Biggest screw up you've gotten away with.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

April's story reminded me of the time I was serving soup to a group of business ladies at the Olive Garden.

Yeah, those of you who wait tables know what the demeanor and sense of humor was at THAT table.

Anway, I was wearing these marble-sized fake pearls, and one just popped off and splashed into the bowl of minestrone I was serving. Nobody got splashed. The soup didn't even make it out of the bowl.

I looked at it. They looked at it. I laughed. They didn't. I said, still laughing, "Hold on, I'll be right back with another bowl that doesn't have an earring garnish." Off I went.

I still think it was funny. Somebody has no sense of humor, screw 'em. People with no sense of humor give the rest of us someone to laugh at.

So I guess it wasn't unprofesional to lose an earring, stuff happens. But I did laugh. And I stand by the laughing. It ain't like that table would have left much tip anyway.

[powerboy]

I also once lied to a customer, just because I didn't want to look for the product. I was working at Office Max then, and this one lady wanted to some Ink Refill for a pen. Didn't see any on the rack, so I wrote down the UPC#. I looked it up, and it said we had about 20 left. I thought to myself, Oh Shit, because that meant that, they were up on the risers, where it is all a mess. Guess who did not take care of it, when he was on Overnights, Karma came and bite me on my ass. I told the customer that we were out, and she mentioned, that she is never coming to OfficeMax again.

[customersruinmylife]

I've lied tonnes of times to customers, especially when we're busy. If we run out of a particular bottle, I tell them that we have none left in stock, even though I know there are some in the stock room. But when we're busy at the bar with a queue that is five people deep, the last thing you want to be doing is running around the stock room looking for a box!

Also took a burger out to a guy.

SC: I asked for no salad on this burger!!
Me: Oh I'm sorry, no one informed the kitchen. I'll just sort that out for you.
SC: AND I WANT A NEW BURGER! DONT YOU DARE JUST TAKE THE SALAD OFF IT! BELIEVE ME, I'LL KNOW!

Oh you will, will you?
No he didn't, I put a new top on the bun and turned the burger the other way around. He was none the wiser.

[technical.angel]

I was constantly told to lie to customers. Our back room was ceiling to floor merchandise.... to the point where we got in trouble on our fire inspection.

If someone asked if we had any more of an item, we were to go in the backroom, take a cursory look around, a few calming happy breaths, and go back and say no.

I wonder if they ever got that cleaned up.

[reformedwaitress]

I didn't really "get away" with this one as it wasn't really my fault, but I once dropped two entire trays of Irish Car Bombs -- about 20 of them, if I remember right, which would be about $150. So, not huge, but not fun and not a fun clean up.

But know why I say I did get away with it? Cause I never got in any trouble for it and the manager was cleaning it up and apologizing to me! Carrying two trays of beers, car bombs, whatever, was not a big deal for me or C, the other kick-ass waitress at that bar. We did it all the time. During the football and college basketball season, we had the bar trained to these whistles we wore around our necks. If you heard the whistle, you moved back cause it meant a waitress was coming through with food or alcohol (you try screaming "SCUSE ME" and still not getting through for 12 hours a day and tell me whistles are not a good idea. )

So it was a basketball night, also St. Patty's day, we were packed, I was coming down the aisle. I blew my whistle and then, as I was about to go by our manager who was kneeling and talking to a table, I said "Sherrie, couple of trays behind you." She aknowledges me, says okay and then, as I'm directly behind her, stands up into me and knocks me off balance.

You don't keep both trays upright when knocked off balance.

Guiness and Bailey's went EVERYWHERE and there was glass breaking and everything. It was truly spectacular. I'm shocked nobody got drenched, but there was just liquid on some people's pants legs and stuff.

The bar thought it was hilarious and we actually had a number of regulars who helped clean up. Sherrie bought the entire bar a around of beer after that one.

[Format C]

Not too long ago, I accidentally broke a display of a competitor's notebook PC. I reported it to the store management immediately and when I arrived home, I e-mailed my supervisor about it. I called the store a couple of days later to get a demo table set up. The manager asked me about reimbursement for the broken notebook PC display. I told them I would contact my supervisor, which I did. I haven't heard anything about it since. My supervisor admired my maturity in handling it by reporting the damage immediately.

[Bella_Vixen]

I once dropped two entire trays of Irish Car Bombs.

I'm crying.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I know. Talk about alcohol abuse.

[BusBus]

I know. Talk about alcohol abuse.

I do like the whistle idea, though. Might have to bring one with me the next time I am in a grocery store and people decide on having a family reunion in the middle of the aisle....

[ForestDragon]

Just remembered another one from many moons ago... I was working in a taco joint and had to go get some sliced steak from the freezer. It had a lock on it and I was having trouble with the key. I didn't know at the time that you don't force a key if it won't turn - I wrenched on that little bugger with all my strength and damn if it didn't break off! Lucky for me it broke with the door unlocked or I might've had more trouble than I actually did.

[latenightchild]

I floodded the entire back room with a mountain of bubbles, i mean freaking Everywhere! But our shift superviser was gone (god knows where) and it was only me and some other stoned teenager and we basically spent an hour running in and out of the back room outside (the front door, we have no back door) with mounds of suds in our arms while people stared.
Basically by the time our boss got back his question was, "Whats with alll the bubbles outside?"
It was awsome.

[darkcrimsongoth]

Playing hacky sack with a really small football in the back of layby. About three other people where playing it as well. One of them was a supervisor. 0.0

It was near closing time in the store anyway and no one was there to serve...