Pity Please, the Ones Who Serve

 

Jerry walks at the mall for exercise, so sometimes he stops for lunch at the food court. At his favorite place, one of the employees usually delivers his tray to the table. She is an exceptionally nice person so I was surprised when she told me that some customer had complained to her manager about the way she had said something. As a result, she lost her annual bonus.

I almost never complain about people in the service industry. I figure just working some of those jobs is punishment enough. But I came pretty close when we were at a buffet in Las Vegas. The person who brought us our beverages was more than rude, she was hostile.

I was considering whether or not to say something about the attack when I noticed a man at an adjacent table was dressing down the manager. He indicated our table and a table on his other side. I don't know much about what was being said except when the manager said she couldn't do “that” until after the shift was over. Five minutes later, the hostile waitress returned, but as sweet as though another person had slipped into her skin.

That puzzled me. How can someone be acerbic one minute, apparently get chewed out by the boss, and immediately become Pollyanna? It doesn't seem natural.

On the other hand, did the food court employee really smart off to a customer, or was she the victim of hostile forces? .

It's easy to overreact and easy to be too thinned skinned. But what I don't get is how the buffet waitress went from nasty to nice so flawlessly. I guess she really needed that crummy job.

Nancy Sherer

 

 


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