December 2, 2025 • 21 mins
"Oh, can I also get..." – The four words that haunt every server's dreams.
This episode dives into the customers who treat their server like a personal marathon runner, revealing each request one at a time like they're unwrapping the world's worst advent calendar. Ranch dressing. Extra napkins. Actually, make that two ranches. Oh, and ketchup. Did I mention I need a straw? And honey mustard?
It's the story of the table who made me do more trips than I could count for napkins and drinks and more drinks... oh my! I seriously considered just bringing them the entire kitchen on a cart.
My superpower has become spotting a "one more thing" table before they even order... why bother saying "anything else?" ;)
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Yasmin, and I'll be your server today.
I'm a full-time waitress at acasual dining restaurant.
I'm on foot for 10 hours a dayand I serve hundreds of
customers each week.
And these are my customerservice stories.
Hi guys, thank you so much forjoining me today.
So today we are going to betalking about when customers ask
(00:23):
for more.
And if you've been a server, ifyou are a server, or if you're
in the customer serviceindustry, you know exactly what
I'm talking about.
It's when customers ask you formore napkins, for more refills
on their bottomless strengths,for another plate, more cutlery.
I mean, you name it.
(00:44):
The list goes on and on and onsometimes.
And yes, it is part of our job,but sometimes it can be a little
overkill, I should say.
So today's story is about thesecustomers who were absolutely
lovely, nice people.
They just needed more ofeverything.
(01:06):
And it all started during a veryseemingly quiet day when this
lovely lady walked in.
She was up in her 50s, um, andshe was going to be joined by
her dad and her husband.
She asked for a table, andthat's sort of where the chaos
began.
She basically led me to thetable that she wanted to sit at
(01:31):
and uh was uh waiting for therest of her party to join her.
So I grabbed her drink, I wasdoing my thing, and then her dad
and her husband joined her.
I grabbed their drink order, andeverything was fine.
But then, as we all know, inrestaurants, quiet sometimes
(01:53):
doesn't say quiet for long, andit just got super busy all of a
sudden, like it just went fromzero to a hundred, and we just
got hit with this massive lunchrush, just all these people at
the door, and the problem waswhere these people were sitting
uh was so far in the corner ofthe restaurant that I don't
(02:16):
think they were able to see thefact that I had another like
six, seven tables on the otherside of the restaurant that I
was also serving, but um, youknow, just doing my thing,
trying to juggle everything allat the same time, as we all do
as a server, and I went up and Iasked them for their order.
(02:38):
So that's when sort of itstarted to go downhill for me.
The order took forever to takebecause they just kept adding
modifications to the orderbecause, and I hate to say this,
her dad had just gotten out ofthe hospital.
He'd had surgery a few days ago.
(03:00):
And here's the thing is I don'tknow about you all, I don't know
if anybody's had surgery outthere, but I've had surgery
once, and it was actually veryum traumatizing for me.
I still think though, I honestlyI think I need to go into
therapy for it because Ihaven't, it hasn't really
(03:20):
resolved in my brain sometimes.
Like I'll think back to it andit'll actually make me cry.
So when she said that, I justfelt this need to just be like
extra nice, extra generous tothis table, um, which sort of
backfired a little bit becauseevery time I went back to that
table, they would ask me forsomething else.
(03:40):
But I really felt for the dadbecause he had a cast on his
arm, so um, I don't know if he'dbroken it, I don't know if
that's what the surgery was for.
Of course, you don't ask thesethings, but um, you know, the
customers offered up thatinformation to me that he'd come
out of surgery and they were ontheir way back from the
hospital, and all her dad wantedwas some soup from the
(04:04):
restaurant because he really,really liked it.
So just my heart went out tohim, and I'm gonna call him Pop
Pop because he reminded me ofjust like this sweet grandpa.
He was just very, very, verynice, very um easy to talk to.
Um, and the daughter, of course,and I would do the same thing,
(04:24):
was you know, really protectiveand wanting to get her dad
everything that he needed.
But here's the thing (04:29):
why go to a restaurant after you've gotten
out of surgery?
That's the one thing I don'tunderstand.
Because for me, after I got outof surgery, the last thing I
wanted to do was be in public.
So I'll tell you about mysurgery story so you understand
my trauma, so you understand whyI was just so attentive to this
(04:51):
table.
Because I think ordinarily Iwould have tried to dodge them a
little bit because I just keptgetting sent back to the kitchen
like every single time I visitedthem, but I felt the need to be
like extra nice and extracaring, and it bit me in the
butt like a little bit.
