Monday, June 11, 2007

I Know Why the Caged Bird Feels "Caged"

In an exclusive interview with Barbara Walters, an imprisoned Paris Hilton described her first few days in jail as a “horrible experience,” saying she didn’t eat, sleep, was severely depressed and felt like she was “in a cage.” (Boston Herald article)
A caaaaaaage? Prison? Really? I never! Perhaps she meant "open field of daisies" or "like a princess on her throne." As long as no one takes a picture!

This reminds me of an event that kept me motivated to stay in school when I worked in the service industry in high school and college. The dialog is reproduced below.

Client: I'll have the entrée.
Me: Great, would you like a salad or the soup du jour?
Client: What is the soup du jour?
Me: Today we have the "wild mushroom soup."
Client: Hmm, I think I'll have that.
Me: Ok, great. Thank You.
(I bring the soup, along with the rest of the table's appetizers/starters. Several minutes later, I am flagged down by the client.)
Me: Yes?
Client: I don't know about this soup.
Me: I'm sorry, is there something wrong with it?
Client: I don't know...it tastes like mushrooms. It's too mushroom-y.

We ended comping that table a lot of stuff. You can imagine how the rest of the meal went.

I feel that we all have been a little too obsessed with the Paris Hilton thing. Myself most definitely included. I'm a little burnt out, to tell you the truth. So, absent any crazy and completely unforeseen circumstances, I'm going to do all (3) of us a favor and not going to talk about her anymore.

4 comments:

angela said...

"Too mushroomy"? LOL. People like that are part of the reason I couldn't hold a job in the service industry for long when I was in high school and college. I don't have enough patience.

A. Marigold said...

Really? Those people didn't bother me too much as long as I considered that they were screwing over my employers and not me. Of course, that is easier to do in retail, where there is no tipping involved. If they thought they were screwing me over on a tip, I would hate them for real.

the default attorney said...

These kind of tables only bugged me when it was super busy, because they would monopolize your time, so that ALL of your tables get pissed at you.

These people did A LOT of complaining, and then demanded free lift tickets to the local ski resort. As if we had a lift ticket printer in our restaurant (that is not affiliated in any way with the mountain). My manager eventually gave them the meal for free (~$400) and told them to get out and never come back.

That was 10 years ago now, but it still gets me all worked up.

I think everyone should have to work in the service industry once. So that they know what it's like to have to deal with demanding assholes. Like me :)

A. Marigold said...

I think everyone should have to work in the service industry once.

I wholeheartedly agree. It's humbling—it teaches you how to deal with demanding assholes, and it teaches you how not to be a demanding asshole in the future.