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32 People Are Sharing Their Funniest Or Most Bizarre Customer Encounters In This Viral Thread
Sometimes folks say and do questionable things that make you wonder why their mind functions the way it does. More often than not, those things are of a negative undertone – hence why their behavior puzzles everyone around them. That entitled attitude mainly occurs with folks who, at that moment, are in the role of consumers and affects those who are in the customer service industry.
However, not everything has to be so gloomy in the business. Every once in a while, people encounter customers who say and do very inoffensive but confusing things. Whether it's them asking you if the fish is grass-fed or requesting that you something that is totally out of your control – it will surely amuse a staff member or two.
For instance, a member of this online community wondered whether food industry folks have any odd stories to tell regarding their guests. The post received over 2.3K comments worth of strange yet entertaining stories.
More info: Reddit
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Lady mad that we didn't have grass-fed salmon. What-
“How DARE you not carry this specific product! I am allergic to fish that is not grass fed. I demand to speak to your manager!”
Had a lady order an egg sandwich. I told her she had her option between one or two eggs on the sandwich. She kept saying she didn’t understand and I was running out of ways to explain “one or two eggs”. I even explained that we cook eggs in egg rings on the flat top grill so they fit the sandwich perfectly. She then sighed like I was dragging out an unfunny joke and went “WHAT DO YOU MEAN ONE OR TWO EGGS?” “I mean you get to choose how much egg you want on the sandwich.” “scoffs again How big are they?” “….egg. Sized?” “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT”. I ended up going to the kitchen and taking a raw egg out of the carton and bringing it to her. “This is an egg. This is the standard size. We will cook one or two of these and put it on your sandwich depending on which option you order.” “This makes absolutely no sense. I want to talk to the manager”.
Apparently she ended up telling my manager that the way I pronounce egg was what was throwing her off. It should be said as eh-g and never as aig. She would be dining elsewhere from now on
It was a saturday night and the restaurant is full windows, on a busy corner. A car didn't make the turn and drove into a house, but there was a drop so you couldn't see the car. The police/firetruck/ambulance all came. They were there for at least over a hour trying to figure out how to get the car out, and the police cruisers kept on their lights. So a saturday night dinner with red and blue lights covering the whole restaurant. Most guests found it entertaining except one table called me over.
"Could you do something about the those lights?"
I thought she was kidding and laughed but her face was dead serious. I'm also clearly the only server on, also making all the drinks, with a full room. "That's police ma'am, i'm not going across the street to tell them to turn off their lights. You can go ahead, though." The rest of the table giggled but she wasn't amused lol.
Lady asked for her salad with the dressing on the side. After taking a few bites, she went up to the GM and said "this salad tastes quite bland. Could this be because I haven't put in the dressing?"
Yes. Yes it could be.
People are stunningly dim sometimes. She could have worked that out on her own by dipping a leaf into the dressing. I wonder if she knew what 'dressing on the side' means.
So many, but one that sticks out is a couple I was waiting on had two credit cards out when they were paying so I asked “splitting 50/50?” and the customer VERY angrily said “NO we want it split in half!”
These are the same people who won't buy a 1/3 lb hamburger because they want the larger 1/4 lb size 😂😂😂
I worked room service at a hotel on the water in San Diego. Very upscale and we provided excellent service. Had a woman order breakfast and then start to complain that she had not seen the sun the whole time she had been at our hotel.( June in CA no suprise.) She then proceeded to ask how I planned to fix it. "Ma'am if I could fix the weather I wouldn't be working here but I am happy to include a bloody mary to drown your sorrows" she did not understand and honestly thought I could fix it. Once she realized I couldn't she started asking us to comp her room............ due to the weather not being to her liking.
I am in Florida. A friend was a beach-side bartender for a while. He had a woman complain bitterly to him that the sun wasn't setting over the ocean. He tried to explain that the ocean in question was the Atlantic, which is on the EAST. She didn't care. He offered to make it up with a sunrise over the ocean, but she was having none of it. She took her business elsewhere. California I guess.
I had a family of 6 try to get their entire meal for free because we were out of the (non-edible) decorative garnish on their 4-year-old's dessert. Literally yelled and screamed and called me racist.
