So you’re in the middle of a busy shift trying to manage all of your tables. (and of course you’ve been double or even the dreaded… triple sat) You’re waiting on this couple who seem just amazed at your talent and ability to do your job. They thank you repeatedly and when you ask how the food is their response is “Spectacular”.

You think to yourself, “This is almost too easy!”. Then when all is said and done, they thank you again, tell you it’s the best service they’ve ever had, that they’ll definitely be back and they’ll request you when they do.

At this point you feel invincible, you’re on cloud nine. Then, with your head held up high, you pick up the check presenter with pride only to see that they’ve left you %10… Now you’re thinking “Great, they’ll be back.”

Submitted by: Carnoculus

The other night, a man walked into my restaurant, and was rude right from the start. He didn’t bother saying hi or anything before he said, “I don’t want to sit next to kids. I don’t like kids.” He then said to the hostess, “You’re hot. Are you 18? I’m going on vacation soon, and I need a pretty girl to come with me.” Luckily, I work for amazing owners and managers, who quickly kicked him out.

Submitted by: Lola

Eating out at a restaurant is hard for me to enjoy sometimes. I’m always comparing my server skills with that of my waiter or waitress, and I ALWAYS pre-bus my own table.

This is a habit I cannot break. I’ll instinctively stack everyone’s plates at the end of the table, and organize empty glasses. If they would let me, I would probably take them back to the dishwasher.

Usually after the meal, I feel as though I earned a tip as well.

Submitted by: Carol from OH

Something that really got on my nerves while I was a server was hearing people ask for “leaded” and “un-leaded” coffee in the mornings. Please, just ask for regular, or de-cafe.

I would hear this for what felt like hundreds of times a day, and each time the customer thought he/she was the only one to ever think of such a clever request.

The worst part was that I needed to force a small laugh to make the customer feel like a regular comedian, and tip happy each and every time.

Submitted by: Rob from MD

Worst. Meal. Ever.

If you’ve ever been a server, you’ve definitely experienced this situation; A customer will eat his/her entire meal, lick the plate clean and then complain about how terrible it was.

Usually you can tell they’re just shooting for a free dessert or a comp. on the check, which makes the whole ordeal that much more infuriating.

This is the ultimate “swallow your pride” moment when you need to apologize for a meal they clearly enjoyed, and grovel for their forgiveness all in the hopes of still getting a tip.

So, during the summer a few years ago I would work the breakfast shift every morning at a local restaurant. On this one particular day, I was quite hungover and in charge of making the coffee.

I set up the machine, hit the brew button and leaned against the counter to relax for a few. A few moments later I felt some extreme pain and noticed I never put the coffee pots back in the machine.

This resulted in the coffee pouring out all over the counter, and all over me. This situation would have been bad enough sober, but still feeling the effects of the night before, made the cleanup of the aftermath a truly epic battle of man vs. coffee.

Submitted by: DJ from PA

One of the million horror stories I possess of the restaurant world I will never forget is a recent occurrence involving a very unhappy family.

A family of five (two parents and three young children, one of which was still a baby the other two maybe six or seven)came into the restaurant one night and I was their waitress. I went up to the table and introduced myself and asked if they would like to hear our specials. “Of course not” was their reply.

I asked what they would like to start off with for a drink and they said just bring some waters for the kids for now. So I went to the kitchen and poured waters and brought them back to the table at which point, the parents decided they wanted waters as well. I poured two more waters and as I was setting them down the baby (whom the father was holding in his lap) grabbed at the glass I had in my hand and yanked it onto his father’s lap.

The man- thinking I had done it on purpose- stood up, the wife screamed and for the next three minutes he berated me and then demanded to speak to the owner about his apparently racist employee who should get fired.

They rallied for another waitress to take care of them. Who, of course, they didn’t tip.

Submitted by: Erin

It’s a terrible experience when you drop food off at your table, and then come to realize it was prepared incorrectly at the last moment. (Steak not done enough, no cheese, wrong sides etc.)

This is when you need to make a decision. Do you drop the food off at the table and run hoping they don’t notice,  or do you take the walk of shame back to the kitchen and attempt to convince the chefs they cooked your customer’s food wrong?

You gotta play it cool though. If a customer knows that you know you’re wrong and you still deliver the meal, you’ll be lucky to get any kind of decent tip at all.

I have shamed myself, and my family.

Are any of you waitresses feelin’ down out there? If so check out this song by Seth Sentry that will be sure to boost your spirits.

It’s a catchy tune about a customer and his love for breakfast, bacon and his waitress.