Being polite and respectful to the people you meet throughout the day sounds like a no-brainer to many of us. However, you’d be surprised by how poorly some folks treat complete strangers because they think they’re ‘owed’ something. Food service industry workers have to deal with rudeness quite often in their careers.
Redditor u/DadIsMadAtMe recently went viral on r/TalesFromYourServer after sharing how an entitled customer, whose birthday it was, suddenly demanded free stuff. The OP shared how they responded. Scroll down for the full story, which the author made to rhyme, as well as the internet’s reactions to it.
The reality is that servers sometimes have to deal with extremely rude customers in their line of work
Image credits: Yan Krukau / Pexels (not the actual photo)
One restaurant employee revealed what happened when an entitled woman who was celebrating her birthday came in
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: DadIsMadAtMe
It helps if restaurants have clear policies on what to do when someone comes in to celebrate their birthday
Birthdays are wonderful occasions, that’s for sure. But even though they’re a special day, it does not mean that the entire world has to treat the merrymaker as though they’re royalty. You can wish them a happy birthday. However, handing them free stuff comes down to company policy.
It’s always someone’s birthday somewhere. So businesses need to be strategic about how they show that they care about their customer’s happy occasions (if they do so at all). That means sitting down and coming up with a logical policy.
Case in point, redditor u/DadIsMadAtMe shared that the restaurant they work at doesn’t “do anything for birthdays for anyone older than 12.” And that’s fair. Kids don’t earn their own money like grown-ups.
There have to be some limits when it comes to asking for free food because you can start sounding like an influencer who wants to eat in exchange for exposure.
If the restaurant really wants to make their customers feel special, they could bring out a small slice of birthday cake or a mocktail to show their appreciation. But that brings with it a lot of bureaucratic headaches.
Food and drinks that aren’t paid for reduce profits. On top of that, you have to find some way of subtly verifying that it’s the person’s birthday without ruining their evening. This is so that you avoid free riders who just come in for the free grub.
The rude woman seemed like she wanted to be treated special by everyone she met that day
Alternatively, you could always apply the honor system and assume that most people wouldn’t lie that they’re celebrating something… and you simply accept that a tiny sliver of them might lie.
Not only that but you also have to consider food allergies with any drinks, dishes, or desserts that you hand out. Sometimes, it’s easier to wish the person a great year ahead and offer them the usual top-tier service.
Something to consider is that the woman in the OP’s story appears to have come to the restaurant only because she expected to be treated to something free. When she was (politely) refused, she said that her birthday was ruined.
Now, we don’t know what your take on this is, dear Pandas, but in our opinion, a minor hiccup like this doesn’t usually derail important celebrations. If you’re going to a restaurant to eat, naturally, you’ll be paying for your family or friends or they’ll be treating you.
However, if the fact that you don’t get something free from a server is enough to make you mad, then there are deeper issues at play. Perhaps the woman was hoping to be treated extra special by everyone she met.
It’s in these moments that it’s important to remember that you’re not the only person on Planet Earth. Birthdays don’t have to be all about “me, me, me!” They can be an occasion to be generous and kind to others. To give back to the community. To set a good example for your family, friends, and neighbors.
Many internet users enjoyed the story and were happy to comment on it
Other servers shared some of their experiences with the internet crowd
