Talking to customers outside of work

[bean]

So I'm in a quandary here.

I have tons of regular customers, most of which know me by name (and vice versa).

A couple of them - mother and daughter - and I have started talking quite a bit via AIM and email. They're by far my favorite customers, and I honestly look forward to the days when I know they're coming in. They're basically on a first name basis with about half of the people in my department. They've been regulars since I started, and we have a lot of common interests (mainly in pets) - but we didn't start talking outside of work until another coworker they really liked was fired.

First off, they know I'm gay, so they know there's no chance of romantic interest at any level. Secondly, they apparently know a lot of our store's employees by name as well. I'm openly gay at work (which has actually shot down a sexual harassment claim against me by a female coworker, a whole 'nother story there). I don't "act gay" according to lots of coworkers and even customers that I BS with - hence the sexual harassment claim. I don't bring it up with customers unless they keep asking why I don't have a wife/girlfriend - if they want to get that personal with me, I'm kicking the closet door open in their face

They've also apparently praised me quite highly - to the store manager.

Anyway, they've asked me to have dinner with them at a pretty nice place, in the next month or so

So tell me, should I do it? Obviously I'll be paying my own tab (and won't let them even see how much my tab is, I don't believe in people paying my way no matter how broke I am, and I make damn good money for a cook anyway), but this will be the first time in my nearly 11 years of doing customer service where I'll be doing something beyond chatting with customers for a few minutes while handling whatever I'm doing for them.

[Ljt09863]

one of my customers came to m baby shower....i ddin't even realize it at first. she lives two doors down from us, and my fiancess mother invited her. i didn't know she lived there until she came in, and i was like, hey! your the customer with the mentally challenged son who likes to try to steal!(no, i didn't say that, but its true. but she keeps a VERY watchful eye on him, because she knows he does this.)

[reformedwaitress]

Honestly, one of my really good friends (he's in the army and overseas right now ) is someone I originally met cause he was a regular at my bar. I have a number of acquaintances that I know from them being customers and then doing things outside of work with them.

I see nothing wrong with it. If you get along and you're friends, why shouldn't you have dinner with them?

[Boozy]

I invited one of my regulars at the cafe to my wedding.
He used to come in by himself after work when it was slow, and I was just straightening up in the dining area. Often times, it would be just the two of us there, so we'd talk while I worked. He and his wife eventually became very close friends of mine.

[iradney]

Shoot, at my old job, I rented a granny flat from one of my customers. We used to have braais (coal bbqs) together! As long as it doesn't have any negative lash on your work, who cares what you do afterhours?