Servers deal with all kinds of customers, each with different levels of patience. While some eager diners arrive before a restaurant opens, others refuse to wait outside or in their cars. A recent experience shared by a New Jersey server shows how one customer tried to push her way into a restaurant early.
What excuse did this restaurant customer use?
“Hi, humans of America. If an establishment opens at 12 o’clock, right? 11:30 is not 12,” begins Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse server Carly (@cringeycarly) in her video before diving into the story.
When a customer arrived 30 minutes before opening, she attempted to check in early. Her reasoning? “‘I’m pregnant,’” Carly recalled. Confused, the server said she responded, “‘OK? Congratulations?’”
Carly made it clear that pregnancy or fame doesn’t come with special privileges. “Lots of women are pregnant and they don’t change the time, though. I don’t care if you’re Austin [expletive] Powers, Kim Kardashian,” she said. “11:30 is not 12 o’clock.”
“So, you can sit down. I will get to you at 12,” she reiterated.
In the comments, Carly explained how the customer eventually got inside. “They had people working on construction stuff inside, so the front door was open,” she shared.
Viewers sided with the server
Carly’s video has racked up more than 114,000 views since Dec. 30, with many viewers backing her and criticizing the customer’s entitlement.
“The customer is not always right,” one person commented.
“No, literally bc ppl have actually lost the plot!!!!” another agreed.
“People are SO entitled, it’s exhausting,” a third added.
Other servers also chimed in with their own frustrations.
“Pls if we close by 11, stop coming in to eat at 10:45,” one commenter wrote.
“I hate when people sit in the lobby while I haven’t even turned the open sign on,” another said.
“And don’t be waiting at the [expletive] door of an establishment if it’s not open yet. Wait in your car and give employees their space,” a third added.
Are customers ruder now?
Many believe they are. Pew Research found that 47% of adults have noticed people are ruder now than before. This shift isn’t limited to daily life. Time reported that workers across many industries have observed the same behavior from customers. So why does it feel worse than ever?
Both reports point to the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes to daily routines and long periods of isolation affected mental health, increasing anxiety, depression, and disconnection. Even after restrictions lifted, many things failed to return to normal, including staffing levels and service speed, which may be fueling frustration and impatience, according to Time.
Still, the pandemic isn’t the only contributor. Social media also plays a role. People now document nearly every moment of their lives, often believing they are the center of every situation. This behavior, sometimes called “main character syndrome,” has led to less consideration for others. Axios noted that constantly sharing life online can reduce empathy and make it harder to see other perspectives, causing patience and understanding to fade.
Whether driven by the pandemic, social media, or other influences, this trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
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