So I took $0.05 off of their bill and i personally tipped the server out of my own pocket.
My wife is the sweetest and most unassuming person to ever walk this earth. A customer singled her out, wanting a comped meal, claiming to the manager that 'this woman was INTIMIDATING me'. The customer was laughed out of the store. The manager explained that if any other employee had been blamed, she might have had a leg to stand on.
A woman complained that there was too much lobster in the lobster bisque.
I had no words.
A customer sent back a dozen wings because "these wings are too big. There's too much meat on these wings". During the same shift, a guy sent his ribs back for being too tough. He demonstrated their toughness by showing me that he couldn't cut through them. He has been trying to cut them longways, through the bone
I once had a lady freak out about her child inhaling secondhand smoke in the restaurant.
It was from the fajitas being delivered to the next table over. No smoke reached her table.
Had a guy ask me how we got such realistic looking fake fire. In our (real) fireplaces. That he watched me add wood to.
Oh, and the woman who’d insisted that we’d changed our crabcake recipe from fresh to canned crab and that she could taste the difference and refused to pay. Yeah, we’d always been using canned crab. She did not get out of paying.
"What is eggplant? Chicken?"
I got an A+ that day for keeping a straight face. It was 100% a serious question, and it took everything in me not to burst out laughing.
Lady wanted us to blow out all the candles in the restaurant because "they were using too much oxygen"
I worked at Red Lobster and had a repeat lady come in and insist I take all of the crab meat out of her crabs legs for her and just bring it on a plate. Every damn time she came in. And the shi**y manager made me do it.
Was she a male Ferengi in disguise? You need to chew her food for her next and spit it in her mouth?
Upvoted for the random and accurate Ferengi reference.
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I went to Red Lobster with a friend. At the time both my hands were in braces making everything difficult. When I commented to my friend that I wished I could have crab legs, my server overheard me. She said "That's no problem, I'll take care of it." Not only did my crab legs come out with no shell, the kitchen threw in a couple extra in case they didn't get all the meat out. The server VOLUNTEERED and got a huge tip in the process. No "shi**y manager" was involved.
This sounds like a completely different circumstance, && also, very thoughtful of all involved.
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I feel like it would be easier to keep a can or two of lobster in the cupboard for this woman.
That's what I was thinking, but I've never had crab legs so don't know if there is a difference in how it looks
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IMHO restaurants should just charge about 1000% markup so (a) they can pay salaries and (b) if you have to put up with idiots, at least you're earning enough money to justify the pain. I did this once with a (non-restaurant) client. Real pain in the posterior. Kept calling etc etc. I amped his monthly fee up by 1000% and said you can choose - fire us, or pay. He chose to pay. Now we put up with him because at least it's worthwhile.
Those type of people never tip well and I hope they all burn.
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I don’t think that’s a mental request. Maybe she finds it difficult to do rather than her being lazy. The employee hasn’t mentioned her being rude. And just because the employee doesn’t want to do it, doesn’t mean she isn’t tipping them well. I think the employee sounds a bit shi**y, not the manager.
Seriously that's not even a problem for me. I have had to do this for family members who never handled shellfish
But this is a server, taking time from her other customers.
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This shitty "the costumer is always right" attitude is so toxic and harmful to service workers. Managers should have their employees backs.
I make sure my mom's shellfish are all prepped. But then she's 90 years old, has Parkinson's and is currently sporting a broken right arm.
They used to serve the crab meat in a dish, all shelled abs ready to eat. I got it all the time when I was younger.maybe that's why.
Lobsters are boiled alive. Still want to participate in animal torture?
If you want that, you should call in advance, request it, and ask how much you need to pay for the extra service. Or, just be like everyone else and suck it up. Getting the meat out is part of the experience!
She could have had a disability, or issue with dexterity, even if you couldn't see it, in either case this doesn't seem unreasonable at all, the server seems really rude here.
Then the person needs to tell them they, and tip them accordingly.
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Had a guest order a chicken Caesar salad. I rang it in. A few minutes later she pulls me over and complains that I never asked what dressing she wanted.
I wonder what she thought Caesar salad was... did she not look at the menu? Maybe she thinks romaine lettuce is also called Caesar salad.