(05:11):
So here's my surgery story.
So you have some background asto why I was just um I just I
felt this like responsibility tobe just so extra nice to these
people.
But um, so a few years ago, Iactually went in for surgery.
Um, I won't tell you exactlywhat it was for, that's a little
(05:33):
personal, but it was on myabdomen area, it didn't require
me to stay in the hospitalovernight, but it was invasive
surgery.
It, you know, um, I I was onmedical leave for two months um
so that I could heal.
I mean, it wasn't something tobe taken lightly.
Um, I was all like stitched up,I was on painkillers after the
(05:57):
surgery.
It was interesting because Igenerally have like low blood
pressure, and um I guess uh theydidn't realize that that's sort
of like how my body functions.
And after I was in the recoveryroom, just sort of waiting for
(06:19):
them to see if I was okay, tosee if I could be processed and
sent home because, like I said,it wasn't surgery that required
me to stay overnight at thehospital.
Um, but they were just observingme just to make sure I was okay.
Okay, so I could go home.
Um, and they were like, youknow, uh, we we want you to be
(06:41):
able to at least before youleave, you want to make sure
you're able to just go to thebathroom and you know, make sure
like you can go pee so thatthere's like no complications
when we send you all the wayhome.
So they made me get up, and itwas awful because I have low
blood pressure, and it just likeI was trying to get up and walk,
(07:06):
and after surgery, I guess itwas like even like lower lower
than it usually is, and just Icould feel I could feel the
color just like rush from myface.
Like I just I knew I was gonnafaint, and I was so weak and I
couldn't say anything, and I wason this um, um I was just like
(07:30):
holding on to like my my husbandand and then and the nurse, and
somebody else, one of the othernurses, saw she saw she could
tell I was gonna just collapseand faint, and she just rushed
over with a wheelchair, and shebasically like caught me before
I was gonna like fall and whoknows, like open up all the
(07:50):
stitches and injure myself.
So it took me just longer thanmost other patients to get
discharged to go home, and itwas just a big disaster.
And I was uh I remember finallyI got to the car and my husband
was like, like, listen, and Ithink it scared him.
He's like, Listen, babe, why whydon't I just like rent you a
(08:12):
wheelchair or something?
Because we live in a condo, sonot only are we going to get to
the condo, but I have to walkall the way down to the hall,
all the way down the hall to thecondo.
I'm like, no, no, it'll be fine,it'll be okay.
I just I didn't want to be aninconvenience to people, but I
should have been because I justcame out of surgery.
Like, if you want to be aninconvenience in your lifetime,
(08:33):
that is one time you can be aninconvenience.
So you already see why my heartis going out to this gentleman
that came out of surgery.
Anyway, so we got to the condo,we're in the parking garage, we
walk to the elevator bay, theelevator opens, we get in, and
then in comes in after us, thisother lady.
(08:55):
And I swear, the look on herface, she was like, when she saw
me, I feel like she washorrified.
Like, like I just must havelooked so messed up.
I mean, I just came out ofsurgery for God's sake, because
the because the incision hadbeen done on my abdomen, like I
couldn't like bend over, fix myhair, sort of like I just I was
(09:16):
really limited with my mobility,so I looked like hell.
Like I probably looked like Idon't know, a nightmare.
Just I I can't I can't evenimagine just how bad I looked
because her jaw like hit thefloor, and we had to explain to
(09:36):
her what was wrong because Ilooked so bad.
She was like staring at us, andI was like, uh, and I couldn't
even couldn't even talk, like itwas just a big mess.
And my husband's like, Oh, shejust came out of surgery, and
the lady's like, uh, uh, oh, oh,okay.
Like, she had no words, nowords.
That's how terrible I looked.
(09:57):
So we step out of this elevator,and I'm staring at the door,
looking at the door to theapartment that is all the way,
like, we are all the way at theend of the wall, uh at the end
of the hall.
Like, this isn't a shorthallway, this isn't like two
steps, you're at your door.
You you you have to go for awalk, and then as we step out of
(10:20):
the elevator, I go to myhusband, I'm like, I really, I
really have to pee.
And I just it was just this big,I don't know, like I should have
just listened to him and let himrent me the wheelchair.
Like, I should have why why whydid I say no?
Like I said, I didn't want to bean inconvenience, but I think if
(10:41):
you're ever going for surgery,just let the people around you
pamper you, just let them takecare of you.
Don't don't try to be a hero,let them take care of you, let
them do these things for you.
So we're walking all the waydown the hall, and like my
bladder is like pressing onthese stitches that they've
recently done in my abdomen.
