The customer is not always right

Ahh, a week's break from my drivel! I enjoyed the rest, but I've been told I need to start posting again. So here I go.

I read a blog this morning that linked to this person, and due to boredom (and a need to avoid the project I was working on for 5 more minutes) I clicked and stumbled upon this post. (Beware the gratuitous cursing. Don't say I didn't warn you.) I don't know the author, and today is the first time I've ever read her website. But I read that post and the first thing I thought was HALLELUJAH!It's about damn time someone said exactly that.

I cannot tell you how many times I've been in a restaurant and heard a nearby patron being a complete jerk to the waitstaff for no particular reason whatsoever. Sometimes they have a bad day. Give them a break, for pity's sake. I've had crappy service. In fact, I had a seriously crappy waitress at the bar just yesterday. But I didn't yell at her. I wasn't mean to her. I was still polite when I asked for a glass of water (for the 3rd time). I didn't snap when she brought my french fries, but forgot the hot dog to go with them. I wanted to, but I kept it to myself. Because I figure she could have been having a bad day. She could be overwhelmed by the crowd of crazy football fans that packed the place. Or she could just suck at her job.  Any way you look at it, she's doing me a favor by bringing me the food and drink that I'm requesting, even if she is getting paid for it.

I was getting a pedicure about a month ago, when this lady across from me completely lost her mind and began screaming and yelling at the woman who was helping her. We're not talking a stern lecture type voice. We're talking top of her lungs shrieking about the HORRIBLE color of the nail polish (that she picked out herself) and the TERRIBLE shape of her toenails. She screamed at this poor woman who hardly spoke a word of English, and clearly had no idea why this woman was freaking out. Another girl who appaeared to speak a bit more English, though not a ton herself, came over to try and help the situation. (I'm pretty sure the only thing that could help the situation at this point was a straight jacket and a lovely padded room, but that's just me.) The woman just kept screaming and hollering about how she could have one a better job herself at home and there was no way she'd be spending FIFTEEN WHOLE DOLLARS (!!!) on this shoddy work. She then shoved over the entire display rack of nail polish. Bottles exploded all over the floor, and those that didn't explode rolled every which way they could. The salon finally called security, who tried to calm her down (while quite noticeably rolling their eyes behind her back) and they in turn called the police. I left just as the police arrived, but I'm hoping that they arrested her for destruction of property, disturbing the peace, and anything else they could possibly charge her with. And I'm hoping the salon presses those charges to the full extent that they can. It was unbelievable.

I can't imagine treating someone that way. And I hope the next time it happens in front of me, I'll say something to stop it.