Last week I had a woman who was convinced I was lying to her when I said there was no way to make a virgin Sazerac. After ten infuriating minutes of back and forth she finally gave up and said, "Fine, make me a virgin Old Fashioned."
Upside, I got to use my fancy hit the bricks line of "I'm sorry ma'am it seems as though I won't be able to meet your expectations tonight. Take care!"
I have a few:
1. Lady tried to pay me with Monopoly money and didn’t understand why I couldn’t take it. She’s a regular
2. Lady asked me for “a bundle” of sugar packets. I brought her 6. She needed more. I ended up bringing her 20 sugar packets that she proceeded to dump into her salad.
3. Lady asked me to peel her breadsticks.
4. Lady didn’t understand why I couldn’t connect two 4 seater booths together to make an 8 seater booth. She couldn’t understand that they are glued into the wall.
5. Lady who choked out her kid in the middle of the dining room to prove a point to another table
Back when you could smoke in bars ~ I Had just opened my bar, guy sits and orders a burger and fries. When I brought it out I Also set down a bottle of ketchup. He grabbed a empty ashtray and put ketchup in it to dip his fries into. Said I could get him a side plate. He said What's the big deal? It's clean. I then showed him the black rag used to wipe them out. He just shrugged. Yuck!!
I had a lady order soda water with olive and a lime. I wasn’t sure I heard her right so I asked her to repeat. She gets a little angry and repeats “soda with olive and lime” so I bring her that. She death glares at me when I set it on the table and says she asked for a sprite. I’m still not sure if she was just f**king with me. She had to be f**king with me, right?
Is the boar pizza vegetarian? (No, it has boar)
Is this pasta vegan? (No, it has egg, cheese, and bacon) Oh, that's fine.
Being unable to understand that a well done steak takes longer to cook than a rare steak.
Nothing too crazy, I've been lucky!
Me:"We have a pineapple cider on tap currently."
Cust:"Can you describe that in detail for me?"
Me:".....it is a cider.....that tastes like pineapple."
Lady came in and ordered our fried shrimp appetizer. She kept talking about how good the breading was and asked me if I could get her an extra side of the “sauce they fry it in”. I tried to explain to her it was just cajun seasoned flour but she didn’t get it. Finally got her a side of the flour and watched her dip her shrimp in flour and ate the entire thing. It was strange to say the least.
Oh sh...... You don't realize you could have poisoned her. Flour isn't a sterile or safe food. It's the main reason why you can't eat raw cookie dough as it is often tainted with e coli(poo germs) and their is a marginal chance of it having salmonella from the egg.
A woman smoking with her own fan blowing the smoke away from her. "Sorry, but I can't stand smoke."
Hilarious, I had this problem too. Smoker for 20yrs (just quit, yay!), but hated the smell of smoke. I washed all of my clothes if they were worn once, soaked the furniture and air of the house with Febreze, and had to breathe through my mouth if smoking because when the smoke hit my sinuses I got an insane migraine. I held the cigarette out of the car window and turned so the wind took smoke away instead of pooling around my face. One polite thing I did was ALWAYS walk downwind of someone else if you're smoking near them, non-smokers shouldn't have to deal with your smoke blasting in their face. Can't say I was ever clever enough to use a fan to blow my smoke away, lol, this girl's hilarious.
A group sent their food back because their portions were so big that they were "overfaced". They requested a complete refund (rather than smaller portions, or ordering something else from the "light" menu). Apparently just the sight of such large portions made them feel ill and so they didn't want to eat at our establishment any more.
I can't even fathom their game plan?
If this is America, then I can tell quite a lot of Europeans will feel that way with some of the portion sizes when they visit. They are completely outfacing and can put you off the sight and smell of food. And that's saying something for someone with a pretty good appetite.
Had a bar guest walk into the kitchen and take an entire cheesecake out of our dessert fridge. No one saw him do it in the kitchen and the bartender was to shocked to say anything
I had someone order a chicken platter. I asked them if they wanted it with one chicken breast or two. They dead looked me in the face and asked what's the difference. I just tilted my head and said one comes with one breast, the other with two.