I'm uncomfortable, I had almostfainted at the hospital, so I
(11:04):
didn't want to go fast, but Ireally had to pee.
And it was just it was just abig mess.
And then we get to the condo, weopen the door, and my
father-in-law was watching myson, and uh they're like, Oh my
gosh, you know, welcome home.
How are you doing?
How are you feeling?
(11:25):
My son was like seven at thetime, so he was freaked out
because he wasn't at school thatday, and my father-in-law is
like watching him for the days,like, what the heck is going on?
Like, this is like this is not anormal day, mom.
This is not a normal day.
What is happening today?
And I get in, and I mean, Ilooked like hell because
obviously that stranger was justfreaking out when she saw me,
(11:48):
and we walk in, and everyonesees me, they're like, and I'm
like, I have to pee, and becausemy mobility's limited, my
husband had to help me, and itwas honestly just it was quite a
mission to get home after thehospital.
(12:10):
So now you have that background.
I'm seeing this guy, I'mtransported back to when I came
home from the hospital aftersurgery, and my I'm just like,
oh my god, this guy, I don'tknow, is he gonna faint?
Like, can he walk?
Do what do you need?
Do you need help?
Do you need a wheelchair?
Whatever you want.
And so I was just being extra,extra nice because I just I I
(12:32):
just had the worst experience onthe way back after my surgery.
So I take the order.
The order is like supercomplicated because the daughter
is wanting to be like soaccommodating, and I get it, and
I spend extra time with thistable, but then I have like six
and seven other tables waitingfor me.
(12:54):
I'm like, oh my god, everyone'sgonna be mad at me, I have to
bill people out, other peopleneed stuff, and I'm just like in
my mind, just frantic, likepanic, panic, panic.
But I'm trying to stay calmbecause we always put on our
customer service faces, smiling,and I take this order, I quickly
punch it in.
I go and I'm trying to serve myother tables that I've like
(13:15):
basically neglected because I'mtrying to be super accommodating
to these people, and then um Ibring out the food to them.
The food's up.
I bring out the food, and thenthe lady's like, Oh, um, yeah,
can we get more napkins?
I'm like, Yeah, of course,whatever, whatever you want.
Oh my god, pop pop like came outof surgery, he needs napkins,
you need napkins, whatever youneed.
(13:37):
Go grab some napkins.
She's like, Oh, by the way, canI get a plate?
I'm like, I didn't what?
Okay, here's the thing.
Okay, if you've never worked ata restaurant, when the server is
at your table, tell themeverything.
Like, not piecemeal one at atime.
Don't do that, people.
Do not do that.
It is one of the most painfulthings.
(14:00):
Like, we are on our feet all daylong, and we are like running
back and forth and back andforth and back and forth and
back and forth, like you get thepicture.
So just give it to us all whenwe're there.
And then she wanted to play.
Okay, cool.
And then pop pop, he wants morecoffee.
And what am I gonna say?
No, like the guy just came outof surgery.
(14:21):
I know how it's like to come outof surgery.
So I go get him some coffee,pour him some coffee.
Guy wants some coffee, hotcoffee, hot coffee, and then you
know, finally the rush isstarting to die down a little
bit.
I'm billing out some tables, soa little bit of the pressure's
off.
And then the husband comes tothe bar and is standing and
(14:44):
waiting for me while I'm pouringdrinks for another table, and I
see him from the kitchen, andI'm like, what else do you need?
I'm so behind.
Like, what else do you want fromme?
Um, and I pop out, I'm like, ohhey, what uh what's up?
Is everything okay?
Everything is tasting okay.
He's like, Yeah, you know, justcan I get a refill on my diet
Pepsi?
(15:05):
I'm like, I was just there twominutes ago.
But okay, diet Pepsi dish.
So I go back, you know, I'malready pouring drinks, so
what's one more?
Drop off all the drinks, dropoff the diet Pepsi, and then pop
pop says to me, that looksreally refreshing.
Can I have a diet Pepsi too?
(15:26):
I'm like, what?
What what you I mean, we couldhave just said two diet pepsies,
but I get it, you know, likehe's like he's just he just
needs to be pampered a littlebit.
He needs to be just like Ishould should have said yes to
the wheelchair, you know, he'swanting stuff after being in the
(15:48):
hospital.
Like, yes, I will get you yourdiet Pepsi.
And he's like, Oh, by the way,can you put it in a smaller
glass for me?
I'm like, okay.
