Just another week in the life of a bartender.
A few days ago:
A woman was determined to steal the tall Blue Moon glass she was drinking out of.
First drink (22 oz.): “Do I get to keep this glass?”
Me: “I’m sorry, you don’t.”
Customer: “Is this 22 ounces?”
Me: “Yes….”
Customer: ::goes back to texting; ignores me::
About 15 minutes goes by….customer orders another drink (a 16 oz. this time).
Me: “Would you like another?”
Customer: “Yes! A small one. But I want to hold onto this glass.” ::claws wrapped around 22 oz. glass::
Me: “Okay….”
::Another 15 minutes or so; she orders another small beer::
::As I place the new beer in front of her, I take the 22 oz. glass that is now empty and off to the side::
Customer: “Are you sure I don’t get to keep that glass?!” ::wink::
Me: “I’m sorry, you really don’t get to take the glass…”
Le sigh.
And then, there’s today.
A young man comes in, orders a vodka and cranberry alongside a shot of vodka. He rejoices over the price, apparently significantly less than what he paid for the same order in another restaurant in the same terminal.
I check on him, he’s doing well, I go off to take care of other customers; when I return, his shot glass is empty, his glass is sucked down to the bare cubes, and he is gone. I peer out of the glass and see him standing in line, waiting to board his plane.
I casually walk out into the terminal, and up to said customer, check in hand.
Me: “Excuse me, were you coming back?”
Customer: “No…”
Me: “Were you going to pay this?” ::I hold up check::
Customer: “I gave you my card!”
Me: “I really don’t think you did. If you did, and I forgot, I apologize. Let me check.”
::Customer follows me back into the restaurant::
Customer: “I had two slips, and a pen, and everything. I signed something!”
::I check computer. No payment was ever received.::
Customer: “I signed something.” ::”Searches” pockets::
As he continued to protest, he handed me his credit card anyway.
If you’re so convinced you really did pay..why are you handing me your card “a second time”?
Slip signed. No tip.
I’m drained. Oy vey.
Happy Tuesday, friends! -_-
Nicole Marie
wordsandotherthings.wordpress.com 
Ugh. Totally unbearable customers. Here’s to a better Wednesday!
Thank you, Hollin! I hope today goes a little more smoothly! 🙂
Working with the public can be a wearing experience. Sometimes very nice, sometimes downright weird. Roller coasters wear you out. Glad you found some happiness for this Tuesday. Here’s some right back at you. 🙂
Thank you, Re! 🙂 Hope your today – Wednesday – is even better.
Working with the public certainly does have its ups and downs!!
…”Poor guy. He didn’t realize the day I had had. I smiled and accepted his claim of having paid, and as he turned around smugly, he did not feel the steak knife sliding into his belt. I reported the ‘missing’ knife to the nearest airport cop. Sir, your flight is about to be delayed. Forever.”
Hahaha. This would be perfect if we didn’t use plastic cutlery…..:(
Darn! How about a 5 oz bottle of something?
Don’t you dare attempt going through security with anything 5 ounces! They’re scary.
They escorted me back out yesterday morning when my 2 ounce tube of Aveeno wasn’t in a plastic bag. They scolded me, gave me a bag, and made me go back through….
Security’s getting ridiculous – too much focus on an arbitrary set of rules and not enough on protecting people. Just knowing that they’re feeling up some grandmother’s crotch makes me feel safe in the air.
Hahaha, I know. Isn’t it terrible? Not having my lotion in a ziplock bag is a danger to society!
Well, maybe it’s because you’re so scary looking.
It’s true!
No, it isn’t! You’re about as scary as cotton candy.
My mom once choked on cotton candy………..and it was TERRIFYING!
Spun food-colored sugar…. of PAIN! Bwa ha ha ha ha!
So would you have given her the glass if she’d been nicer about it?
And go you for catching credit card guy.
If you’d have know he was going to do something like that, you could have slipped something in his drink.
Laxative perhaps?
hehehe
Nope. No glass for you!!! 😉
And thank you! I would have loved to watch him shuffle awkwardly to the bathroom, and maybe miss his flight. 🙂
Man, the joys of working with the public. I used to think I needed a sign around my neck that said “Warning: I’m not as stupid as you think I am’, but most of the customers probably wouldn’t have understood. The thing I did with the ones that drove me nuts? I wrote them into stories. Like Stephen King says, when someone pisses him off, he kills them off in his next book.
Ha! Mr. King is a smart one, eh? An innocent way to vent when us writers have run ins with morons.