A fish dish consisting of all fish components (clearly described on the menu) being too ‘fishy’ tasting or a blind woman complaining about her dessert. For the way it looks. Yea that was tough
I can understand the fishy part, only because when I used to eat fish, if it's less than fresh it smells bad. The blind woman complaining about the looks of the dessert I don't understand at all.
Had a woman ask me what the catch of the day was while pointing at the menu where it said quiche of the day.....
Had a lady tell me her chilled salad plate was too cold. I had to fight the urge to tell her to just wait a couple minutes and it wouldn't be and just go get her a room temp plate
Demanded a soup option. In the top fast food pizza restaurant.
Lady came in and ordered a vodka soda no ice, then proceeded to pour it into her feeding tube. I mean, who am I to judge, right? The next drink she ordered was the house chard.
UGH. If you're pouring it straight in, why bother with the soda? Straight vodka would be quicker
I'll have the huevos rancheros with no egg please. Or, I'll have the prime rib, well done please.
People order prime rib well done all the time. It's hardly rare. Not even medium rare. :p (But seriously, they do, and it's fine. Somebody needs to eat the end cuts!)
I've said it before here, but...was behind a lady at subway ordering a club on white bread. When asked what vegetables she wanted as topping, she said, "none, I don't eat carbs".
I have one ! I was at subway and the guy in front of me said he wanted a such and such footlong with everything on it! The lady was like “ you want everything ?” He said “put everything on it” she repeated a couple more times until the guy was getting frustrated! After she put everything on it he started asking her to take stuff off! It was frustrating I left her a good tip ! Bless her sweet heart !
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I tip my hat off to those in service industry, dealing with people like this. I work in customer service and even then, it takes serious strength for me to maintain a straight, neutral face and keep the snark and exasperation out of my voice.
Exactly I'm told that I'm very expressive so I don't think I could get away with it LOL
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I worked at a cinnamon roll bakery called TJ Cinnamon's. We had a code to keep track of when items were baked, and we were not supposed to divulge it to customers. I had a customer who insisted I did, so I broke the rules and explained the system to her (she had figured it out partly by coming in every day). She accused me of lying and was going to report me to my boss. I told her my boss didn't want me to tell her the secret AT ALL, and so she threatened to report me to the founder of my company, "Sam Cinnamon," who was one of her childhood friends. (The company was founded by Ted and Joyce Rice - hence the "TJ.")
"Sam Cinnamon" 😂😂 The secret alias of Powdered Toast Man!
Load More Replies... Not a restaurant but a wildfire. Someone got my number. I usually didn't deal with the public but it was a quiet moment so I asked what was on his mind. Said we were a bunch of idiots. All we had to do to stop the fire was fly along the edge and throw grenades at it and then afterwards have crews plant wildflowers in the holes. Was *really* upset when I told him we were not going to do that.
Good god, it sounds like hyperbole. "That guy's so dumb, he would try to douse a fire with a box of grenades."
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My favourite was when I worked in a Mexican kitchen and I asked the customer if she wanted beef or pork in her burrito, she said doesn't matter, it's the same animal anyway..facepalm
Oh right...A wonderful, *magical* animal! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BZDZyRaGa8
Load More Replies... I've worked customer service before at Wal-Mart. My favorite story is when a girl tried to return a used pregnancy test and then proceeded to ask in an indignant tone why we didn't take them back. She was informed that it was a biohazard and whatever the issue was (God help me I didn't ask or want to know) she had to contact the company about it.
Waiting tables, a group of 8 asked for boxes towards the end of their meal. All going well, we were friendly and chatty as I brought the boxes back, and helped pack up and clear plates. The woman who had been the most talkative with me - to the point that she wasn't paying attention - again asked if she could get a box, too. I pointed roughly towards the table where her empty box had been waiting nearly just in front of her and replied "You've already got a box." Her jaw dropped and her face turned to horror before she started spouting bewildered anger at what I had just said. Myself and everyone else at the table were baffled by her sudden change, ranting furiously at me for being so offensively rude until another guest pointed out the empty box beside her. Apparently she thought I was talking about her vagina, and she went from being offended at my vulgar comment to being embarrassed that she was the only one vulgar enough to immediately think of a vagina when a stranger says box.
