Self-sighting

[Ree]

Friday afternoon, I got a call from BIL informing me he was coming for a visit.

I really didn't feel like cooking, and the KFC is right next door, so I called home and asked for orders from everyone.

I wanted to get home quickly, and I knew I would have to take a cab, so, to minimize wait time, I called my order ahead and said I would be there in about 20 minutes.

I got there just a bit late, and was worried the food would be cold. I called my cab and told him to meet me there, and explained that I had called my order ahead, so I shouldn't have to wait too long, just to give him a time frame.

It was fairly busy, and there were a few people waiting, so I had to wait to go to the counter. I told her I had called my order in, and I paid for it, thinking she would just be handed a ready-packed bag from the kitchen.
Not so.

I still had a 20 minute wait while everyone was served their orders, and even one girl who ordered after me got hers before I did.

I was tired and hungry. My sciatic nerve was acting up and I had been fighting off a headache all day.

There was a woman waiting, who happened to be a family acquaintance.
She asked after some of the members of my family, and we made small talk while we waited.

There was a guy at the counter using a special offer coupon, but then making a special request for all white meat.

He was told he could get 2 pieces in each order, but that the 3rd piece would have to be dark meat.
He wanted to know why.
He was told they were running very low on white meat. He wasn't happy, but he didn't make a fuss.

I grumbled to the woman that it never ceased to amaze me why people will come in with a coupon and then expect special concessions for the lower price.

She sort of looked at me funny, but didn't really say much. (I think she knew it was a bit out of character for me to be so grumpy, because I have waited on her in the store and I always behave professionally when I am on the job.)

After 20 minutes, I finally got my food.

I know I came across as bitchy, but I tried not to be. It was more a question asked out of curiosity than anything.

I said to the girl, "So, it really doesn't make a difference to call ahead, then?"

Unfortunately, I think it came out bitchier than I intended.

She said, "Well, we've just been really busy..."

I just said, "Ah. OK, thanks," and I took my bag and left to go to the cab that had now been sitting outside for close to 10 minutes.

I was still in my uniform, so I probably didn't really present the best image.

I felt a little bad about it, but I was really irked.

At the restaurant where my daughter works, (and where my husband worked), when people call in an order, they put it together while they are working on the ones coming in. It's called multi-tasking.

While it was so busy, and the front of the place was full, one of the girls went on break and stood outside, smoking a cigarette.

Now, I realize breaks are important and necessary, and I don't begrudge anyone a break, again, it's a matter of timing and prioritizing.

If it had been me, I would have looked at the time and realized dinner rush was going to start, and I would have taken my break just before, or, if my breaktime came in the middle of the rush, I would have waited to go.

By the time I was leaving, there were only 4 people waiting, and that's when the girl was coming back from break, after the one girl in the kitchen had handled about 20 customers by herself.

Anyway, that's my "sightings" story.

[Melicious Motormouth]

Doesn't sound like a self-sighting to me! More like a sighting on the restaurant's part!

You're human. You were reasonably impatient. You didn't yell, call any names, throw tanturms (or objects). And you asked a legitimate question. Now, I wasn't there, obviously, so I don't know what your tone was like, but I doubt it was as bad as you think. You probably demonstrated some irritation, which again, was reasonable.

Everyone seems to be so hard on themselves in the Sightings section lately! I think y'all need to give yourselves a break!

[Becks]

If it had been me, I would have looked at the time and realized dinner rush was going to start, and I would have taken my break just before, or, if my breaktime came in the middle of the rush, I would have waited to go.

Wonderful if possible, but...

...Some places have iron clad rules that you MUST take your break as scheduled.

Or everyone's breaks end up pushed back, and some places have rules that your last break has to be taken by a certain time before the end of your shift.

That place sounds sucktacular, however.

[Kiwi]

Now, I realize breaks are important and necessary, and I don't begrudge anyone a break, again, it's a matter of timing and prioritizing.

I dont think you were all that bad Ree, all you did was ask a question and you even said thank you! We dont go to our KFC because no matter how busy they are they only EVER had three people working, one doing chicken, one doing sides and one serving and it seems as if they are walking through honey as they move!!! The safeway across the road has chicken thats every bit as good and they put cheddar in their mash potatos!!!!

The only reason I wouldnt agree with the quoted statement is under the following condition, at the craft store on a Saturday we could be 5 customers deep on all three counters ALL day, there was no let up. Ever

My boss had to physically pry us away from serving at the counter because customers would get so upset that we dare take a break while they were waiting because couldn't we just wait until we were less busy.... but we were never less busy unless it was the first hour or last 20 minutes if we were lucky. I even had a customer tell me that I was a "lazy employee, I would never make a customer wait while I went to eat" after I had been working without so much as a bathroom break (not that you would ever say that!) but my manager had to explain to her that I had to have my break as I was already an hour over due for it and had been fighting through the line to try and get some headway.

I always remember her telling me that, shes one of the two customers that have always suck in my head for some reason. I had slaved away for hours trying to get people served and out the door as quick as possible but to this lady I was lazy, because I was human and physically needed to eat and pee.

Like I said before I dont think you did anything sucky, I just know it can sometimes look different for customers than it really is for employees.