One thing that you definitely have to remember when you go out to eat is to treat the servers and kitchen staff with respect. It sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how often people forget to be polite. It’s a lost art, really.
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TikToker Baeby went viral on the video-sharing platform after spilling the tea about an incredibly entitled mom she had to serve. The mom caused a scene, berating the server for having a “non-inclusive” children’s menu. Scroll down for the full story. Bored Panda has reached out to Baeby via Instagram and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
One server shared how she had to deal with a very rude customer who had issues with the kids' menu
Image credits: itsbaebyb***h
The other day at work, I had the crunchiest mom at my table, and this is what happened. So it's a family of four, right. Two kids, mom and dad, okay.
And so I go over there and I take their order, and just so you know, our kids menu is not extensive at all. It's like mac and cheese, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, like a kid's dream. What do kids want more?
Image credits: itsbaebyb***h
Anyhow, so I go over there and she's like, 'Oh, I'll get mac and cheese.' I'm like, 'Cool. Do you want fries or chicken tenders or tater tots?' She's like, 'Oh, french fries.' I'm like, 'Cool.'
And she's like, 'Oh, my son wants the wings, but can he substitute the chicken tenders for wings?' And I was like, 'Oh, unfortunately, I can't substitute because the price of wings is not equal to the prices on a kid's menu. I can't substitute.
'She's like, 'Fine, we'll take the chicken tenders.' I'm like, 'Cool.' And then she's like, 'Honestly, it's super infuriating how non-inclusive your kid's menu is. Like, it's just... look how much food there is for adults and then kids get three options and they're all unhealthy' and I was like, 'Oh, yeah, totally.' Like, I was just kidding.
Image credits: itsbaebyb***h
I thought this was mildly a joke so I was like, 'Yeah, you think it would have changed over the past 20 years, that's what I was eating when I was a kid.' And she was like, 'No, it's actually infuriating.'
And I was like, 'Oh, well, we have veggies as a side.' I'm naming all the healthy options you can get with chicken tenders, right.
Image credits: itsbaebyb***h
And she's like, 'Oh,' to her son, 'Do you want veggies or do you want fries?' And he's like 'french fries' and she's like, 'See, if that was listed, maybe he would have chosen veggies.'
First of all, your child is literally four, I don't think he can read. She's like, 'I really need this to be more inclusive, I need to speak to a manager.' So I'm like, 'oh, this b***h is being for real.'
Image credits: itsbaebyb***h
So I go and get my manager. And I'm telling her the story and she thought that I was joking and I was like, 'No, they really want to talk to you'.
So she goes over there, talks to them, gets her butt chewed out, and then comes back to me, and I'm like, 'What happened?' She's like, 'Oh no, she's being f**king for real.' I'm like, 'We have no pull, I don't make the f**king menu.'
Anyways, I go and check on them to see how their order was. I was like, 'Hey, how is everything tasting so far?' She's like, 'It's good. It's fine.' I was like, 'Damn, b***h. Should've left that attitude at home.' The f**k? As if I make the kids' menu.
Image credits: Guillermo Nolasco (not the actual photo)
You can watch the TikToker's video in full right over here
It's never a good idea to behave rudely toward restaurant staff
Let’s get right into the meat of things: the servers are not responsible for the menu that the restaurant sets. Just like your average office worker can’t be held responsible for the company’s strategic goals. And how your local department store employees don’t decide what clothing and perfume selection is available for you to peruse.
If there’s an issue with the menu, it’s best to talk to the owner of the restaurant directly or to send them a friendly email. Venting at the staff, however, is really not a good look. It’s only going to raise the tension, ensure that you don’t get the best service possible, and you might even end up being talked about on TikTok.
At the time of writing, TikToker Baeby’s video had gotten 319k views and counting. It’s not surprising that the video went so viral. For one, a bit of workplace drama and customer entitlement is bound to draw a crowd. But on top of that, many TikTokers have had to deal with extremely rude customers at their jobs. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory.
If parents want their kids to eat healthy, they need to start building those habits at home
Image credits: Bulat Khamitov (not the actual photo)
The fact of the matter is that many kids are picky eaters. When given the choice between french fries or a healthier option, like a salad, they’ll likely pick the former. (And who are we kidding? We’d probably do the same, even though we know we should eat more nutritious food.)
If your child ignores the salad and chooses the fries, it’s not the menu, the server, or the restaurant who are at fault. Teaching your children about healthy food options and getting them to enjoy new foods starts at home. The parents can slowly introduce new items into their kids’ diets so that they get used to stranger tastes and textures.
A lot also depends on what everyone eats at home: if the entire family is used to chicken tenders, fries, and pizza, then that’s what the kids are probably going to have when they go out. If you want your children to eat healthier, then you must, as well.
At the end of the day, though, eating some fries from time to time is not the end of the world if it’s a rare treat… like something you might have when you go out for a fun day with your family. The kids’ menu isn’t something you should be ruining any staff member’s day over.
Managers need to provide their employees with the proper training and support
We’ve recently spoken about resilience and dealing with critical customers with Lynn Taylor, a well-known workplace expert and the author of 'Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant.' According to her, empathy and good training are key when dealing with less-than-stellar clients.
"When employees must deal with rude customers, they need management’s support and training. Employees must feel assured that their company doesn’t tolerate abusive clientele, for example. In this situation, the more training the better. There are many varieties of challenging customers, and each one often requires a different response," she told Bored Panda during an earlier interview.
"In today’s market, where there are labor shortages, it can be beneficial for a company to make sure their employees are the priority, not antagonistic patrons. Uber mastered this concept by providing a customer rating service to maintain a level playing field. That said, management must also be sure that the solution matches the misdeed, as supporting the employee can also be a fine line," Taylor said.
"With many customer conflicts going viral today, companies must do their utmost to define what is and isn’t acceptable… how to take the highroad, unless it’s abuse. One internal litmus test to live by is to consider how the scenario would be perceived by an objective person—or the outside world," she explained to us.
"The key in many training programs is for employees to understand where to draw the line. What are the boundaries? How do you provide a service in a friendly manner, but let the customers know there are limits? This is where role-playing is invaluable. Being in a customer-facing business, does not mean being a punching bag; in this case, the customer is 'not always right.'"
Workers who deal with rude customers have to try to be empathetic and patient while also standing up for themselves
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
The workplace expert urged staff to try to put themselves in the critical customers’ shoes. "Oftentimes, clients want to be heard. They’re unhappy and are likely critical customers as a rule. Understanding that their complaints are not personal (and may be their issue) can help. At the same time, you can feel empowered knowing that there are limits—and management supports you when pushing back to untenable behavior," she said.
"Dealing with difficult people, whether customers, coworkers, or even tough managers, can often be like dealing with a terrible two toddler—who doesn’t know how to moderate their behavior when stressed or frustrated. So likewise, the antidote is to use some parental training techniques you’ve used or seen before," Taylor explained to Bored Panda.
"For example, after witnessing a meltdown, let the perpetrator know they’ve been heard, but set boundaries to bad behavior. Also:
- Reiterate what their beef is, to offer some validation.
- Be the voice of reason in a way that they know benefits them.
- You just can’t fight fire with fire whether it’s an irate customer or an out of control toddler who is running amok.
- Show patience and understanding, but also some solid boundary setting is in order.
- Diplomacy is critical… as in many contentious situations, it’s how you package your information. Your delivery matters.
- You may need to repeat yourself in a polite way, using varying phrases to get your message across.
- Use a little levity to defuse tension when you feel you are turning the situation around."
Here's how some TikTok users reacted to the entire situation with the kids' menu