So at the restaurant I work at,all of the drinks are one size,
it's one size, like all the pop,all the water, it's one size.
It's this like huge glass.
That is what you get.
(16:08):
So now I'm having to hunt down asmaller glass, and it just like
puts you like once your serverflow is off.
Like, here's the thing, peoplelike my servers know this, but
if you're not in the restaurantindustry, once your server flow
is off, it's hard to get it backbecause you time everything, so
you do everything you need to doat the POS, then you're pouring
(16:30):
drinks, and everybody that gaveyou drink orders, you do all of
it all at once, and then you'rerunning food, and everything
that is that comes like out ofthe kitchen, you're trying to
like bang it off all at once,like you you try and time things
so that everybody is getting aneven amount of your attention,
(16:51):
otherwise, you fall behind.
And so, what was happening wasbecause I was just doing like
piecemeal, just one at a time,grab this, grab that for this
one table.
I kept like catching up a littlebit and then falling behind with
my tables, and it was just andwe didn't have a host, we didn't
have a host.
That's the thing.
(17:11):
Sometimes people think, oh,well, like there's people to
help you.
Well, no, sometimes there isn't.
Sometimes you're just on yourown, you're just a lone wolf,
baby, and that's what I was thatday.
It was a lone wolf, there was nohost, there was nobody else to
help me.
So grab the diet Pepsi, and thendinners or lunch is done with
(17:33):
with my favorite little table,so I clear the plates, and then
pop pop wanted dessert.
And how am I how am I gonna sayno?
How am I gonna say no?
So dessert, he just wanted alittle ice cream, and um uh the
lady's husband wanted a dessertas well, and I just I was like
(17:54):
so behind, and finally like amanager became like available,
and I was like, listen, like I'mreally behind.
Can you just make some dessertfor me?
And she's like, Okay.
Um, and so she put togetherdessert for the the um the
husband, but something like wentwrong with it.
It sort of just it it it itdidn't look good, so we had to
(18:18):
like remake this dessert, butpop pop's ice cream was ready,
so I'm like, I'll just take itout to him, and then why don't
you drop off the other dessertwhen it's ready?
Because I I just I don't havetime, I don't have time, I'm
panicking.
So I go out with this ice cream,I give it to pop pop, and then
the husband goes to me, Well,you like him more, don't you?
(18:39):
I'm like, he just got out ofsurgery, and then the daughter,
the daughter had my back, thedaughter had because that was
her dad.
She's like, Yeah.
So so I won points with thedaughter who ended up paying
anyway, so that that sort ofworked out for me.
But I mean, like, dude, likethat's your father-in-law.
(19:01):
Let the man eat his ice creamfirst.
Maybe I do like him betterbecause I was about to faint
after my surgery, so I get wherehe's coming from.
Anyway, so um, finally, thesepeople they're all done, they're
ready to pay.
And the lady was like soappreciative, just like gave me
the nicest tip.
(19:22):
It was um, she was like, youknow, like it's been really
difficult, something happened,there were some complications at
the hospital with the dad andhis surgery, and he had to go
back in for surgery.
And so I just like like I said,like there is a soft spot when
you know you have your own likepersonal trauma about something,
and then somebody shows up atthe restaurant and is just in
(19:46):
need of some like extra, youknow, TLC.
So I get it, and I'm there.
I'm happy to be attentive.
It's just really hard when youhave all these other tables that
need something from you, likeguys, like you feel okay.
So if you have not worked in arestaurant before, it's like
being a parent and having lotsof kids and needing to spread
(20:08):
your time amongst all thesechildren.
And I'm not calling customerschildren, that's not what I'm
saying at all, but it's like ametaphor, just that you have to
be able to divide your time uhevenly so that everybody feels
like um they've gotten what theyneed, they feel like they're
(20:29):
getting a good, like you know,dining experience um from their
lunch.
And it and it's just hard, it'sjust challenging sometimes
because sometimes you don't havereinforcements, sometimes you're
just on your own, sometimesthere are people who do need
more attention, and sometimesfor for good reason.
Like if if that was just for noreason at all, sending me back
(20:54):
and forth to the kitchen 10million times, like that would
have been, I think, incrediblyirritating.
But like I said, I have a softspot because I know how it is.
I know how it is coming out ofthe coming out of the hospital,
you feel a little bit rough, youneed you need to be pampered a
little bit.
But um, you know, tell me whatyou guys think.
(21:14):
Have you ever had an experiencewhere you've been sent back and
forth from the kitchen just somany times for just the littlest
things, and you just it justthrew your whole service off,
and you're just about to likelose your mind.