I've been an RN for 30 years. It has never been crazier dealing with the public. I gave up and retired. The world has gone stark raving mad. I feel for anyone working customer service.
Boy could we tell each other some tales! Customer service has got to be the wort job on earth - but is is quite entertaining to overhear how stupid some (all?) people can be!
Load More Replies... Can I tell on myself here? I once ordered a Famous Blended Coffee Drink from Famous Coffee Chain. Normally these are *very* sweet, but this one was a little bitter (I think they forgot to add the vanilla syrup) so I went back and said, "I know how stupid this sounds, but my coffee tastes too much like coffee. Could I have it remade, please?" We all chuckled at the ridiculousness of it, but the remade one was perfect.
Fortunately as someone who goes to restaurants a lot (like >1x week) - and by which i do not mean takeout joints - which we do not call restaurants - ... I've never seen this level of stupid or entitlement. I'd definitely have to intervene to defend the poor waitstaff. Gah.
I work for a bank and I started a twitter account just to talk about the stupid s**t I hear daily from customers. For instance, I've literally been asked by someone to 'put money into' their account because they were out. They thought I could just put it in at will for them. I've been yelled at on a daily basis for asking verifying questions to PROTECT YOUR MONEY. Had someone mad because she couldn't see all of her bank accounts (meaning from all of her banks) in the online banking at our bank. It's nuts. Nevermind 30 year olds who don't know their social security numbers or people who ask what an insufficient funds fee is (it says right in the title).
A friend of mine who was working in a restaurant told me of a customer and a tourist came in and ordered a salad and then sent it back because "it wasn't cooked".
That's it... I'm opening a restaraunt called NAR (NOT always right) and there will be a disclaimer on the door, in the ads , everything, that says "Here the customer is NOT always right, if you Karen or Chad out, if you demand a refund and especially if you ask stupid questions you will get yelled at and made fun of and quite possibly thrown out....You've been warned."
I must say the pictures with each item were outstanding! - - - and the items were good, too.
Each and every one of these proves that the human race is going to h*ll in a handbasket....as my mama used to say.
I could not work in customer service ever - I would be using nasty words and restraining myself from slapping the stupid out of somebody. Kudos to you who work there your days must be so draining - and how you keep strait faces and warm smiles I don't know! I know no one can be paid enough to your job!
Strange but most of these are women, never find a man asking for something silly, oh No.
At first I thought you ment it, and I was ready to downvote/reply angrily, and then I read it for real. Thank you. I will close the door on my way out, goodbye.
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It might well be that there are people out there who are too dumb or too ignorant to order food or go out dining
I've said it before here, but...was behind a lady at subway ordering a club on white bread. When asked what vegetables she wanted as topping, she said, "none, I don't eat carbs".
I have one ! I was at subway and the guy in front of me said he wanted a such and such footlong with everything on it! The lady was like “ you want everything ?” He said “put everything on it” she repeated a couple more times until the guy was getting frustrated! After she put everything on it he started asking her to take stuff off! It was frustrating I left her a good tip ! Bless her sweet heart !
Load More Replies... I tip my hat off to those in service industry, dealing with people like this. I work in customer service and even then, it takes serious strength for me to maintain a straight, neutral face and keep the snark and exasperation out of my voice.
Exactly I'm told that I'm very expressive so I don't think I could get away with it LOL
Load More Replies... I worked at a cinnamon roll bakery called TJ Cinnamon's. We had a code to keep track of when items were baked, and we were not supposed to divulge it to customers. I had a customer who insisted I did, so I broke the rules and explained the system to her (she had figured it out partly by coming in every day). She accused me of lying and was going to report me to my boss. I told her my boss didn't want me to tell her the secret AT ALL, and so she threatened to report me to the founder of my company, "Sam Cinnamon," who was one of her childhood friends. (The company was founded by Ted and Joyce Rice - hence the "TJ.")
"Sam Cinnamon" 😂😂 The secret alias of Powdered Toast Man!
Load More Replies... Not a restaurant but a wildfire. Someone got my number. I usually didn't deal with the public but it was a quiet moment so I asked what was on his mind. Said we were a bunch of idiots. All we had to do to stop the fire was fly along the edge and throw grenades at it and then afterwards have crews plant wildflowers in the holes. Was *really* upset when I told him we were not going to do that.
