Customer Asks Waiter About Mocktails, Internet Shocked by His Reply

4 hours ago 3

A viral post recounting a customer's interaction with a waiter over mocktails has sparked debate among users on Reddit.

The post, shared by Redditor sticky_applesauce07, has garnered 16,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments since it was posted on November 17, drawing strong opinions from both sides.

In the post, the customer described two incidents where male waiters at the same restaurant responded dismissively to inquiries about mocktails.

The user wrote: "I take my two kids out to eat every once in a while, without my husband. Twice now when I asked what mocktails they have, the waiter just says, 'They are too expensive.' Doesn't give me the price, doesn't tell me what they are." By contrast, the poster noted that female staff had no such issues serving them.

Was the waiter being rude or was the customer overreacting?

Psychiatrist Carole Lieberman told Newsweek "there could be a lot of reasons why these waiters were rude—though none excuse their behavior."

The viral post comes as the employment of waiters and waitresses is projected to grow by one percent from 2023 to 2033, which is "slower than the average for all occupations," according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Around 471,200 openings for waiters and waitresses are forecast each year, on average, the BLS noted.

The two children, aged eight and three, were present during the encounters with the waiters in the viral Reddit post, adding complexity to the dynamic. The post further explained that the bartender at the venue refunded their money and mentioned ongoing issues with the new hire, saying there had been "issues with both staff and customers."

The poster said: "I've worked in the service industry for 35 years and I've never treated someone like this, even if I knew they were not going to tip me or if they were extremely rude. If I had an issue with a guest, I simply would tell management."

Despite the unpleasant exchanges, the poster emphasized their loyalty to the restaurant, calling the owner "a great person" who "takes pride in running [a] great restaurant."

The customer said: "This is a small town, so throwing a fit and leaving nasty reviews isn't how to handle things around here," noting that "the owner is out of town, but I will be talking to her when she gets back."

'Simply Stating a Fact' vs. 'Deeper Biases'

Career coach Steven Lowell, who has over 30 years of experience in the service industry, told Newsweek that such behavior from the waiter is not uncommon. "The waiter involved here did something that lots of people in the service industry do when they don't feel like working—they come up with a reason as to why they cannot serve you," Lowell explained.

As a customer, Lowell suggested responding with poise: "Take a breath, keep your cool and politely remind the waiter 'Why don't you worry about my order and I'll worry about what I can pay for? But I appreciate your concerns about my personal finances.'"

Etiquette expert Jo Hayes offered a different take, suggesting the waiters might have had good intentions, albeit poorly communicated. "I doubt these waiters are suggesting [the customer] can't afford these drinks, but, rather, are simply stating a fact—they are, indeed, too expensive," Hayes told Newsweek.

While Hayes acknowledged the waiters' actions might not align with their employer's best interests, the etiquette expert said: "I would argue that they are doing the right thing by the customer, and the right thing ethically."

Meanwhile, Lieberman proposed that deeper biases or stressors could be at play. "Sometimes young children can be annoying to waiters and make the table a mess," the psychiatrist explained, noting that waiters may anticipate smaller tips when serving families with young children, leading to subconscious resentment.

'Very Weird' and 'Inappropriate'

The Reddit community was quick to weigh in, with users both sympathizing with the original poster and questioning the motivations of the waiters.

User ChefArtorias commented: "Very weird thing for a waiter to say, especially if it happened twice with different people..."

Another user said: "TBF [to be fair] they [mocktails] are overpriced... but that's the customer's call to make."

Dpan agreed, saying: "it's inappropriate for a waiter to make this kind of judgment call on behalf of a customer."

User 3amGreenCoffee remarked: "They're not implying that you can't afford it. They're implying that they're a rip-off without the alcohol and not worth buying. Sure, it's not what you asked, but don't be outraged over someone trying to do you a solid."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system.