Like people are starting to getmad at you.
People are just like, Where didyou go?
(21:36):
People are done eating andstaring at you while you're
trying to like tend to this onereally, really needy table.
So let me know if you've everexperienced that.
I love you all.
Thank you so much.
This is your bitter waitresssigning off.
Hi, I'm Yasmin, and I'll be your server today.
I'm a full-time waitress at acasual dining restaurant.
I'm on foot for 10 hours a dayand I serve hundreds of
customers each week.
And these are my customerservice stories.
Hi guys, thank you so much forjoining me today.
So today we are going to betalking about when customers ask
(00:23):
for more.
And if you've been a server, ifyou are a server, or if you're
in the customer serviceindustry, you know exactly what
I'm talking about.
It's when customers ask you formore napkins, for more refills
on their bottomless strengths,for another plate, more cutlery.
I mean, you name it.
(00:44):
The list goes on and on and onsometimes.
And yes, it is part of our job,but sometimes it can be a little
overkill, I should say.
So today's story is about thesecustomers who were absolutely
lovely, nice people.
They just needed more ofeverything.
(01:06):
And it all started during a veryseemingly quiet day when this
lovely lady walked in.
She was up in her 50s, um, andshe was going to be joined by
her dad and her husband.
She asked for a table, andthat's sort of where the chaos
began.
She basically led me to thetable that she wanted to sit at
(01:31):
and uh was uh waiting for therest of her party to join her.
So I grabbed her drink, I wasdoing my thing, and then her dad
and her husband joined her.
I grabbed their drink order, andeverything was fine.
But then, as we all know, inrestaurants, quiet sometimes
(01:53):
doesn't say quiet for long, andit just got super busy all of a
sudden, like it just went fromzero to a hundred, and we just
got hit with this massive lunchrush, just all these people at
the door, and the problem waswhere these people were sitting
uh was so far in the corner ofthe restaurant that I don't
(02:16):
think they were able to see thefact that I had another like
six, seven tables on the otherside of the restaurant that I
was also serving, but um, youknow, just doing my thing,
trying to juggle everything allat the same time, as we all do
as a server, and I went up and Iasked them for their order.
(02:38):
So that's when sort of itstarted to go downhill for me.
The order took forever to takebecause they just kept adding
modifications to the orderbecause, and I hate to say this,
her dad had just gotten out ofthe hospital.
He'd had surgery a few days ago.
(03:00):
And here's the thing is I don'tknow about you all, I don't know
if anybody's had surgery outthere, but I've had surgery
once, and it was actually veryum traumatizing for me.
I still think though, I honestlyI think I need to go into
therapy for it because Ihaven't, it hasn't really
(03:20):
resolved in my brain sometimes.
Like I'll think back to it andit'll actually make me cry.
So when she said that, I justfelt this need to just be like
extra nice, extra generous tothis table, um, which sort of
backfired a little bit becauseevery time I went back to that
table, they would ask me forsomething else.
(03:40):
But I really felt for the dadbecause he had a cast on his
arm, so um, I don't know if he'dbroken it, I don't know if
that's what the surgery was for.
Of course, you don't ask thesethings, but um, you know, the
customers offered up thatinformation to me that he'd come
out of surgery and they were ontheir way back from the
hospital, and all her dad wantedwas some soup from the
(04:04):
restaurant because he really,really liked it.
So just my heart went out tohim, and I'm gonna call him Pop
Pop because he reminded me ofjust like this sweet grandpa.
He was just very, very, verynice, very um easy to talk to.
Um, and the daughter, of course,and I would do the same thing,
(04:24):
was you know, really protectiveand wanting to get her dad
everything that he needed.
But here's the thing (04:29):
why go to a restaurant after you've gotten
out of surgery?
That's the one thing I don'tunderstand.
Because for me, after I got outof surgery, the last thing I
wanted to do was be in public.
So I'll tell you about mysurgery story so you understand
my trauma, so you understand whyI was just so attentive to this
(04:51):
table.
Because I think ordinarily Iwould have tried to dodge them a
little bit because I just keptgetting sent back to the kitchen
like every single time I visitedthem, but I felt the need to be
like extra nice and extracaring, and it bit me in the
butt like a little bit.
(05:11):
So here's my surgery story.
So you have some background asto why I was just um I just I
felt this like responsibility tobe just so extra nice to these
people.
But um, so a few years ago, Iactually went in for surgery.
Um, I won't tell you exactlywhat it was for, that's a little
(05:33):
personal, but it was on myabdomen area, it didn't require
me to stay in the hospitalovernight, but it was invasive
surgery.
