Hostess Hell Revenge: Awesome Tale of One Rude Custy's Comeuppance

Hey RHU, I found this website about a month ago and have been literally reading it nonstop since.

Let's call me RedheadHostess because I'm not too creative at 11am. I worked as a hostess for about 3 years at 2 different places so I have a ton of crusty stories. This one really stuck out in my mind though. 

One of the restaurants I worked at had a rule that if you make a reservation we will hold the table for a half hour. If you don't show up in that time we give the table to someone else. We only have 6 tables that are easy to push together for large groups, the rest are booths or high-tops. 

One day, I get a reservation for a large party around lunch time. The guy was pretty nice on the phone. This was a while ago so I don't really remember how many people but it was probably around 8 or 10.

The time of the reservation comes and goes. About 35-40 minutes later, after my manager has told me to pull apart the tables and give them to someone else, the party arrives. Now, it was lunch time but we weren't too busy.. we had a lot of high-tops available and could pretty easily put the group at one of those. I tell the guy that it will just be a minute as we have to wait for a table to be cleaned so we can put a few more together.

All of his niceness just went away. Standing at the door, in front of his entire group of people, this "businessman" starts YELLING at me for not having his table set up.

I flat out told him we only reserve tables for a half hour after the reservation time.

His reply? "Well you should have CALLED ME to ask if I was still coming."

Oh so now it's my job to call and ask if you're still coming to a reservation you made less than 3 hours ago?

My manager finally came up and of course the guy calms down because it's easier to yell at a 21 year old girl than a full grown man. So we seat him, he makes a bunch of comments about hiring smarter workers, and I walk away fuming.

I've always been pretty emotional, and ended up crying in the bathroom. One of the women in his group comes in the bathroom, looks at me and gives me a hug.

Then she tells me that she is his CLIENT and the fact that he acted like that in front of a bunch of clients was despicable and that he was unbelievably rude.

The best part?

She said she was ashamed to be seen with him and that when she goes back to the office she was going to tell his manager how the man acted and that she didn't want to do business with him anymore. 

I ended up killing the guy with kindness when he left as I smiled sweetly and said "Have a GREAT day sir."

And the lady winked at me as she left.

Honestly, acting like a jerk in front of clients is just stupid. I'm not sure how you even think you can get away with that. 

Hopefully all your customers are better than him!!

--RedheadHostess

Comments

[Retail Fairy 007]

That is an AWESOME story. I too am pretty emotional and I know I would've cried. Shoot, I probably would have cried in front of the guy. That guy got what was coming to him!

[trekkiebabe31]

Love it when karma comes around to people like that!

[shuichiboy]

I teach a lot of business courses. One of the big, giant, utterly unbreakable rules I always drill into the students' heads:

Do not ever, under any circumstances, be rude to the staff at a restaurant during any business function. It could very easily cost you your career!

[NC Tony]

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when that lady talked to his boss later on. Score another one for karma.

[Chicajojobe]

Instant karma, bitch!

Also, yeah, what kind of moron yells at wait-staff like a douchebag in front of clients?
Even if they never worked in food services themselves, and don't have any family or friends who do, it just shows a lack of class and professionalism.

Also, if you make reservation for say 6 o'clock, the table his held for you for 6 o'clock not for 6:45. Now I understand if this was for a business meeting that ran long, it might be out of your control to make it on time. However, it's your job to call the restaurant, explain the situation, and request that they continue to hold your table...not the other way around.

[ScanGunMonkey]

Jeez...I don't usually go anyplace classier than, like, Olive Garden...and even *I* could figure out that they're not gonna hold the table forever. I bet if I give the restaurant a call, though, that I'm going to be, say, twenty minutes late, they'd hold the table for me...but, then, I'm a functioning member of society! :D

[BookAce]

Haha! I LOVE it when instant karma comes around like that. I know I would have started crying if that guy yelled at me that way, and it feels awful when jerks like that make you cry. That woman however is awesome. I so would have loved to hear her telling the guy's boss about it!

[Becky]

That woman is officially my favorite person of the day!

[Mollywobbles]

Someone buy this woman a drink of her choice! Good for her for not only standing up for the little guy (or girl, in this case) but for also realizing that the guy wasn't worth spending her money with. Hope the company didn't take a hit for this guy's douchery, but I'm glad he won't be getting business.

[Humor_Me]

And *THIS* is why you don't act like a jerk in front of clients! You never know who can deliver the instant Karma you deserve. >: - D

[Queer Geek]

Ooooo I wish was a fly on the wall to see this guy's face.

[Ben]

Ug no understand why lady client is not impressed by alpha male behavior.

Ug no understand why grunting and horrible behavior be punished.

Ug no understand why people think him asshole.