Good god, it sounds like hyperbole. "That guy's so dumb, he would try to douse a fire with a box of grenades."
Load More Replies... My favourite was when I worked in a Mexican kitchen and I asked the customer if she wanted beef or pork in her burrito, she said doesn't matter, it's the same animal anyway..facepalm
Oh right...A wonderful, *magical* animal! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BZDZyRaGa8
Load More Replies... I've worked customer service before at Wal-Mart. My favorite story is when a girl tried to return a used pregnancy test and then proceeded to ask in an indignant tone why we didn't take them back. She was informed that it was a biohazard and whatever the issue was (God help me I didn't ask or want to know) she had to contact the company about it.
Waiting tables, a group of 8 asked for boxes towards the end of their meal. All going well, we were friendly and chatty as I brought the boxes back, and helped pack up and clear plates. The woman who had been the most talkative with me - to the point that she wasn't paying attention - again asked if she could get a box, too. I pointed roughly towards the table where her empty box had been waiting nearly just in front of her and replied "You've already got a box." Her jaw dropped and her face turned to horror before she started spouting bewildered anger at what I had just said. Myself and everyone else at the table were baffled by her sudden change, ranting furiously at me for being so offensively rude until another guest pointed out the empty box beside her. Apparently she thought I was talking about her vagina, and she went from being offended at my vulgar comment to being embarrassed that she was the only one vulgar enough to immediately think of a vagina when a stranger says box.
I've been an RN for 30 years. It has never been crazier dealing with the public. I gave up and retired. The world has gone stark raving mad. I feel for anyone working customer service.
Boy could we tell each other some tales! Customer service has got to be the wort job on earth - but is is quite entertaining to overhear how stupid some (all?) people can be!
Load More Replies... Can I tell on myself here? I once ordered a Famous Blended Coffee Drink from Famous Coffee Chain. Normally these are *very* sweet, but this one was a little bitter (I think they forgot to add the vanilla syrup) so I went back and said, "I know how stupid this sounds, but my coffee tastes too much like coffee. Could I have it remade, please?" We all chuckled at the ridiculousness of it, but the remade one was perfect.
Fortunately as someone who goes to restaurants a lot (like >1x week) - and by which i do not mean takeout joints - which we do not call restaurants - ... I've never seen this level of stupid or entitlement. I'd definitely have to intervene to defend the poor waitstaff. Gah.
I work for a bank and I started a twitter account just to talk about the stupid s**t I hear daily from customers. For instance, I've literally been asked by someone to 'put money into' their account because they were out. They thought I could just put it in at will for them. I've been yelled at on a daily basis for asking verifying questions to PROTECT YOUR MONEY. Had someone mad because she couldn't see all of her bank accounts (meaning from all of her banks) in the online banking at our bank. It's nuts. Nevermind 30 year olds who don't know their social security numbers or people who ask what an insufficient funds fee is (it says right in the title).
A friend of mine who was working in a restaurant told me of a customer and a tourist came in and ordered a salad and then sent it back because "it wasn't cooked".
That's it... I'm opening a restaraunt called NAR (NOT always right) and there will be a disclaimer on the door, in the ads , everything, that says "Here the customer is NOT always right, if you Karen or Chad out, if you demand a refund and especially if you ask stupid questions you will get yelled at and made fun of and quite possibly thrown out....You've been warned."
I must say the pictures with each item were outstanding! - - - and the items were good, too.
Each and every one of these proves that the human race is going to h*ll in a handbasket....as my mama used to say.
I could not work in customer service ever - I would be using nasty words and restraining myself from slapping the stupid out of somebody. Kudos to you who work there your days must be so draining - and how you keep strait faces and warm smiles I don't know! I know no one can be paid enough to your job!
Strange but most of these are women, never find a man asking for something silly, oh No.
At first I thought you ment it, and I was ready to downvote/reply angrily, and then I read it for real. Thank you. I will close the door on my way out, goodbye.
Load More Replies... It might well be that there are people out there who are too dumb or too ignorant to order food or go out dining