It, you know, um, I I was onmedical leave for two months um
so that I could heal.
I mean, it wasn't something tobe taken lightly.
Um, I was all like stitched up,I was on painkillers after the
(05:57):
surgery.
It was interesting because Igenerally have like low blood
pressure, and um I guess uh theydidn't realize that that's sort
of like how my body functions.
And after I was in the recoveryroom, just sort of waiting for
(06:19):
them to see if I was okay, tosee if I could be processed and
sent home because, like I said,it wasn't surgery that required
me to stay overnight at thehospital.
Um, but they were just observingme just to make sure I was okay.
Okay, so I could go home.
Um, and they were like, youknow, uh, we we want you to be
(06:41):
able to at least before youleave, you want to make sure
you're able to just go to thebathroom and you know, make sure
like you can go pee so thatthere's like no complications
when we send you all the wayhome.
So they made me get up, and itwas awful because I have low
blood pressure, and it just likeI was trying to get up and walk,
(07:06):
and after surgery, I guess itwas like even like lower lower
than it usually is, and just Icould feel I could feel the
color just like rush from myface.
Like I just I knew I was gonnafaint, and I was so weak and I
couldn't say anything, and I wason this um, um I was just like
(07:30):
holding on to like my my husbandand and then and the nurse, and
somebody else, one of the othernurses, saw she saw she could
tell I was gonna just collapseand faint, and she just rushed
over with a wheelchair, and shebasically like caught me before
I was gonna like fall and whoknows, like open up all the
(07:50):
stitches and injure myself.
So it took me just longer thanmost other patients to get
discharged to go home, and itwas just a big disaster.
And I was uh I remember finallyI got to the car and my husband
was like, like, listen, and Ithink it scared him.
He's like, Listen, babe, why whydon't I just like rent you a
(08:12):
wheelchair or something?
Because we live in a condo, sonot only are we going to get to
the condo, but I have to walkall the way down to the hall,
all the way down the hall to thecondo.
I'm like, no, no, it'll be fine,it'll be okay.
I just I didn't want to be aninconvenience to people, but I
should have been because I justcame out of surgery.
Like, if you want to be aninconvenience in your lifetime,
(08:33):
that is one time you can be aninconvenience.
So you already see why my heartis going out to this gentleman
that came out of surgery.
Anyway, so we got to the condo,we're in the parking garage, we
walk to the elevator bay, theelevator opens, we get in, and
then in comes in after us, thisother lady.
(08:55):
And I swear, the look on herface, she was like, when she saw
me, I feel like she washorrified.
Like, like I just must havelooked so messed up.
I mean, I just came out ofsurgery for God's sake, because
the because the incision hadbeen done on my abdomen, like I
couldn't like bend over, fix myhair, sort of like I just I was
(09:16):
really limited with my mobility,so I looked like hell.
Like I probably looked like Idon't know, a nightmare.
Just I I can't I can't evenimagine just how bad I looked
because her jaw like hit thefloor, and we had to explain to
(09:36):
her what was wrong because Ilooked so bad.
She was like staring at us, andI was like, uh, and I couldn't
even couldn't even talk, like itwas just a big mess.
And my husband's like, Oh, shejust came out of surgery, and
the lady's like, uh, uh, oh, oh,okay.
Like, she had no words, nowords.
That's how terrible I looked.
(09:57):
So we step out of this elevator,and I'm staring at the door,
looking at the door to theapartment that is all the way,
like, we are all the way at theend of the wall, uh at the end
of the hall.
Like, this isn't a shorthallway, this isn't like two
steps, you're at your door.
You you you have to go for awalk, and then as we step out of
(10:20):
the elevator, I go to myhusband, I'm like, I really, I
really have to pee.
And I just it was just this big,I don't know, like I should have
just listened to him and let himrent me the wheelchair.
Like, I should have why why whydid I say no?
Like I said, I didn't want to bean inconvenience, but I think if
(10:41):
you're ever going for surgery,just let the people around you
pamper you, just let them takecare of you.
Don't don't try to be a hero,let them take care of you, let
them do these things for you.
So we're walking all the waydown the hall, and like my
bladder is like pressing onthese stitches that they've
recently done in my abdomen.
I'm uncomfortable, I had almostfainted at the hospital, so I
(11:04):
didn't want to go fast, but Ireally had to pee.
And it was just it was just abig mess.
And then we get to the condo, weopen the door, and my
father-in-law was watching myson, and uh they're like, Oh my
gosh, you know, welcome home.
