The late great Anthony Bourdain once described the “customer from hell.” According to the chef turned TV personality, it’s usually a miserable individual who decides to mistreat waitstaff to feel better about themselves.
The following photos are from restaurant employees who deemed it necessary to share their horrible experiences. You’re about to see supposedly sensible adults acting like uncivilized beings, trashing tables, destroying property, and tipping horribly.
We’ve sourced these images from various corners of Reddit. Scroll through the list below. Hopefully, it will not make you lose too much faith in humanity.
#1 Workers Are Not Seen As People By Many Customers
#3 Math Is Not Mathing
They say you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat restaurant servers, which is something company CEOs live by. In the last decade and a half, they have developed “The Waiter Rule.” In a nutshell, it’s gauging a person through their behavior toward people in the service industry.
Businessman and engineer William Swanson first coined the term in his booklet of leadership observations, “The Unwritten Rules of Management.” Among his 33 rules is one that continues to stand: “A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person.”
#4 Confident One Star Review
#5 First 1-Star Review After 2 Years And 200+ Ratings. This Hurts. Is My Response Acceptable?
#6 $10 Would Have Been Preferred
When I worked at Chili's, a customer forgot their gun. I would’ve preferred $10, but I guess this will do. The customer came back and was mad that we confiscated it as the front door said no guns were allowed.
Over the years, many people have incorporated The Waiter Rule into their lives. For some, it helps them decide whether a potential romantic partner is worth pursuing. Brazilian model Adriana Lima, for one, is a firm believer.
We mentioned Anthony Bourdain in our intro, and he is known as a man who had a way with words. He once said, “If you’re a cheap tipper or rude to your server, you are dead to me. You are lower than whale feces.”
#7 A Regular Customer Today Exclaimed Loudly How Much Food I Was Eating “Oh My God! That’s So Much Food”
What I had was one egg, bacon, and cheese on a bagel with a side of a small eggplant.
She comes in every day to my workplace and always makes unnecessary comments as loudly as she can. She’s incredibly judgmental. It’s infuriating for me because not only have I struggled with ED when I was younger, I have a potential IBD. Because of the IBD, I don’t eat that often. And very rarely a full meal. I hardly have an appetite. Ever.
I’ve been suffering from depression for the past few days, and I was doing well this morning until she said, “Oh my god! How can you eat all that?! I could never eat all of that!” I turned red and mumbled something along the lines of “I only eat once a day.” She said, “But still!” I eventually ended up moving away from her. I almost cried.
On the bright side, I did eat all of it, and it was tasty.
#8 An Intentionally Bad Write-Up From A Large Following Influencer Because Of Our Refusal To Accept Their Collaboration Is Unprofessional, And A Such Hostile Manner Can Simply Ruin Businesses
I want to step up because we felt threatened by this media influencer. I want to give a voice to my Asian community that it is ok to say no and turn down any promotional offers. Have no fear to stand up and defend yourself.
#9 I Have To Pay For Food? One Star
Speaking of bad tippers, a recent study revealed that Gen Z people are at the top of the list among American diners. The statistics show that only 35% of young adults aged 18-26 tip their servers.
In 2018, millennials had a reputation for being terrible tippers. Recent numbers, however, have shown improvement, with 50% of people aged 27-42 showing generosity in their gratuities.
#10 A Restaurant Review I Stumbled On. The Customer Is So Many Kinds Of Wrong
#11 Podcasting At Panera
#12 A Coworker Was In An Accident A While Ago. Apparently It Disgusts Customers
Many would attest to the accuracy of The Waiter Rule, but if we want an actual statistic, we can look at the case of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. CNN published a report in 2017, around when Weinstein and the Me Too movement were the subject of news headlines.
In the article, a former server from New York’s Tribeca Grill alleged that Weinstein would take lemons from his drink and hurl them at waitstaff if they served him the wrong beverage.
“His sense of entitlement was like none other, the entire staff would cringe when he would come in,” another former employee claimed.
#13 At First, I Thought This Guy With Two Birds At McDonald’s Was Really Cool. But Then, One Of The Birds Pooped On The Counter And Floor And He Did Absolutely Nothing To Clean It Up
#14 A Customer Left A Bloody Paper Towel In Our Cookie Display
#15 This Coffee Shop In My City In Canada
If you work in the food service industry, keeping calm and poised should be the number one priority when dealing with a rude customer. According to the Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts, it makes you appear authoritative without seeming intimidating.
