Sunday Not-so-Fun Days

Ugh, Sundays ... No "Sunday Fun Days" if you work in the service industry.  Sundays are the days when the amateurs come out from God knows where to annoy and harass the restaurant staff all day long without fail.   They like to make up their own menu items, seat themselves at dirty tables, yell "Excuse Me!" from across the patio to get a server's attention and are generally crankier and more high maintenance than any other day of the week. 

At the end of the day, there's always that one table that sticks out- good or bad.  However, on Sundays, it's always bad.  Yesterday, that table was table #98: a three top (three people).   A VIP gentleman with his two tweenagers - a boy and a girl.  When my manger informed me the man was a VIP, I immediately thought "Of course I have a VIP table right now..."  as I am already slammed with a full section of eight tables during the busiest time of the Sunday brunch rush.  The man and his son smile at me and I greet the table; however, the daughter seems a bit on edge.  The VIP orders an "extra cold" glass of Chardonnay.  The girl orders a lemonade and seems highly disappointed that we don't have strawberry or raspberry flavored.  So far.. not too bad.  Upon my return with the chilled wine carafe and the plain old lemony lemonade, the boy starts ordering sushi like it's going out of style.    His first order was not so complicated.  But that was just his first order.  I ordered it in the computer and continued to work my section.  But after five minutes or so, before his sushi order was delivered, he ordered again, and this time special - extra this, sub this, side of that.  Right after the first order was delivered, BOOM wanted to order more.  This time he yelled, "Miss! (followed by a snarky laugh) Can I get a dragon roll too?"  Literally, at this moment, I was walking by with a full tray of drinks.  The VIP chuckled too.  I stopped at the table and asked, "Ok.  The dragon roll?  Sure no problem."  Immediately the boy continied, "Yeah, the dragon roll, but can I subsititute tuna istead of BBQ eel?  And can I substitute soy paper in stead of the seaweed paper?  And then can I .."  I butted in, "OK.. Let me deliver these drinks first and I'll be right back."  Seriously?  Did the VIP not teach this kid how to order politely?  Who yells at a server with a full try to order their third complicated specialty item?  When I return to their table, I ask for him to repeat the order.  I take it with a smile, the VIP quickly jumps in, "I hope we're not bothering you ordering this way."  Of course I reply with, "No not at all!  It's my pleasure!"  I smile and walk away.  And for a reference, when anyone starts with the statement, "I hope we're not bothering you by yadda yadda yadda.."  The answer is usually, "Yes! You are".  Meanwhile, in my station where I'm placing the food order for the fifth or so sixth time (mind you the VIP and the daughter are ordering at different times as well), I vent with the other servers.  It's the only way to get through these difficult days.  If we couldn't vent to other servers about what we're dealing with, we literally couldn't survive.  Yes, I was highly annoyed with this table.  But in the side stations, I was laughing and joking around.  "Can you believe it?"  Because it is funny.  When was the last time I had such a demanding 12 year old, especially with  his sushi orders (I didn't even know what sushi was when I was 12 years old).  So of course, this boy wanted to look at the dessert menu.  I'm thinking, "Oh God..how's this going to go?"  After letting him look over the menu for a bit, I ask him if anything looks good.  Again, he begins with that evil, childish laugh, "Sooo.. you have a plum cobbler.  What about an apple cobbler?"  I rely, "Nope, no apple cobbler, just plum."  He quickly snaps, "Apple pie?"  (Note there is not one type of pie on the menu.)  "Nope, no apple pie either... guess you like apple.  There's only x, y and z desserts... no apple.   And our gelato selection today is Kahlua, strawberry and vanilla."  He asked, "What about chocolate?"  Ahhhhhhh!!!!!  What's wrong with this kid!  If you want an apple pie.  Go to Marie Calendars.  If you want chocolate ice cream, go to Ben and Jerry's up the street.  We have what we have.  Isn't that common knowledge at a restaurant.  There is a reason there is a menu. 

Typical Sunday crowd.  Ordering whatever they want, whenever they want,  high maintenance and highly demanding.