A few of the sit down restaurants I’ve been to aren’t the same anymore.  The food isn’t quite as awesome.  Service is a little slower. 
And during that endless wait for the appetizers… 5 minutes.  10 minutes.  And tthere’s a little devil on my shoulder demanding that I say something.

Uh … Excuse me.  Excuse me.

But the angel on the other shoulder says I have to calm down and be an adult. 

The restaurant does not care that I’m wrestling with my demons.  They’re sick and tired of stressed out customers snapping because the jalapeno poppers and cheese sticks took 7 minutes.

At $12 bucks an hour… the wait staffis doing the best they can and don’t care that you want to talk with the manager.  Because the manager is also secretly sick of the way people act lately.

Hospitals are distributing panic buttons to nurses.  Flight attendants are getting self-defense courses.  In rare cases customers are getting prison sentences.    And before you bellow “whatever happened to the customer is always right?”  It’s changing right before your eyes to the customer is usually right…. we’re doing the best we can.

We have to be more patient and less abrasive.  We have to do better given the labor shortages the supply chain issues.  You’re not gonna get what you want by throwing a seismic fit anymore.  The people behind the counter have heard too many diatribes. They know you’ve never been treated so badly in your life.  They know you want to talk to the manager.

Believe it or not … your momentary frustration is not the most important thing in the world to the folks trying to serve your needs for 14 bucks an hour.

If the line moves too slowly.  Or if they can squeeze you in til next Thursday.  Or if that other table got its food before you.. chill.  Next time you’re about to snap… listen to the angel on the other shoulder… gliss …. and kill ‘em with kindness.

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