How are you doing?
How are you feeling?
(11:25):
My son was like seven at thetime, so he was freaked out
because he wasn't at school thatday, and my father-in-law is
like watching him for the days,like, what the heck is going on?
Like, this is like this is not anormal day, mom.
This is not a normal day.
What is happening today?
And I get in, and I mean, Ilooked like hell because
obviously that stranger was justfreaking out when she saw me,
(11:48):
and we walk in, and everyonesees me, they're like, and I'm
like, I have to pee, and becausemy mobility's limited, my
husband had to help me, and itwas honestly just it was quite a
mission to get home after thehospital.
(12:10):
So now you have that background.
I'm seeing this guy, I'mtransported back to when I came
home from the hospital aftersurgery, and my I'm just like,
oh my god, this guy, I don'tknow, is he gonna faint?
Like, can he walk?
Do what do you need?
Do you need help?
Do you need a wheelchair?
Whatever you want.
And so I was just being extra,extra nice because I just I I
(12:32):
just had the worst experience onthe way back after my surgery.
So I take the order.
The order is like supercomplicated because the daughter
is wanting to be like soaccommodating, and I get it, and
I spend extra time with thistable, but then I have like six
and seven other tables waitingfor me.
(12:54):
I'm like, oh my god, everyone'sgonna be mad at me, I have to
bill people out, other peopleneed stuff, and I'm just like in
my mind, just frantic, likepanic, panic, panic.
But I'm trying to stay calmbecause we always put on our
customer service faces, smiling,and I take this order, I quickly
punch it in.
I go and I'm trying to serve myother tables that I've like
(13:15):
basically neglected because I'mtrying to be super accommodating
to these people, and then um Ibring out the food to them.
The food's up.
I bring out the food, and thenthe lady's like, Oh, um, yeah,
can we get more napkins?
I'm like, Yeah, of course,whatever, whatever you want.
Oh my god, pop pop like came outof surgery, he needs napkins,
you need napkins, whatever youneed.
(13:37):
Go grab some napkins.
She's like, Oh, by the way, canI get a plate?
I'm like, I didn't what?
Okay, here's the thing.
Okay, if you've never worked ata restaurant, when the server is
at your table, tell themeverything.
Like, not piecemeal one at atime.
Don't do that, people.
Do not do that.
It is one of the most painfulthings.
(14:00):
Like, we are on our feet all daylong, and we are like running
back and forth and back andforth and back and forth and
back and forth, like you get thepicture.
So just give it to us all whenwe're there.
And then she wanted to play.
Okay, cool.
And then pop pop, he wants morecoffee.
And what am I gonna say?
No, like the guy just came outof surgery.
(14:21):
I know how it's like to come outof surgery.
So I go get him some coffee,pour him some coffee.
Guy wants some coffee, hotcoffee, hot coffee, and then you
know, finally the rush isstarting to die down a little
bit.
I'm billing out some tables, soa little bit of the pressure's
off.
And then the husband comes tothe bar and is standing and
(14:44):
waiting for me while I'm pouringdrinks for another table, and I
see him from the kitchen, andI'm like, what else do you need?
I'm so behind.
Like, what else do you want fromme?
Um, and I pop out, I'm like, ohhey, what uh what's up?
Is everything okay?
Everything is tasting okay.
He's like, Yeah, you know, justcan I get a refill on my diet
Pepsi?
(15:05):
I'm like, I was just there twominutes ago.
But okay, diet Pepsi dish.
So I go back, you know, I'malready pouring drinks, so
what's one more?
Drop off all the drinks, dropoff the diet Pepsi, and then pop
pop says to me, that looksreally refreshing.
Can I have a diet Pepsi too?
(15:26):
I'm like, what?
What what you I mean, we couldhave just said two diet pepsies,
but I get it, you know, likehe's like he's just he just
needs to be pampered a littlebit.
He needs to be just like Ishould should have said yes to
the wheelchair, you know, he'swanting stuff after being in the
(15:48):
hospital.
Like, yes, I will get you yourdiet Pepsi.
And he's like, Oh, by the way,can you put it in a smaller
glass for me?
I'm like, okay.
So at the restaurant I work at,all of the drinks are one size,
it's one size, like all the pop,all the water, it's one size.
It's this like huge glass.
That is what you get.
(16:08):
So now I'm having to hunt down asmaller glass, and it just like
puts you like once your serverflow is off.
