. She may be forced to upsell the overly expensive water, also on threat of losing her job, and that was the best she could say about the tap water. You never know when the boss is eavesdropping and looking for a reason to yell at an employee. She may have cheerfully said goodbye to you because she knows that the tap water is bad and that trying to coerce people into paying $9 or $12 just for a glass of water is f*****g ridiculous, and her boss, who is forcing employees to push people into unnecessarily paying for a f*****g glass of water, deserves to go out of business. I bet she’s got, or is getting, another job lined up as we speak. Either any of that, or she’s greedy, or stupid, or just a b***h. You never know, without the context.
Smirking when they left tells me that the latter is true... the former may also be true, but that is speculation.
Load More Replies... So the consensus seems to be that either the waitress was an idiot or the restaurant are awful and insist she upsells. Leaving was the correct decision in either event.
As a hotelier/restauranteur, let me offer you a more nuanced possibility. If the tap water was metallic or had a slight aftertaste, I’d encourage severs to steer diners away from it. I’d prefer they don’t directly describe the negative qualities of anything. The response isn’t necessarily to upsell, but to help the customer not make a poor choice. Since she isn’t allowed to say “the tap water tastes like c**p” she was pointing out the only positive quality & trying to drive that home. The problem is not everyone picks up on subtleties like this & she didn’t have the skill set to guide them to the proper answer. When asked what she meant by “it’s hydrating” she should have recognized the customers inability to get the hint. Maybe reply with “most guests send it back or order something to replace it” or “this may not be the refreshing, delicious tap water you’re used to. I’ll bring you a glass. Just let me know if you decide you want something else.” Maybe it had a slightcolor or odor.
Load More Replies... $12 for water? Rip off, I'd leave as well... especially if you perceive that this server is judging you by your choice of beverage
We don’t have the full context here, and it’s important. A lot depends on HOW she said it, and what her facial expression was while the words were coming out. She may have been trying to hint that the tap water was bad, without coming right out and saying it and possibly losing her job. She may be forced to upsell the overly expensive water, also on threat of losing her job, and that was the best she could say about the tap water. You never know when the boss is eavesdropping and looking for a reason to yell at an employee. She may have cheerfully said goodbye to you because she knows that the tap water is bad and that trying to coerce people into paying $9 or $12 just for a glass of water is f*****g ridiculous, and her boss, who is forcing employees to push people into unnecessarily paying for a f*****g glass of water, deserves to go out of business. I bet she’s got, or is getting, another job lined up as we speak. Either any of that, or she’s greedy, or stupid, or just a b***h. You never know, without the context.
Smirking when they left tells me that the latter is true... the former may also be true, but that is speculation.
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