If you made an honest mistake, apologizing and offering a solution may be necessary. Saying the customer’s name makes them feel heard and cared for, and the solution may appease them. But overall, it wouldn’t be wise to leave the situation unattended.
#16 Leaving Your Table Like This
#17 Breakfast At McDonald’s
#18 Some People Have Tempers. Thankfully, They Gave Us A Warning By Throwing Rocks At The Front Door First. By The Time The Rock Came Through The Window, We Were Already Away
Now, let’s hear from you, readers. What is your opinion on people who mistreat waitstaff and act unbecomingly in restaurants? Do you agree with the Waiter Rule? Comment below!
#19 Wearing A Towel To The Buffet And You’re Not On A Cruise
#20 Blocking The Second Register With Your Service Dog At The Airport
#21 Sir, This Is A Restaurant
#22 Allergy List From Customer
#23 These People In Oklahoma Show Up To Twin Peaks With An Assault Rifles
#24 I Live In Server Hell. Why Would Someone Leave This On The Plate?
A friend of mine is a waiter, and someone left a used tampon on their plate tonight…
#25 Starbucks Mobile Orders Make Store Customers Wait Longer While No One’s There To Pick Up Coffees
#26 This Guy Taking Up An Entire Table In The Coffee Shop Where I Work To Livestream. Playing Heavy Metal Music Out Loud And Cussing Up A Storm. Oh, And He Didn’t Even Order A Drink
#27 Somebody Shot Up My Local McDonald’s
#28 4 Customers Ordered $178 Worth Of Food, Ate About Half Of It, And Left This Mess For Us To Clean Up
#29 Someone Ate A Pack Of Raw Mussels They Got From The Grocery Store And Left All The Shells At The Bakery Cafe
#30 We Served A Party Of 40 Today At My Restaurant. Every One Of Them Ordered Separately
#31 It’s The Feet For Me
#32 Customer Left Her Baby’s Dirty Diaper On The Table
What confuses me is that I never saw her use the restroom the entire time she was dining. She likely kept it with her before, but it confuses me even more that she never even thought once to toss it in a trash can outside before she arrived.
#33 Free WiFi, Free Power, McDonald’s Has It All. Bring Your Xbox And Your TV
#34 These Terrible Customers
#35 The Big Family Behind Us At The Food Court Left Like This
#36 We Got Slammed With These Orders Last Night, Only To Throw Them All Away Once We Closed. Busted Our Butts For Nothing
#37 People That Won’t Tip Because Essential Workers Have To Wear Masks
#38 Not The Tip She Was Expecting
"Thank you for excellent service today. You're a good waitress.
Here's your tip:
The woman's place is in the home. Your place is in the home. It even says so in the Bible. You may think that you're contributing to your household by coming into work, but you're not. While you're in here "working," this is the reason your husband must see another woman on his way home from a long day at his work. Because you should be home taking care of the household duties. You may think what you are doing "working" is right. It is really essentially a disgrace to his manhood and to the American family. So instead of coming to your "job" and looking for handouts to feed your family, how about going home and cleaning your house and cooking a hot meal for your husband and children, the way your husband and God intended. And help make America great again. Praying for families and our nation."
#39 Some Woman At The Coffee Shop Has Her Bare Feet On A Chair
#40 The Absolute State Of This KFC I Went To During White Night
#41 A “Customer” Decided To Use The Wine Menu As A Doodle Pad With A Sharpie
#42 Fellow Bartender Sent Me This. Apparently, They Had A Really Disgruntled Guest
#43 I Experienced One Of Those Crazy Drinks For The First Time. I Work At A Local Cafe, And This Order Came In. It’s A Blended Espresso Drink, And Let Me Tell You, I Was Floored
I have never seen anything like this before. I called to confirm that it was intentional and got scolded by the customer for questioning their beloved beverage choice.
#44 I Know Customers Can Get Mad At Being Charged For Extra Sauces, But This Lady Got Like 20+ Sauces And Was Surprised To Be Charged A Few Extra Bucks For Them
#45 How This Person Left A Tip
#46 Someone Tried This Earlier Today
#47 My Coworker’s Shift Ended, So I Took Over One Of Their Tables. Customer Did Not Like This And Left A Negative Tip
They tried to write, "Services weren't good. Waitresses changed without notifying us."
#48 Well, She Is A Cheap Date And Will Never Say No
#49 Lady Ordered A Burger And Gave This To Her Server To Show The Chef
#50 People Amaze Me, But Not In A Good Way. Long Story Short, 6 A.M. And 3 Drunk Dudes That Couldn’t Pay For A Meal