Like, here's the thing, peoplelike my servers know this, but
if you're not in the restaurantindustry, once your server flow
is off, it's hard to get it backbecause you time everything, so
you do everything you need to doat the POS, then you're pouring
(16:30):
drinks, and everybody that gaveyou drink orders, you do all of
it all at once, and then you'rerunning food, and everything
that is that comes like out ofthe kitchen, you're trying to
like bang it off all at once,like you you try and time things
so that everybody is getting aneven amount of your attention,
(16:51):
otherwise, you fall behind.
And so, what was happening wasbecause I was just doing like
piecemeal, just one at a time,grab this, grab that for this
one table.
I kept like catching up a littlebit and then falling behind with
my tables, and it was just andwe didn't have a host, we didn't
have a host.
That's the thing.
(17:11):
Sometimes people think, oh,well, like there's people to
help you.
Well, no, sometimes there isn't.
Sometimes you're just on yourown, you're just a lone wolf,
baby, and that's what I was thatday.
It was a lone wolf, there was nohost, there was nobody else to
help me.
So grab the diet Pepsi, and thendinners or lunch is done with
(17:33):
with my favorite little table,so I clear the plates, and then
pop pop wanted dessert.
And how am I how am I gonna sayno?
How am I gonna say no?
So dessert, he just wanted alittle ice cream, and um uh the
lady's husband wanted a dessertas well, and I just I was like
(17:54):
so behind, and finally like amanager became like available,
and I was like, listen, like I'mreally behind.
Can you just make some dessertfor me?
And she's like, Okay.
Um, and so she put togetherdessert for the the um the
husband, but something like wentwrong with it.
It sort of just it it it itdidn't look good, so we had to
(18:18):
like remake this dessert, butpop pop's ice cream was ready,
so I'm like, I'll just take itout to him, and then why don't
you drop off the other dessertwhen it's ready?
Because I I just I don't havetime, I don't have time, I'm
panicking.
So I go out with this ice cream,I give it to pop pop, and then
the husband goes to me, Well,you like him more, don't you?
(18:39):
I'm like, he just got out ofsurgery, and then the daughter,
the daughter had my back, thedaughter had because that was
her dad.
She's like, Yeah.
So so I won points with thedaughter who ended up paying
anyway, so that that sort ofworked out for me.
But I mean, like, dude, likethat's your father-in-law.
(19:01):
Let the man eat his ice creamfirst.
Maybe I do like him betterbecause I was about to faint
after my surgery, so I get wherehe's coming from.
Anyway, so um, finally, thesepeople they're all done, they're
ready to pay.
And the lady was like soappreciative, just like gave me
the nicest tip.
(19:22):
It was um, she was like, youknow, like it's been really
difficult, something happened,there were some complications at
the hospital with the dad andhis surgery, and he had to go
back in for surgery.
And so I just like like I said,like there is a soft spot when
you know you have your own likepersonal trauma about something,
and then somebody shows up atthe restaurant and is just in
(19:46):
need of some like extra, youknow, TLC.
So I get it, and I'm there.
I'm happy to be attentive.
It's just really hard when youhave all these other tables that
need something from you, likeguys, like you feel okay.
So if you have not worked in arestaurant before, it's like
being a parent and having lotsof kids and needing to spread
(20:08):
your time amongst all thesechildren.
And I'm not calling customerschildren, that's not what I'm
saying at all, but it's like ametaphor, just that you have to
be able to divide your time uhevenly so that everybody feels
like um they've gotten what theyneed, they feel like they're
(20:29):
getting a good, like you know,dining experience um from their
lunch.
And it and it's just hard, it'sjust challenging sometimes
because sometimes you don't havereinforcements, sometimes you're
just on your own, sometimesthere are people who do need
more attention, and sometimesfor for good reason.
Like if if that was just for noreason at all, sending me back
(20:54):
and forth to the kitchen 10million times, like that would
have been, I think, incrediblyirritating.
But like I said, I have a softspot because I know how it is.
I know how it is coming out ofthe coming out of the hospital,
you feel a little bit rough, youneed you need to be pampered a
little bit.
But um, you know, tell me whatyou guys think.
(21:14):
Have you ever had an experiencewhere you've been sent back and
forth from the kitchen just somany times for just the littlest
things, and you just it justthrew your whole service off,
and you're just about to likelose your mind.
Like people are starting to getmad at you.
People are just like, Where didyou go?
(21:36):
People are done eating andstaring at you while you're
trying to like tend to this onereally, really needy table.
So let me know if you've everexperienced that.
I love you all.
Thank you so much.
This is your bitter waitresssigning off.
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