Five finger food discount
I've been working at the same Chinese restaurant since July 2011, I honestly love it and the people I work with, and for. I also love my regular customers, even some of the more unorthodox characters. But this post isn't about how much I love my job.
I work 2 buffets a week (we only have 2 buffet days Sunday and Thursday) every week, Sunday mornings and Thursday nights. Yesterday night I was only doing my job, serving customers their drinks and some were food orders and not buffet. Also I must say there's only one waitress per shift unless there's reservation of 15+ on top of everything.
A young woman with 4 kids come in and her mother (the kids grandmother) I serve them with a smile ask them if they'd like to order from the menu or eat buffet, then ask them what they would like to drink. The two adults are content with having the buffet each (13.45$ ea), the eldest girl would also want buffet (7.95$), the 4 and 5 year old would share a kid's combo 1 (5.99$) which has 1 egg roll, 3 chicken balls and chicken fried rice, the fourth child is a newborn.
I turn to bring the two girls there plates and utensils for the kid's combo, but to my surprise they already have each a plate, I think nothing of it. I go back to serving others, I look back to the group and the two youngest girls (4+5) are eating egg rolls, take note I haven't brought them their combo. I thought of giving them a "pass" when you work for Chinese bosses there is no such thing as a "pass". I bring them the combo when it's ready, the girl closest to me is now eating Lo Mein, so on their bill I write SK Buffet (4.00$). At the end of there meal they asked for the Combo to be packed to go, which I did with no hesitation. I come back to find all 3 of the children having jello, the thing about jello is that it's a "Buffet only item" it's not on the menu. Then they open the to-go box and the mother puts her egg roll in it, I than charge her 1.25$ for the eggroll. I'm not sure if people know what ALL YOU CAN EAT means.
The grandmother come to pay the bill with no complaints she then after asks for the receipt, no problem I give her it. I go in back for a moment and look at my co-worker telling him that a lady will come in front and probably argue with me about her bill, if possible would he calm her down if it gets out of hand. I go back in front and sure enough she's there with a scowl and asks me what's an SK Buffet 4.00$ and that she never ordered this. I told her calmly that it was because the two youngest girls had eaten from the buffet, she had replied that they hadn't. I then start telling her about the egg rolls, she replies that the Kid's combo come with an egg roll, I reply with "Yes, mama although that is true. The girls were eating egg rolls way before their meal was even made." her second response was "That was my egg roll I couldn't eat it.". Knowing all too well that she had just lied on top of a lie, and that she had been caught trying to get out of paying her meal. I stopped trying to justify why I had charged her and pointed to the 1.25$ and said and that's for the egg roll your daughter put away. She was so angry she looked at me in my eyes and said I will NEVER come to this restaurant ever again, she and the girls left I saw them off and told them all "Happy new year, and have a good night."
I then after talk with my boss and co-worker that was on duty that day, I told them I should have charged them for 2 4.00$ buffets, but I didn't. I was told I did the right thing and that people try to get free meals all the time and think that kids eat free. Although my boss told me I should have charged the 5 year old 7.95$ instead of 4.00$. I also talked with my customers about it, they all agreed that you should pay for what you eat, and that once she'd think things through she'd realize how silly it was to flip out in a restaurant. In all honesty I gain NOTHING! By charging her an extra 5.25$, no increase in tip, no increase in pay, nothing to gain. I just can't stand by and let someone steal from someone else.
